By Mary Ellen Psaltis
Have you treated yourself to the sweet tang of a Honeycrisp apple? The first pick of the season has already made it to Ralph’s Thriftway and Bayview. Yes, these early sweeties are a bit spendy, but my, oh my, the pleasure of slicing and savoring a giant Honeycrisp is worth every dime. The price will lower as we move further into fall, but such indulgences are one of the juicy tidbits of life.
Produce Manager, Trevor DeWispelaere, spends his days on the hunt for the best produce he can find. The locally owned grocers strive to provide lots of Washington produce. Both stores are resplendent with local and regional produce like sweet onions, green beans and greens.
We grow many things in Washington, but not everything. To that end, other sources are utilized. According to DeWispelaere, there is a “good harvest” of grapes from California and lovely avocados. Though avocados are available year round, their optimum maturity time is as summer ends and fall begins.
Look for late free stone peaches that you can buy in abundance. They are the right peach for canning. (I think canning is what you do in the evening when it’s too dark to work out in your garden.)
This is also the time for potatoes – Yukon gold, red and russet.“People move from salads to stews and eating habits change,” reflected DeWispelaere, and Stormans is ready to help. Stews and soups allow the many root vegetables to mingle and mellow together. Carrots, parsnips, turnips, rutabaga and celery root sound a bit old fashion – do people really still eat these? But bring some home and try them out. Then you’ll know. Satisfying cuisine does not have to be expensive. You can also include the many squash: butternut, Danish, acorn, banana, spaghetti, carnival, delicata, fairytale pumpkin, gold nugget, Hubbard, kobocha, or turban – is that enough variety?
And can I rave about heirloom tomatoes? You will find them there. Heirloom varieties of produce are those that are meant to provide greater genetic diversity to the usual tomatoes from large commercial venues. They are often old breeds that have been cultivated in traditional ways. Grown more for taste, heirloom varieties are not grown for their ability to withstand long journeys and rough transport. Heirloom varieties are often colorful and uneven in size but often have plenty of taste. By growing tomatoes (and other heirloom produce) the genetic diversity is greater and genetic erosion lowered, which can be helpful to lower the risks of losing food due to pest infestation and plant epidemics.
Another sure sign of fall is the displays from Liberty Orchards. If that name doesn’t ring a bill, I bet the mention of applets and cotlets will! These famous fruit and nut confections come from Cashmere, Washington. Though you can purchase from their full line of fruit and nut candies and other food gifts year round, it sure reminds me of the holidays that are just around the corner.
It’s the cider time of year, too. I like to fill a big pot with local cider, add a sliced orange, a stick or two of cinnamon and a few cloves. Turn on low on the stovetop and let it simmer. It’s a tummy warmer – and caffeine free, so you can have a cup late into the evening. For the adults in the crowd, there is hard cider. I finally drank a mug and realized those early settlers knew how to keep their apples.
Finally, DeWispelaere might be stocking those local autumnal beauties: chanterelles. Golden in color and somewhat funnel shaped and wavy, chanterelles are better cooked than eaten raw as the cooking allows their complex flavors to release. They can also be dried and reconstituted for later use. Considered a delicacy by many top- notch chefs and gourmets, we are lucky to have them in our own backyards.
I won’t be taking a trip to Wenatchee to pick apples or foraging around the forest for safe mushrooms to eat. It will be a lot easier to stop in at Ralph’s Thriftway or Bayview and do my hunting and gathering in the produce department. I’ve also taken to drinking a green smoothie each morning, so I can rest assured that my supply will of fresh greens will continue even as the rains being.
Eat Well – Be Well.
