NOTE: The following was contributed by Elizabeth Aurilio, the Framingham Farmer’s Market Manager.
Framingham, MA –This week, expect to find a couple of new and interesting items at the market. Everyone is still coming to market with an awe-inspiring array of late summer and fall produce, baked goods, snacks, cheese and fall decorations, but now Matt Hanson has begun to bring jars of Framingham honey and Silvia’s is stocking an unusual purple cauliflower.
Matt has been learning the art of beekeeping for a few years now – studying the specifics from his neighbor, a near-by farmer. He has both a light and a dark honey to choose from – and while both types of honey come from the same hive, the lighter, more delicate honey is the first to come off while the darker, more molasses flavored honey is scraped close to the comb. Many people swear that honey is the best cure for sore throats, dry skin and other ailments and that local honey, specifically, is above all the best naturopathic cure for seasonal allergies. While I’m in no position to offer evidence to any of those claims, I feel testimonial when it comes to taste. The honey is sublime and I recommend you snatch it up while you can. It will certainly dawn comfort in a warm cup of tea on a crackly, cold winter day.
I picked up an odd head of broccoli at Silvia’s market stall yesterday and was marveling at the deep, jewel tones of emerald and amethyst in the florets. I know that sounds silly, but I garden and work in farmers’ markets and am therefore easily excited by colorful vibrancy in vegetables. I wanted to pay my compliments to the farmer, so I held it up and commented on the beautiful broccoli. “That’s not broccoli, it’s a purple cauiflower” said Ed. He said he thought it was broccoli too, but that his wife insists it is a purple cauliflower. “Look at the leaf”, he says, “that is the leaf of a cauliflower plant and even though I know it is biologically a cauliflower, it looks like broccoli and I think it tastes like broccoli – but not my wife, she thinks it looks like a cauliflower and tastes like a cauliflower” and with that he grabbed it from my hands and shoved it in my apron pocket to take home and help him settle the debate. Please come to the market and try the purple cauliflower – don’t leave me stranded here as the lone middleman to this debate. I can’t wait to hear what you think – and let you know where my verdict lies. See you Thursday!