Robert's Market Report

Yoder, Culton Join Forces

Matt Yoder, who after a couple seasons at the the Headhouse Square market tried Maine last season, is back in Pennsylvania. Starting next season he'll be growing alongside Tom Culton and they'll be marketing their products together, both at farmers' markets and to the trade. I particularly liked Matt's cowbeans (black eyed peas) which he sold fresh, not dried; made a tasty succotash with fresh corn in late summer.

Matt was at the market today (that's him in the plaid shirt in the top photo) helping Tom (far left) sell winter squash, black walnuts, various cauliflowers (including romanesco), beets, jerusalem artichokes and salsify.

Culton had plenty of exceedingly large winter squash, just in time for Thanksgiving, like the über squash in the photo on the right. He also had gigantic beets, pictured below with salsify that is much thicker than what I've seen before. The big beets are known as Mangle beets, and predominantly used for animal feed. But no reason why you can't eat them. Because of their size, I'd think they'd be great for grating and turning into rosti, which is basically latke made form beets. Instead, I purchased smaller cylindrical beets from Tom, which I'll compose into a salad with his shelled black walnuts (I tasted a few when I got home and they have a deep, walnut flavor) and some chevre from Patches of Star; I'll make a vinaigrette with some raspberry shrub to dress it.