Market Watch: Autumnal fever takes over
This season's pumpkins first arrived at the Market in late August and were a bit jarring to patrons still waiting for summer to put in a real appearance.
"Already?" was uttered frequently by patrons working their way through the sweet corn, while the pumpkins sat forlornly on the trucks. Now that it's October, however, people's thoughts are definitely turning to pumpkin pie, pumpkin cookies, Halloween pumpkins, and other pumpkin-related goodies. Some people even turn their pumpkins into Death Stars:
There are an incredible number of varieties of cucurbitae (pumpkins, squash, gourds, etc) available at the Market; traditionally orange jack o' lanterns do brisk business this time of year, of course, but you'll also see patrons lugging small, earthy-orange pie pumpkins, brilliantly orange (and weirdly flat) Rouge Vif d'Etemps pumpkins (pictured below), and small white pumpkins (white pumpkins?).
Young patrons are quite fond of those wee little yellow-orange pumpkins. This doesn't even take into account the vast number of types of gourds and squashes the vendors bring in throughout the growing season. Summer squash is on its way out, but winter squash is on its way in. Familiar Butternut and Acorn squashes will be sharing stall space with lesser recognizable varieties like Potimarron, Buttercup, and Blue Hubbard. Squash is a perfect food; it's cheap and nutritious, it keeps well, and can be an ingredient in everything from pie to soup to cake.
Unsure of what to do with your squash once you get it home? Check out The Complete Squash by Amy Goldman — it's part garden book, part cookbook, and is loaded with gorgeous photos. Come get your squash on, why don't you?
This week's food:
apples, peaches (final week, for real this time), sweet corn, fennel, fresh herbs, leeks, onions, heirloom potatoes, tomatoes, chard, cabbages (including Napa — our fave), lettuces and salad mixes, spinach, green onions, green beans, okra, eggplant, hot & sweet peppers, broccoli, kohlrabi, squashes (including pumpkins) — also, locally-raised meat and eggs, award-winning goat cheese, honey, and much more.
Of note:
Week # 23 of Urbana's Market at the Square is shaping up to be a bit damp, but in spite of it all we'll have appearances by The Urbana Free Library and the City of Urbana's Fire Rescue Squad, whose Fire Truck Parade will conclude in a giant vehicle muster on Illinois Street. While thru traffic will not be permitted on Illinois Street between Race and Vine, patrons will have access to the parking lot on Illinois Street, just south of the Market. Just follow the signs!
Most Recent Food Comments
Not so much far-right Tea Party as a balanced, moderate viewpoint between letting businesses succeed and protecting society with reasonable regulations. In spite of what the city reps are saying, the interpretation of policy on this issue certainly has changed. Letting a business start up under one…
I think it’s neat that SP has turned rightward, now espousing a Tea Party-style frustration with government regulations & taxes.
This makes me so sad. (Happy to live in Urbana, though!) Crave Truck has been a GREAT addition to the food choices in C-U, and it’d be a travesty to chase them away. This town should be supporting small businesses. I’m glad to hear that they’ll still…
This weekend will mark the first appearance of Kayla Brown’s Fire Doll Candle booth at the Market. Check it: http://www.facebook.com/firedollcandles
Also worthy of a mention: Most Oddly Named Restaurant with Fantastic Food: Let’s Take Seat http://letstakeaseat.com/
Other possibilities along this vein: Most Bizarre Restaurant Decor, Runner-Up: The new Merry Ann’s Diner on Nevada has a mural of the scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest,” where the plane is chasing Cary Grant on a desert landscape. Never understood how that ambiance is supposed…
As a teenager too broke to actually buy anything, I indulged in many a free cup of Kopi water.
Excellent additions, LY.
Possible Honorary Categories: Most Bizarre Restaurant Decor: Mas Amigos on Springfield Av. With painstaking attention to shelving, the owner proudly displays his NFL football helmet collection. WTF? Best Pancakes: Courier Cafe. Huge, fluffy, served with hot syrup. If you can stuff 3 of these down, you don’t…
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Most Recent Comments
The Alan Partridge lookalike on the right in the first small photo has nothing to condescend to anyone about. AH HA!
Snell and the little Hitlers of the neighborhood association need to chill out. Legitimate businesses should have the freedom to exist without having to endure the slings and arrows of ignorant and misguided opposition.
represent, Matt.
Yeah, I’d agree that Transporter Room 3 is the worst house venue I’ve ever seen.
Food trucks are the start-up, small businesses of the future for those unable to afford real estate. No surprise, that merchants who pay rent, utilities, and maintenance on a property would despise the traveling competition. Or developers who build more empty retail spaces would want to close…
Not so much far-right Tea Party as a balanced, moderate viewpoint between letting businesses succeed and protecting society with reasonable regulations. In spite of what the city reps are saying, the interpretation of policy on this issue certainly has changed. Letting a business start up under one…
I think it’s neat that SP has turned rightward, now espousing a Tea Party-style frustration with government regulations & taxes.
This makes me so sad. (Happy to live in Urbana, though!) Crave Truck has been a GREAT addition to the food choices in C-U, and it’d be a travesty to chase them away. This town should be supporting small businesses. I’m glad to hear that they’ll still…
*slow. clap.* Still offering no threat of intelligence…. I know I said I thought you should just write this whole column yourself next year, Isaac, but now that you’ve gone and taken a “part deux” run at it, I’d like to modify my request: Best Music 2013,…
Actually, it’s kind of nice, the quiet. John Heoffleur’s engaging commentary/dialogue is sorely missed, however. In lieu of someone intelligent saying something, I’ve compiled a list of Honourable Mentions: BEST ROCK BAND: Take Care ::these gentlemen have four completely different sets at their disposal right now (which…
What? Echo! (Echo!) Where’s the dischord and dissent?
This weekend will mark the first appearance of Kayla Brown’s Fire Doll Candle booth at the Market. Check it: http://www.facebook.com/firedollcandles
And without bloodshed. Sounds like the Savoy trustees aren’t as narrow-minded as some of their whiny pants constituents. Do you think quack Snell is already planning an asinine counterattack or is he still laying low after those “threats” against his person?
hey, if hair ain’t gon’ be over your head, my jokes may as well be.
Okay, almost 24 hours later and I finally got Issac’s Summer joke. I’m an idiot.
Excellent. I am glad sometimes American dreams are encouraged, rather than stifled.
Swap the dog for a fire pit and it sounds like you’re writing about my back yard. Very nice.
funny, as your summer begins, another Summer ends.
@Dan - Wow. Unfortunately, I have to refrain from further comment due to a previous employment relationship. But with that brief context you might be able to imagine possible comments or responses I could have.
Oh, by the way, the “Champaign County YMCA” no longer exists. The official name is now the “Stephens Family YMCA” (the website has not been updated, but check out the latest program guide). And no, it’s not just the name of the building. It’s the name of the organization.
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Food trucks are the start-up, small businesses of the future for those unable to afford real estate. No surprise, that merchants who pay rent, utilities, and maintenance on a property would despise the traveling competition. Or developers who build more empty retail spaces would want to close…