WCQS partners with ASAP -- the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project -- for tailgate market updates, heard Thursdays and Fridays during Morning Edition (5am - 9am).
This week, beans are hogging the spotlight at area farmers tailgate markets. After all, hills of beans can be found now—literally!
And we’re not just talking green beans, although they do abound. Look for more unexpected options like yellow and purple wax beans from vendors like First Blossom Farm (French Broad Food Co-op Wednesday Tailgate Market) and purple-streaked Rattlesnake beans from farms like Adelbert Farm (Oakley Farmers Market). Rattlesnake beans can be enjoyed fresh—meaning the whole pod is edible as a snap bean, like wax beans and green beans—or they can be enjoyed dried as a shell bean, when only the seed is edible. Speaking of shell beans, look for pinkeye crowder cowpeas from vendors like Jake’s Farm (Asheville City Market, Black Mountain Tailgate Market, French Broad Food Co-op Wednesday Tailgate Market).
Mushrooms are also getting their spot in the limelight. They officially snag the focus from tomatoes in our Get Local initiative once the calendar turns to September. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t already beginning to abound at tailgates. At a recent West Asheville Tailgate Market, Asheville Fungi offered up chanterelle, chicken of the woods, lion’s mane, oyster mushrooms, and the list goes on. Another rising star? Garlic, available now by the clove or in braids.
Of course, you don’t have to say goodbye to summer just yet. Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and summer squash remain at tailgates. You should still be able to find corn and a little okra, too.
On Saturday, August 31, Jackson County Farmers Market will host their annual Taste of the Market, offering samples and recipes from vendors. The market will also offer a $5 coupon to the first 10 SNAP customers that day.
And coming up on Tuesday, September 3, West Asheville Tailgate Market will host a Lebanese Market Supper, their ninth market dinner, featuring traditional Lebanese cuisine by Suzy Phillips of Gypsy Queen Cuisine. The meal will be prepared on site with dining taking place at the tailgate market parking lot during sunset.
