This Week at Smart Markets Reston Farmers' Market

12001 Sunrise Valley Dr. 

Map

I hate to seem as if I am pushing the season, but at least we aren’t decorating the market for Christmas. I just want to make sure that you have the recipes you need to plan an all-local Thanksgiving feast and that you have time to shop for the ingredients. This week we are highlighting salads, which can be served as part of a buffet or before or after your seated dinner.

We are lucky to live in an area where our farmers in the Northern Neck and even those in Loudoun County farm under low and high tunnels and in heated greenhouses. They are still bringing hearty lettuces and a variety of greens that, combined with other winter veggies, nuts, berries, and strong or mild cheeses, can hold their own in a digestion-inducing or palate-cleansing salad. And as you think about hosting guests for the long weekend, think salad and turkey soup for a light and simple lunch or dinner after a Black Friday shopping spree.

Preorder one or more of Ignacio’s lovely pumpkin flower arrangements to pick up at our last market before Thanksgiving. It will make it easier for him to know how many to bring without ending up with leftovers that can’t be eaten. He will have an order sheet for your convenience.

Try these recipes for the fall and winter seasons:

• Autumn Salads
• Field Greens with Roasted Bacon-Wrapped Pears
• Hearty Greens Salad with Bacon, Mushrooms and Blue Cheese
• Cavanna’s Pumpkin Ravioli Salad with Fennel, Onions, Apples & Cranberries
• Beet, Kale and Pecan Salad

We’ll have more recipes at the market and lots of the side-dish recipes that we introduced last week. There is certainly no excuse for not having the perfect mashed potatoes this year with something new in the mix. We’ve got those covered along with lots of interesting ideas for winter vegetables. Take as many recipes as you want from the Smart Markets tent.

And look carefully for your favorite vendors. We are consolidating the market a bit, as we have lost some vendors to the cold and dark, and we want to make the market a little cozier these last two weeks. Hopefully some of the lights we are bringing will brighten things up a bit.

See you at the market!