Athens Locally Grown

How to contact us:
Our Website: athens.locallygrown.net
On Twitter: @athlocallygrown
On Facebook: www.facebook.com/athenslocallygrown

Market News

First off. let me announce again, in case you missed it, that Athens Locally Grown will be closed next week. Thanksgiving week is the one week a year that we close down completely, so we can all travel to family, prepare feasts of thanksgiving, and otherwise mark the holiday. That means if you’d like any ingredients for your Thanksgiving meal, you will need to purchase them this week! The Saturday Athens Farmers Market at Bishop park is also still open, so that’ll give you one last chance should something not come through from us on Thursday.

And what a glorious selection we have for you this week! I have never, in all nine years of Athens Locally Grown, seen such a variety of products from so many growers heading into Thanksgiving. Can you believe we have green beans? Tomatoes? Peppers? Eggplant? Squash & zucchini? And of course there is all the fall produce you’d expect to see: the greens, salads, peas, root veggies, and so on. Our growers have put so much effort and resources to extending their seasons, every year able to grow a little bit more a little bit longer, and this year it’s really all paid off. I hope you can reward their efforts by making as much of your Thanksgiving meal locally grown as possible. And if you’re going to be traveling (as I will be), pack up the bounty and take it with you! I’ll be in Missouri, but that doesn’t mean we won’t be having a Georgia Thanksgiving.

Of course the traditional centerpiece for a carnivore household’s table, the turkey, is extremely hard to come by. This year there were two growers raising pastured heritage turkeys (double from last year), and both of them sold out six months ago or earlier. There’s an obvious market there with far more demand than supply, so hopefully other growers will join in in upcoming years. If you weren’t able to get your hands on one of those available this year, or you’re just not the turkey-eating sort, there is more than enough veggies available to make a meal fit for a king. We have so many things to be thankful for in our community, and the abundance of locally grown food is right up there.

So, one last time: Athens Locally Grown will be closed next week. If you’d like any ingredients for your Thanksgiving meal next week, you will need to purchase them this week! In addition, Righteous Juice will be taking an extended vacation of a month, so if you’re a regular customer, you may wish to order extra to put in your freezer.

Thanks so much for your support of Athens Locally Grown, all of our growers, and local food in general. You all are part of what makes Athens such a great area in which to live. We’ll see you on Thursday at Ben’s Bikes at the corner of Pope and Broad Streets from 4:30 to 8pm!

Recipes

Simple Savory Sweet Potato Soup

Sweet potatoes create a smooth orange soup that is quick to prepare. The fire of cayenne pepper cuts their natural sweetness. The first version is inspired by Southern cooking, with its roasted peanut and scallion garnish. The second is seasoned with the Mexican flavors of lime and cilantro. This is a simple recipe, but feel free to fool with it, adding spices like curry, to the sauté, root veggies to the simmer and ingredients like coconut milk to finish — whatever delights you! This is an efficient use for thanksgiving leftovers, although the recipe work equally well with raw ones. From The Locavore Way by Amy Cotler

Makes about 2-1/2 quarts, easily halved

2 large onions, diced (3 cups)
2 large celery rib, diced (2 cups)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 pounds sweet potatoes (about 6), peeled and thinly sliced or 6 roasted sweet potatoes, peeled (about 3 cups packed)
About 1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
About 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
About 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

Southern Style Version 1:
Garnish with —
Chives or scallion greens, sliced on the diagonal
Roasted peanuts, chopped
A touch of cream, optional

Mexican Style Version 2:
Prepare the soup, omitting version 1 garnish. Instead, season with lime and garnish with cilantro.
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Chopped cilantro

1. Cook the onion and celery in the oil over a medium-low heat, until the onion is transparent but not brown, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the sweet potatoes, if they are raw, with half the stock. Simmer until soft, about 20 minutes. If the sweets are cooked, add them, but no need to simmer.
3. Add sweet potato mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth, scraping down the bowl, if necessary. Return to the pot, and add remaining stock. Season with salt and cayenne to taste. (Be careful on the salt if you are using store-bought stock. It may not be needed.) If needed, add a touch of extra stock to reach the consistency of a thick soup.
4. Finish. Southern Style Version 1: Garnish with scallions and peanuts for Southern version 1, drizzling each bowl with a little cream, before garnishing, if you like. Mexican Style version 2: Season the soup with lime and garnish with cilantro.

Coming Events

The Athens Farmers Market is held every Saturday morning at Bishop Park from 8am to noon and every Tuesday evening at Little Kings downtown. It’s a totally separate entity from Athens Locally Grown, but you’ll find many of the same growers at both. This week is the last Tuesday market of the season, but the Saturday markets will continue through mid-December. You can learn more about that market on their website.

We thank you for your interest and support of our efforts to bring you the healthiest, the freshest and the most delicious locally-produced foods possible!