Farmers markets in the fall, make me the happiest girl on earth. Fall in general makes me super happy! I’m obsessed with everything about it. The weather, food, activities, the colors of leaves changing, the fashion; its incredible. Autumn is me, and it’s when I am totally in my element. Honestly, I think this season has a special place in my heart because it reminds me on my childhood, being young and just having fun. It brings back memories with my family and I going to the farmers market to get fresh apple cider, and picking our pumpkins to carve at the pumpkin patch. I was also very into picking out my halloween costume. Every single year without question my parents would take me to party city to pick out the perfect costume for myself. I took it super seriously! lol I think as being a kid, since dressing up was something we looked forward to all year long, everyone tried to out do each other.. in a fun way, of course!

As the years went on and I grew into a young adult, dressing up doesn’t happen as often, but I still love prancing around the stores looking at the costumes, deciding what I would be if I were to dress up again. It’s fun to reminisce at times, especially when you feel like you’re getting older, and life goes by faster and faster! As that happens though, I make it a point to indulge myself in everything I love, and doing all that makes me happy. In the fall time shopping for produce, and things to create beautiful autumn dishes/ table scapes is what brings me peace and gratifies my life.

Not only do I love decor in the kitchen, I also obsess over interior design as well. It’s something I have a passion for, so I think that this little corn bundles are the cutest accessory to put around your home. You can find them at any famers market during the fall season, and even at some local grocery stores! They’re on the inexpensive side too which is always a plus. While I was at the farm eying these beauties up, I noticed those beautiful beautiful bright red cherry tomatoes sitting right underneath!

Tomatoes are known to be a summer staple. I do not disagree with that because for some reason when I think of summer produce.. thats one of the first things that comes to my mind along with watermelon, but these little babies are actually in full effect until the end of October.

There were many root vegetables and “nightshades” to pick from. ( tomatoes, hot and sweet peppers, and potatoes) The carrots and potatoes looked absolutely gorgeous, along with the onions. I’ve truly never seen onions look so beautiful as they did when I made my trip to the farm.

AHHH! honestly, just take a couple seconds to appreciate this beauty!

Farm days are one of my favorite days because I take all of my goodies home, wash them, and plan out my farm fresh menu! That makes me extremely excited. As I said in the summer about shopping farm fresh, that statement also stands in fall!! This season is the most important for shopping. If you have a root cellar thats where you’d want to stalk up for the winter. If not, which thats quite alright because I myself do not, so you want to shop smart for canning. Pickling, and preserving is what you want to do with your vegetables for the cold months to come!

• cucumbers to turn to pickles
• tomatoes to turn to salsa, stewed or jarred sauce.
• Green beans that don’t get eaten can be turned into pickles garlic beans, or spicy beans.
• cauliflower, carrots, peppers, and celery can be turned into chow chow
• onions can be turned into onion jam
• Lastly, baby pearl onions can be turned into pickled pearl onions.

Truthfully, you could pickle ANY vegetable.. turning it into something so different, yet incredible!

Don’t worry.. because I deep down knew all of you were thinking… oh my gosh isn’t she going to mention apples? Yes, yes I am. I did not and could not forget about the apples! Apples of all kind swarm the farms in autumn. They are everywhere! We can’t escape them… and seriously I mean, who would want to? They are juicy, delicious little balls of fall goodness. The amount of how many different kind mind be over whelming to some. Why are there so many when they’re just apples? Shouldn’t they taste the same?

Absolutely not! All of the apples are very different. Some are sweeter, juicier, crisper and harder. It all depends on the type and of what location they were grown in.

Baking Apples:

• Pink lady apples are best for breads, bars and cakes. Anything thick and floury!
• Granny Smith apples are the number one baking apple, in my eye. It is THE apple to use when baking pies. You can also use to bake in pastries as well.
•  Honey-crisp apples are best for apple dumplings which so so many Americans have such a soft heart for. They’re probably a top five fair food, for sure! 

To Eat !  You an choose to eat any apple, it will not hurt you, obviously! There are certain ones I feel like you should eat on it’s one just to munch on or dip into peanut butter/caramel sauce.

• Red delicious! My top apple to eat whole without the skin! (I choose not eat the the skin on red delicious apples. I feel that the skin sometimes is too hard and I end up chewing on it, wanting to spit it out.)
• Golden delicious– My second choice to just sit down and take a big bite out of!
• Gala apples – Although you can certainly bake with this apple, or even all of them (thats up to you) this one is also great for eating due to the fact that it is so sweet. I love choosing the extra sweet ones for enjoying, for obvious reasons of course.

These three apples are also delicious to make into “fried apples” or cooked into a sauce to finish a plate off to make a perfect fall touch!

There are countless apples to choose from at your local farm, you just have to know how to pick them wisely, and to what they are being used for! There are so many kinds, that even I have never worked with before, or tried, so if it’s up to you.. spread your wings and test out some you never heard of before! You might be pleasantly surprised.

Happy fall & farm pickings, diamonds!