Concord Farmers Market has winter squash, fresh produce to brighten your Thanksgiving feast

By Debra Morris 4 years ago
Concord Farmers Market has winter squash, fresh produce to brighten your Thanksgiving feast
Colorful winter squash is a staple of Thanksgiving meals. This year, instead of the traditional pumpkin pie, you might change things up with a Kabocha squash pie. See recipe below.

CONCORD, CA—With Thanksgiving just around the corner, you’ll be thinking of picking up some fresh produce from the farmers’ market. It will be a different kind of holiday this year with fewer and smaller gatherings but the meaning is still there. We are thankful for fresh California produce still being harvested from the local farmers who grow it. You’ll find sweet potatoes, winter squash, apples, grapes, Brussels sprouts, persimmons, pomegranates, onions, greens, and even baked goods and fall flowers for your feast.

Help your farmers while helping others. As with all of us, farmers have had a rough year finding outlets to sell their wonderful fresh produce. Please keep farmers farming and purchase your Thanksgiving produce at your local farmers’ market. Your farmers will appreciate it and you won’t find better produce anywhere.

Kabocha Squash Pie

  • Your favorite pie crust recipe
  • 1 small to medium kabocha squash
  • 4 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/4 cup each light brown sugar and maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup bourbon, optional
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Concord Farmers Market has winter squash, fresh produce to brighten your Thanksgiving feastFor the squash: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Put the squash on a sheet tray, rub with olive oil and bake in the oven. Roast the squash until a fork slides in and out easily, about 45 minutes. Remove the squash from the oven and let cool. Remove the skin and seeds, then purée until smooth. Place 3 cups squash purée in a large mixing bowl. Reserve the rest for another purpose.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs until they are smooth. Beat in the cream. Add the cream/egg mixture to the squash purée and beat to combine. Beat in the condensed milk, brown sugar, maple syrup bourbon and vanilla. Beat until the mixture is well combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Pour the squash mixture into a pie shell. Place on the sheet tray and bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Rotate the pie and bake until the mixture barely jiggles when shaken, another 20 to 25 minutes. Recipe: Marisa Ades, PCFMA.

Please buy extra produce when shopping the farmers’ market and then find your local food bank and donate generously to those in need. Hunger is prevalent in every community in the nation at all seasons of the year –especially this year. The hungry are often hard-working adults, children, and seniors who simply cannot make ends meet and are forced to go without food for several meals, or even days. Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving!

The Concord Tuesday Farmers’ Market is every Tuesday, year-round, rain or shine, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Todos Santos Plaza, with the first hour for seniors and those at risk. The pop-up Thursday market at Concord High School has closed. For more information on the Concord market or other East Bay Farmer’s Markets, visit www.pcfma.org

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