Abundant Fall Availability
Your Orinda Farmers’ Market is open year-round! The market continues to operate every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through the holidays and into 2021.
Fill your basket with fresh fall produce, including pomegranates, persimmons, apples, squash, peppers, grapes and root vegetables. Be sure to pick up fresh baked goods, eggs, dried fruits, preserves, honey and nuts to complete your shopping list.
Harvest Nuts
Celebrations may be limited this year, but traditions remain strong. Harvest nuts are ready to eat fresh and to use in stuffings, soups, salads and baked goods. Almonds, walnuts and pistachios are packaged and ready to go, and in-the-shell nuts will also make a short appearance.
To maintain freshness, store nuts in a refrigerated, airtight container. Shelled nuts store three to four months, or freeze them for up to six months. Unshelled nuts keep twice as long as shelled ones.
Toasting greatly enhances the flavor and aroma of nuts. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread whole or cut up raw nutmeats on a baking sheet and drizzle with a small amount (one to two teaspoons) of oil. Stir and toss with a spoon to coat evenly. Place in oven and roast for five minutes. Next, remove from oven and stir to move the outer nuts to the middle and the middle nuts to the edges of the pan. Return them to the oven and check again after three minutes. Return them to oven for a few minutes if necessary, or until the nuts are lightly browned and smell “nutty.” Nuts go from almost-done to overdone in less than a minute; keep your eye on them!
Honey and Cheeseboards
Welcome to Pete’s Gold Honey, a local family business from Concord. Hives in Concord, Lafayette, San Ramon and Walnut Creek supply the liquid honey for the farmers’ markets in Orinda and Walnut Creek. Other specialties from Pete’s include honeycomb and bees wax candles.
Create your own cheeseboard with fresh ingredients from the market. Gather an assortment of fresh fruits (apples, grapes), dried fruits, nuts, dips, honey, preserves and bread to arrange on a board with your favorite cheese and salami. Your guests will love it.
Enjoy and stay well.
The Orinda market is open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Orinda Way in Orinda Village. More information is available at cccfm.org, facebook.com/OrindaFarmersMarket and Instagram@OrindaFarmersMarket or you can call the market hotline 925.431.8361.
Jill Nasrallah, with her kids Shadia and Charles, set up a table each week at the Farmers’ Market with their homemade honey. Their business is a family affair.
