Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week

More farmers tailgate markets vendors than ever are selling eggs right now, so this is a great chance to go local with your springtime celebrations.

You might find a few beets left from winter storage (Headwaters Market Garden had them at Asheville City Market a few weeks ago), but it’s still a little early for the spring crop. You could also try using the brine of fermented beets, like those from Fermenti. (West Asheville Tailgate Market, North Asheville Tailgate Market, Weaverville Tailgate Market), Serotonin Ferments (Asheville City Market, North Asheville Tailgate Market), or Sweet Brine’d (Asheville City Market, Weaverville Tailgate Market).

Chances are you’re not going to find big, papery onions at market this week, but you can let this be a lesson to save your skins for next year. Two cups of yellow onion skins (just the papery parts you can pull off with your hands) will get you orange or rust-colored eggs. Achieve blue (or green, if you’re using brown eggs) using a small head of red cabbage, sliced. For yellow, use 1/4 cup sliced fresh turmeric (check New Moon Herbs Farm at Asheville City Market) or the same amount of ground from the spice shelf.

What to do with all these hard boiled eggs after the Easter hunt? Look to spring produce starting to show up at markets. Dress grilled asparagus from McConnell Farms (Asheville City Market, North Asheville Tailgate Market, West Asheville Tailgate Market) or baby leeks from Ivy Creek Family Farm (North Asheville Tailgate Market, Weaverville Tailgate Market) with gribiche, a sauce made from coarsely chopped eggs, pickles, capers, mustard, vinegar, olive oil, and fresh herbs, like tarragon and parsley. Add ramp puree to your deviled eggs to kick things up a notch (look for ramps that have been sustainably harvested, with the bulb cut above the roots). Or make an open-faced egg salad and French breakfast radish (many farms have them) sandwich on slices of Simple Bread (Asheville City Market, Weaverville Tailgate Market, West Asheville Tailgate Market).

Area farmers tailgate markets take place throughout the region. As always, you can find information about farms, tailgate markets, and farm stands, including locations and hours, by visiting ASAP’s online Local Food Guide at appalachiangrown.org.

Prepared by Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project.