Carrots and the Keepers

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Toting it home from Fill Your Pantry at the fairgrounds

“I’m going to pick up the winter vegetables,” I called to Seda as I headed to the potting shed.

“You’re bringing a wheelbarrow?!” she asked.

“Absolutely,” I said. “A thousand people are picking up a hundred pounds of root crops each, and I’m not counting on free carts. Sometimes you have to show up with your own abundance.” We laughed.

An hour later, I felt so grateful for that wheelbarrow. Boxes and bags of root vegetables began to overflow as I walked from one farm stand to the next at our fairground’s autumn event, picking up my pre-orders. Technicolor winter squash, Nantes carrots, parsnips, onions, shallots, garlic, leeks, and the surprising treat of sweet chestnut flour nearly toppled my steady blue barrow.

I stopped at Horai, one of my favorite farm-to-table bakery stands, and bought the best potato knish I’ve ever eaten. The savory spices blended perfectly with buttery soft Yukon Gold potatoes, and the flaky pastry crumbled with every bite. I went back and grabbed the tiny dish of pickle mustard to go with it. Eating them together, I nearly fainted with bliss. I had to park my cart and stand still, so I could fully appreciate this marvel.

And now, no need to hit the produce section at the store for some time. We are stocked and ready for snow, rain, or hail. The woodstove burns warmly at my back, and my larder is full to the brim. I can’t imagine a happier way to go into winter.

In which ways do you prepare your body and soul for the oncoming chill?