Our market operates rain or shine. And we had plenty of both last week. Buckets of rain as the market was getting started, fierce sun and heat in mid-afternoon. Wet raingear and soggy outerwear came off and people were back to wearing summer t-shirts. “It’s Florida,” beamed Tony Melli to one of his cheese customers. Then a northerly wind kicked up, and the outerwear (much of it still soggy) came on again. A day of seasonal changes.

There are lots of good purple and violet things at the market at this point in the season….dark, deeply flavored grapes, plums, and “all manner of eggplants,” as Weston Lant from Lucky Organics put it.  Christine’s Flowers has mums in colors like garnet and magenta. We are happy to see a second crop of raspberries. Here’s what we think we might see at the market this Thursday:
  • Ripe field tomatoes, Sun Golds, mixed cherries, and exotic heirlooms. Corn, sweet and hot peppers, eggplants in many shapes, sizes and colors..
  • Peaches, raspberries, dark purple Concord-type grapes, sweet tomatillos, apples, Asian pears and plums.
  • Lettuces and salad greens, pea tendrils, arugula and colorful edible flowers.
  • Beans, broccoli, okra, kohlrabi, chard and kale. Red and white potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, carrots, leeks, fennel, radishes, red and white onions, and garlic. Cucumbers, including lemon cucumbers, zucchini, summer squashes, green and yellow patty pans, and autumnal squashes, such as butternut and stripy delicata.
  • Cheeses: Great Hill Blue, Long Lane Farm’s delicate goat cheese, Shy Brothers’ Hannahbells and Cloumage.  Fromage à Trois fresh hand-made mozzarella, marinated bocconcini, burrata, string cheese (and probably fresh pasta.) Asiago and creamy fromage blanc from Foxboro Cheese.
  • Local eggs. Pickles. Smoked fish, fishcakes, fish pâtés and spreads. Singe-Sations hot jalapeno topping. Smoked meats (including ribs, pulled pork) and frozen grass-fed beef and sausages.
  • Basil, cilantro, parsley, and potted herbs (including bronze fennel.) Mini-bouquets of flowers and Christine’s mums.
  • Breads, including Rein’s Real Rye; Pain D’Avignon baguettes, boules, and rustic loaves; The Artisan Bake Shop’s breads, quiches, and mini pizzas; loaves and apple cider doughnuts from the Great Cape folks. (Pies à la Mode’s famous fruit tarts, pot pies and much besides are available at their store at the Library Square.)
  • Honey and Green Briar Jam Kitchen’s luminous jellies, jams and fruit preserves. Sirenetta’s signature chocolate collections and salty Falmouth caramels. Brewed coffee and custom-roasted coffee beans from Down to the Ground, lemonade, plus either Westport or Coastal wines to taste and to purchase.

We still hope to see peaches and plums, the stone-fruits of late summer, before they vanish for another year.  Here’s a recipe for a gooey plum paste that makes an unusual addition to a cheese plate.  It’s also good with roasted meats, game and turkey. And, of course, you can use it in sandwiches or spread on toast.