Monthly Archives: October 2015

Fall Harvest Salad

With the arrival of fall, our farmers’ market is filled with new and exciting fruits and vegetables to build flavorful meals like this Fall Harvest Salad. Freshly-harvested components like roasted beets and butternut squash pair with shaved fennel and crisp sour apples. Toss these ingredients with a mix of tender lettuces and a bright vinaigrette, and you’ve created a mélange of fall flavor that is as tasty as it is nutritious.

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Toss fresh baby lettuces from Paradise Produce with a flavorful array of fall fruits and vegetables, and you have a delicious fall salad.

When thinking of fall produce, nothing comes to mind like the earthiness of root vegetables. Delvin Farms‘ organic beets are harvested and bundled fresh, and the bright red globes grow sweeter when tossed in olive oil and roasted. Also, Rocky Glade Farm offers an array of sweet winter squashes that add bright orange color and sweetness to any fall harvest salad.

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Organic beets from Delvin Farms grow sweeter when roasted.

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Roasted Rocky Glade Farm butternut squash is a must for a fall salad.

For balance, toss in thinly-sliced fresh fennel and fall apples to brighten things up a bit. Fennel is a wonderful addition to salads and is available right now at the Colvin Family Farm’s booth. To add a bit of tartness and texture, organic Granny Smith apples from Rainbow Hill Farm are perfectly-crisp and sliced into matchsticks.

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Anise-flavored fennel from Colvin Family Farms is sliced and added to the salad and the fronds make a delicious addition to the vinaigrette.

Visit Paradise Produce at the market this week and build your own custom mix of baby lettuces to form the base of your fall harvest salad. Choose from baby kale, peppery arugula, or a tender spring mix. Whatever flavors you fancy, Stacy and Sonia Geny will be happy to guide you as you make your decisions.

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Adding spiced pecans to your harvest salad lends a toastiness reminiscent of fall.

A fall harvest salad would not be properly garnished without toasted spiced pecans and salty pumpkin seeds. Toss your pecan pieces in a mixture of salt, brown sugar, cayenne, and cumin and roast until fragrant. And with all the wonderful pumpkins available at our farmers’ market, pumpkin seeds are easy to find. Simply purchase a fresh baking pumpkin from Colbert Farm or Purple Tree Farm, roast the flesh for pumpkin bread or pie, and don’t forget to save your seeds to salt and roast for salads all season.

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Fennel fronds and ground coriander make this apple cider vinaigrette a delicious addition to a fall harvest salad.

Finally, whisk together a snappy vinaigrette of apple cider vinegar, whole-grain mustard, and extra-virgin olive oil that’s lightly sweetened with Johnson’s Honey Farm’s clover or wildflower honey. And if you’re feeling extra frisky, toss-in a palmful of freshly-chopped fennel fronds, a pinch of ground coriander, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. You’ll be glad you did once you taste the first bite of this flavor-packed fall harvest salad.

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Scarecrows Invade Franklin Farmers Market

Last Saturday, scarecrows of all shapes, sizes, and ages raided our farmers’ market for the annual Invasion of the Scarecrows special fall event. There was no pillaging, plundering, or mischief, so rest assured. Instead, these hay-filled friends brought smiles, fresh local food, and family-fun to our market shoppers. Beautiful weather and a good time was shared by all, and we are so very grateful for everyone’s dedication and support for this event.

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We’d like to first thank our corporate sponsor Ford Lincoln of Franklin, chef Michael Martin of Whole Foods, and most importantly you, our customers, for your participation in the Invasion of the Scarecrows. Over 300 samples of a fall-inspired menu prepared by chef Martin were passed out at our Chef Demo tent. 351 pumpkins provided by King Farm were given to our younger shoppers and skillfully decorated at our Pumpkin Painting area, and our Great Big Pumpkin received 271 kids’ entries to guess its weight. The Great Big Pumpkin went home with Roman Stuchurski who accurately guessed at 117 pounds. Congratulations, Roman!

Ford Lincoln of Franklin

The Invasion of the Scarecrows would not have been possible, of course, without our walking, talking, scarecrows! Our farmers, vendors, and artisans really shined in their festive costumes and we would like to congratulate the winners of both the costume contest and booth decorating contest. Third place for the Best Dressed Scarecrow went to Asher Dixon of Peaceful Worlds Clothing. Second place went to Paula Johnson Morton of Johnson’s Honey Farm. And the first place winners of the Best Dressed Scarecrow went to Hank and Cindy Delvin of Delvin Farms. Congratulations to all our winning scarecrows, and thank you for your participation!

Hank & Cindy Delvin took 1st Place for Best Dressed Scarecrow and Best Decorated Booth

Hank & Cindy Delvin of Delvin Farms took 1st Place for Best Dressed Scarecrow and Best Decorated Booth pictured here with event Judges Tom Lawrence, Deborah Warnick, and Brian and Lisa Beathard, Market Manager Deb Grant and Events Manager Ryan Palmer.

For the Best Booth Decoration contest, our judges had a difficult time choosing, since so many of our farmers’ market booths looked so festive. Third place went to the Barker’s Market and their perfectly-dressed scarecrow pup . Second place went to Norton Family Farm with the flour-frenzied baking scarecrow, and Hank and Cindy Delvin took home first place for their hand-holding scarecrow mom and dad display. Congratulations to all of our market booth decorators! We are grateful for all your efforts.

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Finally, we would like to show our gratitude for our outstanding team of judges who meticulously chose the winners of our Invasion of the Scarecrows contests. Thank you to Tom Lawrence, Deborah Warnick, and Brian and Lisa Beathard. Your contributions were key.

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Judges for this years Invasion of the Scarecrows pictured from left to right, Tom Lawrence of WAKM Hometown Radio, Deborah Warnick Director of Cultural & Heritage Tourism, Williamson County Convention & Visitors Bureau with Brian and Lisa Beathard Co-Owner of RevHD, County Commissioner and Lisa serves our community as a local registered nurse

To view more photos from our Invasion of the Scarecrows last Saturday, please follow this link. Thanks, again, scarecrows, and we hope to see your smiling faces again next year!

Invasion of the Scarecrows is October 17th

Franklin Farmers MarketDeep from the fields of our local farms comes the Invasion of the Scarecrows sponsored by Ford Lincoln of Franklin! On Saturday October 17, 2015, scarecrows as far as the eye can see will invade the Franklin Farmers Market to bring you the freshest local produce, locally-raised meats, artisan cheeses, pastured eggs, fresh baked breads, and so much more. Come witness this fun-for-the-family event and see the Invasion of the Scarecrows with your very own eyes!

That’s right, folks! Our farmers, vendors, and food artisans will magically transform into live, walking, talking scarecrows at our farmers market, and we are so grateful. These scarecrows will be accompanied by some mighty festive fall decorations and plenty of fresh food for you to enjoy or take home for fall meals. So don’t be alarmed to see that your favorite farmer is full of hay on October 17th at the Franklin Farmers Market.

Ford Lincoln of FranklinTo celebrate the season and the arrival of our new fall friends, we’re hosting a score of fun activities for you and the little ones to enjoy. We’ll have our annual FFM Pumpkin Patch provided by King Farm and Wilson Farm, Molly’s fall-themed face painting, kids’ games, Guess the Weight of our Big Giant Pumpkin, and photo opportunities at the White Rabbit costume tent and with our one-of-a-kind Market Scarecrow.

The Invasion of the Scarecrows sponsored by Ford Lincoln of Franklin wouldn’t be complete without some fun for the adults. We’re lucky to have chef Michael Martin of Whole Foods Market preparing 3 fall menu items with fresh produce provided by Colvin Family Farm: Arugula and Fennel Salad, Apple Cider Glazed Turnips, and a Kale Salad.

Special Event Schedule

8am-1pm

  • Fall Chef Demo with Michael Martin of Whole Foods
  • FFM Children’s Pumpkin Patch
  • Pumpkin Painting at painting tent
  • White Rabbit costume booth
  • Photo Op with our Market Scarecrow

9am-noon

  • Face Painting with Molly

imagesFinally, we would like to express our deepest gratitude for our corporate sponsor Ford Lincoln of Franklin for their support in this special seasonal event. So grab the family and don’t miss the Invasion of the Scarecrows October 17, 2015, at the Franklin Farmers Market. And while you’re there, don’t forget to shake the hand of the farmer…we mean scarecrow…that feeds you!Invasion of the Scarecrows

Find All the Fabulous Flavors of Fall

Find all the Fabulous Flavors of Fall this week at the Franklin Farmers Market. Mountains of fresh, crisp kale are available, plus collards, turnips, and swiss chard. Sweet potatoes are arriving freshly-dug from the field, and pumpkins, apples, and fall squashes are in abundance. The fabulous flavors of fall are all around at the Franklin Farmers Market this week.

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Our farmers, young and old, are bringing freshly-harvested fall fruits and vegetables to the market every week.

Speaking of fall flavors, we’d like to announce our Invasion of the Scarecrows Festival on October 17, 2015. This will be a is a fun event for the whole family with kids’ activities like face painting and more. So come dressed as your best scarecrow on October 17, 2015, and experience some fall family fun!

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Come dressed as your best scarecrow and have some fall family fun.

This week, the Franklin Farmers Market is filled with all the fantastic flavors of fall with newly-arriving fresh fall fruits and vegetables, fresh-baked goods, and more. Find different varieties of apples at Kirkview Farm and the recently organic-certifies Rainbow Hill Farm. Sweet Potatoes in every variety like Japanese at Vu Family Farm, ‘Carolina Ruby’ at Rocky Glade Farm, and the giant classic ‘Beauregard’ variety from Colbert Farm. Grab a dozen to store, bake in pies, or roast crisp with dinner.

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Opt for a tasty Japanese sweet potato variety this week at the Vu Family Farm booth.

 

Find more fantastic (and healthful!) flavors of fall this week by taking home a mess of greens! Collard, turnip, kale, or swiss chard are back and harvested fresh from the field. If you’re curious about the best way to prepare your greens, stop by Beaverdam Creek Farm and ask about their Tastiest Turnip Greens recipe with maple syrup, or view our recipe for Honey Ginger Kale with Sweet Potatoes on our blog. Once you master a good seasoning, greens are easy to make, delicious, and oh-so-good for you! Grab a bunch or two for a giant pot this weekend at the Franklin Farmers Market. See you then!

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Our farmers know how to cook, and Beaverdam Creek Farm has the Tastiest Turnip Greens Recipe. Visit their farm booth this week for a few turnip tips!

Honey Ginger Kale with Sweet Potatoes

Fall is all around, and we just love our Honey Ginger Kale with Sweet Potatoes recipe to incorporate fall flavors found at the Franklin Farmers Market. Sweet local honey with freshly-dug ginger and garlic give this bitter green a lot of Asian zing, plus the addition of soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice wine vinegar, and you have a complete sweet and sour flavor profile necessary for seasoning greens.

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You can find fresh baby ginger and garlic at the Rocky Glade Farm booth at the Franklin Farmers Market.

Honey Ginger Kale with Sweet Potatoes begins with sautéing sweet onion in a flavorless, hot oil such as vegetable or grapeseed. Once the onion is soft, minced baby ginger and garlic from Rocky Glad Farm are added the sauté pan. Next, chopped Vu Family Japanese sweet potato is added and allowed to soften slightly. Finally, washed and chopped kale from any of our farmers’ market booths is wilted on top and tossed with the other ingredients.

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Vu Family Farm has white and purple fleshed varieties of Japanese sweet potatoes.

To season Honey Ginger Kale with Sweet Potatoes, think a flavor profile complete with sweet, sour, and salty. For sweetness, I add a tablespoon of two of Johnson’s Honey to my kale, along with 1 teaspoon sesame oil for flavor. For sour, I add 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, which is very good for cutting the bitterness of greens. Then, for salt, I add 1-2 tablespoons soy sauce to my Asian-inspired greens. A bit of water and a lid can be added to simmer your greens until they are the consistency you like. Sweet locally-grown potatoes and tangy greens really makes a delicious fall side dish made with local ingredients purchased at the Franklin Farmers Market. Enjoy!

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Sweet-tangy kale sauteed with white-fleshed sweet potatoes, baby ginger, and garlic.