Fall produce is here
Autumn arrives next week and Mother Nature is preparing for the season. Sweet summer fruits like cantaloupes and peaches are on their way out, and hearty fall vegetables like squash and potatoes are on their way in.
At the Durango Farmers Market, which runs through the end of October, farmers were happy to see the new crops come in. But they’re hoping the frost will hold off for another month.
“We’ve got peppers, potatoes, big, sweet, white onions, and the spaghetti squash are coming in big as footballs,” said Jennifer Wheeling, who owns the Gardens at James Ranch with her husband, Joe. “We planted in a new area, and they seem to like it.”
Linley Dixon of Adobe House Farms hails the entry of the brassica family of vegetables – broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage – which will be here any minute. Meanwhile, winter squash, garlic and potatoes are already in.
Nothing signals fall in these parts like pumpkins, and farmers’ stalls are adorned with the bright orange vegetable, although on the smaller side this early. And not all of them are orange. At Lee-Ann Hill’s Laughing Wolf Farm’s table, the orbs also come in a light green (and make delicious soup).
As for other vegetables like the cippolini onions and sweet beets, they’ll be here “until Mother Nature decides differently or the rodents get them all,” she said.
Local food fundraiser to benefit nonprofits
The Community Foundation, which helps local nonprofits to meet our community’s needs, will hold its fall fundraiser Sept. 25 at Blue Lake Ranch.
Billed as a Community Taste, the theme of the event is local foods prepared by local chefs. Sunnyside Farms Market will provide pork shoulder to Palace Restaurant chef Paul Gelose and sirloin tip to DuranGourmet owner Jimmy Nicholson, who will prepare a Moroccan-inspired entrée. The Yellow Carrot will pitch in with a vegetarian entrée of zucchini sliders, and El Moro will create a beet salad using the locally grown root.
But ah, dessert – no less than three venerable chefs will tempt diners with their own creations. Jocelyn Skill of Skillfully Decadent Desserts will present cupcakes; Chuck Norton of Norton’s Catering will prepare his famous bread pudding; and Barbara Helmer of Kennebec Café will treat us all to an apple confection made from locally grown apples.
The event will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $75 and can be purchased by calling the Community Foundation office at 375-5807 or online at www.SWCommunityFoundation.org.
A beer fest suitable for the whole family
Oktoberfest Durango may be in its 11th season, but it will have a more family-friendly bent this year when it’s held Sept. 27 and 28.
The Durango Business Improvement District, which promotes downtown and North Main Avenue businesses, will run the outdoor beer and food festival for the first time and promises events and music that will cater to attendees of all ages.
This year, the festival will feature German-style polka bands and contemporary dance bands on two stages and a plethora of food booths. BID is planning to hold games both for the young and the not-so-young, from a brat-eating contest to human-sized checkers to a stein relay race and kissing booth.
And of course, no matter how family friendly it is, there will be beer. Organizers are expecting at least 10 local and regional breweries to participate. The festival will be held from 12-5:30 p.m. Saturday and 12-4:30 p.m. Sunday at the Durango Transit Center parking lot, 250 W. Eighth St.
Pamela Hasterok
