By Amy L. Dempster, Westford Eagle
Hearty stews, roast beef dinners, pots of meatballs simmering on the stove, baked macaroni and cheese are just a few indications in many local kitchens that fall has arrived. But for others it’s all about coin tosses, kick-off times, and touchdowns.
Football season is underway and with that comes a whole genre of game day food. Most sports enthusiasts wouldn’t immediately think of the farmers market as a destination for their favorite football munchies. But a shopping trip to the Westford Farmers Market will turn up some surprises that are sure to please the staunchest of football fans.
When buying local keep in mind that being flexible with ingredients is key. Here are a few game day recipes that can easily withstand a local makeover.
Nachos. Go ahead and buy your favorite tortilla chips from the grocery store and then head to the market for toppings. There you’ll find a plethora of fresh tomatoes, hot peppers, tomatillos, onions, and corn from local farms. Meat lovers can stop at Springdell Farm for local ground beef or bacon. Finally pick up some of Westriver Creamery’s cheddar or farmhouse jack cheese to melt over the top.
Potato Skins. Don’t want to add an extra trip to the store for tortilla chips? Use local potatoes as your base and follow the above ideas to make loaded potato skins. To prepare, pierce potatoes with a fork and bake at 350 degrees until tender. Let cool a bit then cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out insides leaving about ¼ inch in shell. Add favorite toppings and bake at 450 degrees until crisp, about 15 minutes.
Salsa. The great thing about salsa is that you can easily mix and match ingredients based on available produce. Savory salsas may include tomatoes, hot peppers, onions, tomatillos, corn, and cilantro. Sweet salsas may include local apples, tomatillos, and honey from local Fred Farmer. Or you can take advantage of the crop of green tomatoes showing up at the market by making Sweet and Sour Green Tomato Salsa (see recipe below).
Game Day Pizza. Put your take-out menu away and build your own game day pizza. Grilling makes it a cinch to prepare. Simply roll out your dough and heat your grill on high. Rub olive oil on grill grates and transfer flattened dough onto grill. Cook until underside is crisp, about 3-4 minutes. Flip onto baking sheet, add toppings, and return to grill. Reduce heat to medium and cook until underside is crisp, cheese is melted, and toppings warmed. Choose your own toppings or try one of these combinations: Grilled eggplant, fresh tomato slices and fresh mozzarella from Fior D’Italia; Goat cheese from Westriver Creamery with cooked ground Italian-style pork from Springdell; Caramelized onions with grilled apples or pears from Hill Orchard; Grilled shrimp from Liberty Fish with chopped garlic and fresh goat cheese.
While you’re at the market be sure to grab a menu from Healthy Habits Kitchen. They make the shopping easy by providing the ingredients for an entire recipe in a single box. Orders can be placed online and picked up at the market. October items include: Black Bean and Chocolate Chili, Pumpkin Turkey Chili, Cheese Stuffed Meatballs, Sugar and Spice Baked Shrimp.
If cooking is not your thing the market also has plenty of grab and go items, including fresh hummus and dips from Samira’s Homemade and game day cookies and other sweets from La Bella Dolce.
RECIPE – Sweet and Sour Green Tomato Salsa
You Need
- 1 bell pepper
- 2 ½ cups chopped green tomato
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup finely chopped sweet onion
- 1 garlic clove, minced
Make It
- Preheat the broiler.
- Roast the peppers. Cut the bell pepper in half lengthwise and discard seeds and membrane. Place the pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Flatten with hand. Broil for 10 minutes or until blackened. Place in sealed plastic bag. Let stand 10 minutes. Feel and chop.
- Place the tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, and salt in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth.
- Cook blended mixture over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until most of the liquid evaporates.
- Place in bowl, cool to room temperature, add roasted pepper, onion and garlic. Stir and serve or chill.
