The October market
The last tomatoes and the first squash changed our menu on September 29.
We came back from Saturday’s market with two crates of tomatoes and a box of squash. The tomatoes still had soft shoulders and a good smell at the stem. The squash needed a different sort of work: a firm knife, a hot oven and enough time for the cut faces to brown. We put both on the prep list for the menu change on September 29.
Hollis Farm had fewer tomatoes on the stall than the week before. We bought the ripe ones for salad and the smaller fruit for roasting. The tomatoes in the crates were red all the way through, but a few had split near the top. Those went straight into the roasting tray rather than waiting for another service.
Keeping the last tomatoes
The tomato and peach salad stays on dinner through October 25 if the fruit holds. We cut the tomatoes into wedges, slice the peaches and dress the plate only when it is ordered. Salt pulls liquid from both fruits, so a dressed salad cannot sit at the pass while the rest of a table’s food catches up.
The new farfalle uses roasted tomatoes instead. We spread them in a single layer and leave space between the pieces. Once their edges have browned, we fold them into the pasta with spinach and basil. The sauce comes from the tomato juices and a little pasta water.
Making space for squash
We are testing pumpkin cappellacci for October 14. The first batch of filling was too wet, so we drained the roasted flesh overnight before mixing the next one. A filling that holds its shape lets us use a thinner sheet of dough without losing it in the boiling water.
The September 29 change also brought cold beet soup and roast chicken onto dinner. The soup lets us use the farm’s beets while the afternoons are still warm. We will keep checking the market each Saturday and write the next change around what is ready, rather than buying a vegetable just to keep a printed line in place.