This week at the Farmers Market

Rough Draft Atlanta is partnering with Community Farmers Markets to let you know what’s in season at your local market. Each week, we’ll share a list of ingredients that are farm fresh as well as a couple of recipes including those products that you can try at home. 

Here’s what we’ve got for you this week: Asian pears, apples, tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, eggplant, okra, garlic, various pumpkins and gourds like candy roaster and acorn squash, turnips, radishes, potatoes, green beans, arugula, kale, collards, microgreens, gourmet mushrooms, basil and many other herbs, bread, jams, pastries, eggs, beef, pork, chicken, duck, shrimp, smoked trout and salmon, pecans, honey, teas, cocktail mixers, ghee, cooking oils, various flower bouquets like marigolds, dahlias, and sunflowers.

Atlanta non-profit Community Farmers Markets (CFM) has been building community through farmers markets since 2011. Operating five weekly outdoor farmers markets and seven farm stands at MARTA stations is one of the strategies by which the organization addresses food access in Atlanta. CFM also offers educational programming in the community, financial incentives to make local food more affordable, and professional development for small businesses. See you at the farmers markets!

Butternuts Squash Pasta with Burrata Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs butternut squash, roughly 4 cups
• 2 small garlic bulbs
• Pasta shells (roughly 1/2 lb bag)
• Burrata cheese
• 2 TB raw cashews or 20 grams
• Your choice of milk 
• Nutmeg, rosemary, oil, salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Peel and scoop out seeds of butternut squash. Chop into roughly 1” cubes. 
2. Slice head off of garlic bulb. Oil & salt everything, then toss into a 400 F degree oven until tender and caramelized. 
3. In the meanwhile, pour boiling water over cashews, just enough to submerge, and let the cashews soak for at least 30 minutes. 
4. When the butternut squash is ready to take out, allow it to cool off for 5-10 minutes, then toss in a blender and squeeze garlic in there as well. Add a pinch of nutmeg and 1 tsp of finely chopped rosemary. 
5. Drain cashew water and toss cashews in and blend all together until smooth. You can add a splash of milk if the sauce gets stuck. The end result should be of a thick paste-y consistency. 
6. Start boiling your pasta in heavily salted water and cook until al denté. 
7. On med low heat, add the sauce paste into your pan (non stick is great for this) and starting with 1/2 cup of milk, stir in with the sauce. Gradually add splashes of milk until your sauce has loosened up and becomes a similar viscosity to an alfredo sauce. Salt and pepper to taste. 
8. Drain and toss in your pasta shells in the sauce and cook for just a couple minutes more. 
9. Scoop pasta on your eating device and top it off with a beautifully clean tasting burrata cheese ball. 
10. Watch the inside ooze out onto your pasta as you pierce the middle.

Fruity Kale Salad Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 mixed bundle of Lacinato and Dinosaur kale 
• 1 pint muscadines 
• 1 large Mutsu, 3 small September Wonder apples 
• 3 Golden Delicious apples 
• Sweet heat pecans 
• Oil
• Apple cider vinegar
• Salt
• Fresh shallot, minced
• Spicy whole grain mustard
• Hibiscus Peach Chutney 
• Wildflower honey 

Directions:

1. Strip away kale stems. Chop the stems small and put them in a bowl. 
2. Cover with vinegar, 1 tsp salt and a little honey. This will soften the stems a bit, think funky pickle relish. Add as much as you like to the salad and save any leftover for another use!
3. Half and remove seeds from muscadines. If the grapes are large and skins feel too chewy, peel or chop ’em smaller!
4. Slice or tear kale into bite size pieces, core and slice apples.
5. To make the dressing, start with 1:1 ratio of oil to vinegar. 
6. Add in a dash of salt (don’t be shy!), a few spoonfuls of chutney, a drizzle of honey, a spoonful of minced shallot and a squirt of mustard. Taste and adjust according to your palate.
7. Combine your kale leaves, apples, and muscadines in a big bowl. Spoon in that chopped stem relish, drizzle in your dressing. 
8. Toss it all together, use your hands to rub the dressing into the kale and watch it turn bright green. Taste and adjust for more dressing and relish and anything else you think it might need. 
9. Serve with a sprinkle of pecans on top for an extra toasty crunchy moment. 

The recipes for Butternut Squash Pasta with Burrata and Fruity Kale Salad can also be found on Community Farmers Markets’ Instagram.