The term “farmer’s market” seems synonymous with summer: bountiful fresh fruit, leafy greens, and tomatoes begging to be made into gazpacho. That vision of a farmer’s market is limited to just summer-y produce, when in fact there are plenty of fruits and vegetables available and in season throughout the year! The Tiverton Farmer’s Market is open year-round (with summer and winter locations), which supports local farms as their produce selection changes and brings awareness to the seasonal goods that aren’t limited to the spring/summer bounties.
March is a transitional month, especially in New England. Cold, warm, then cold again, it’s a month that can’t decide if it wants to be winter or spring. This means that March is a perfect time to cook with a mixture of root vegetables (like carrots), stem vegetables (like asparagus), and leafstalk vegetables (like brussel sprouts).
Jude Zmolek, co-owner of The Neighborhood Farm, represented the business at the Tiverton Farmer’s Market and explained that root vegetables are in plenty this time of year; even if what the consumer buys isn’t pulled from the dirt that week, the root vegetable family – which includes “potatoes, beets, radishes, and turnips,” she lists off – stays fresh for months in the proper conditions. Zmolek explained that some of her produce was harvested in September, but “it’s a universal practice” to keep tubers and other roots in a cool root cellar, ensuring good food in the winter months when the ground becomes frozen.
The Neighborhood Farm was “started in the Boston area, and five years ago moved down here, based out of Westport. We have been farming for twenty years now,” she said. The farm “practices organic,” although they aren’t certified, and during the proper seasons, they grow over forty varieties of garlic (some of which can be found at the market, currently), and eighty varieties of tomatoes. For March, customers can find a wonderful variety of roots, tubers, and stalks, from celeriac to parsnips to cabbage and different varieties of potatoes – including the new fingerling pinto potato that was released by the University of Maine in 2018.
When asked for recipe ideas, Zmolek responded “One of my favorite things to make is coleslaw, especially with kohlrabi in it! Everyone thinks it’s summer-y, but it’s actually a winter recipe.” Kohlrabi is “like a cabbage, a radish, and [an] apple made a baby.” The purple (or green) bulbs are more flavorful and tender when they are small, and can be eaten raw or cooked, like a carrot. “Instead of carrot cake, try kohlrabi cake,” Zmolek urges.
Kohlrabi and pinto potatoes are both foods that are new to me, and with the chillier weather moving in, I wanted to make something warm and hearty for supper. I took inspiration from Where’s My Spoon? and Yup, It’s Vegan! to make creamy kohlrabi and potato soup. The main ingredients can be sourced directly from The Neighborhood Farm at the Tiverton Farmer’s Market. They will be marked with an asterisk.
Creamy Kohlrabi and Potato Soup Recipe:
*1 onion, diced
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
*3 cloves garlic
*1 lb. kohlrabi, peeled and cubed
*1 lb. pinto potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 c. vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
3 heaping Tbsp cream cheese
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Pinch of nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
*Parsley to garnish (optional)
Instructions:
- Dice the onion, and sauté in butter and a bit of salt until tender in a large soup pot. Then, add minced garlic, chopped kohlrabi, and potatoes. Stir, cooking for one minute until fragrant. Then, pour in vegetable broth with bay leaf and chili flakes. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20-25 minutes.
- When potatoes are fork-tender, add in cream cheese, nutmeg, lemon juice, and a few twists of pepper. Blend the soup, and serve in bowls, garnished with fresh parsley.
This soup makes about five to six servings. The total cost for all the ingredients (portioned) is about $13; the cost of each bowl will be about $2.60. If you do not want to use pinto potatoes, other waxy potatoes, like Yukon Gold, will work as a substitute.
