Market happenings: The sixth Boulder Artisan Show of the season will set up this weekend at Civic Center Park, adjacent to Boulder’s farmers market. Artisans, like soapmakers, metalsmiths, painters, photographers and more, will be selling their handmade-in-Colorado wares.
Thursday, Lafayette Farmers Market will host its second Paint & Sip of the season where participants can paint their version of “Starry Barn,” a play on Van Gogh’s “Starry Night.” Tickets are $20 and the price include all materials and a drink ticket. Also in conjunction with the Thursday market will be a “Chat with Council” event where visitors can join a casual group conversation with Lafayette council members about the city’s 2020 budget priorities. The discussion will be from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at East Simpson Coffee Company’s The Hive, 414 E. Simpson St., Lafayette.
In season now: Local markets are currently stocked with freshly harvested apples, basil, bell peppers, beets, cabbage, carrots, celery, cauliflower, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, green beans, kale, lettuce, melon, mint, onions, peaches, peppers, plums, potatoes, radicchio, spicy greens, sweet corn, Swiss chard, summer squash and tomatoes. Shoppers will also find honey, baked goods, eggs, beef, lamb, goat, pork, chicken, cheeses, fermented goods, preserves and mushrooms.
Lots of this, please: For a touch a fall sweetness, shoppers can stock up on the mouthwatering and tart red and golden raspberries.
The farmer says: Erin Dreistadt, co-owner and farmer at Aspen Moon Farm, said now is the time to try out the fall raspberries, which are a little sweeter than summer raspberries. The fall variety takes longer to mature and spends more time absorbing nature’s sugars, Dreistadt said. Local berries are in limited supply, so be sure to head to the markets early. Shoppers can choose from gold and red varieties — or a few secret pints of black ones.
“There are only a few black raspberry pints a market,” Dreistadt said. “It’s like a treasure hunt when someone finds the very few we have.”
The gold variety is also pretty special because it’s a variety that takes the longest to mature, therefore having limited availability. Dreistadt said although everybody has different opinions about the gold raspberry’s taste, she described it as a red raspberry with a citrus accent.
Part of the berry’s scarcity at the market can also be attributed to its laborious harvesting. Each berry is individually picked by Aspen Moon’s attentive crew. Dreistadt said the berry harvest had them in the field well after 7:30 p.m. Friday night before last week’s market. In order to keep these labor-intensive crops at the market, Aspen Moon Farm is seeking community support and is in search of raspberry-picking volunteers. Interested parties can choose from either a morning or afternoon shift on Mondays and Fridays through the month of September. Interested volunteers should send an email to info@aspenmoonfarm.com to receive details. Past volunteers have likened their experience to that of heaven on earth: It’s gratifying work with mountain views among pasturing cows. (Plus it beats a day’s work at the office any day.)
Expect raspberries to be available at Aspen Moon Farm through September and early October, depending upon early frost. Heavy weather events can also cause a gap in harvesting.
How to prepare: Simply pop fresh raspberries by the handful. They can also be put in a freezer bag and stored in the freezer for future smoothies.
Goes with: Raspberries pair well with honey, goat cheese, dark chocolate, mint, apricot, greens and cinnamon.
How to store it: Store raspberries in the refrigerator in the ventilated pint they’re purchased in — and don’t wash them until they are ready to be eaten; the water will start to break the fruit down.
Good to know: This list represents a general overview of the week’s harvest, not every item that is being produced locally. Some farms do not grow or have ready some items on the list.
Boulder Farmers Market
13th Street and Canyon Boulevard
4-8 p.m. Wednesdays through Oct. 2
8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays through Nov. 23
Lafayette Farmers Market
400 Block of East Simpson Street
4-8 p.m. Thursdays through Sep. 26
Longmont Farmers Market
Boulder County Fairgrounds
8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays through Nov. 23
Union Station Farmers Market
Denver’s Union Station
9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays through Oct. 26
Raspberry Sunflower Chutney
2 cups fresh peaches (about 3 large or 1 pound)
1/2 cup sunflower petals
1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons honey
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
Directions: Toss everything, except the vinegar, in a pot and cook it over medium heat for about five minutes. Let the berries burst and leak their juices in the pot. Stir every once in a while and add salt and pepper if you need. When the berries have completely broken down, about 6 to 8 minutes, add the vinegar and let the mix simmer for about ten to fifteen minutes while the chutney thickens.
Makes about 2 cups.
-Chef Miche Bacher, owner of Niche Confections, nicheconfections.com
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