We are pleased to offer fresh duck eggs beginning this week from John and Helen at Black Hog Homestead.

If you have never used duck eggs you are in for a treat. They have a bigger and richer yolk, a higher concentration of nutrients, including Omega 3s, and more protein than the standard chicken egg.

They are the go-to-egg for bakers, making cakes rise higher and baked goods fluffier and richer. We like them for our scrambled eggs too.

As we move into November, we are happy to say the greens and root vegetables are still coming here at Hattie’s Garden! Our second batch of carrots looks even better than the first. We will have beautiful Hakurei Turnips this week and more of our “fall” mesclun with lots of healthy baby greens — Asian greens such as Mizuna and Fun Jen, young arugula, sweet baby Red Russian kale, baby beet greens and lots of nice young lettuces. A new cutting of young arugula looks fabulous. We have also created a beautiful triple-washed braising green mix this week with our next size up of “teenage” greens that can be eaten raw, juiced or lightly cooked.

What’s Available from Hattie

The following will be available from Hattie’s Garden on Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m., or Friday from 1 – 5 p.m., and Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the HLFM, now located at the Shields Elementary parking lot.

• Young Arugula — It’s beautiful, clean and very flavorful.
• Loose Leaf Lettuce — We cut at a young and tender stage of growth and include a delightful variety of colors, shapes and textures.
• Autumn Mesclun — A nice mixture of our young arugula, young Asian greens, baby beet greens and loose leaf lettuce.
• Braising Greens — Mixture of our young, medium-sized greens. Can be braised, steamed, sauteed, used in soups and plenty young enough to be eaten raw.
• Fun Jen — A very light Chinese “cabbage,” fast cooking, tender and sweet, perfect for stir-fry.
• Young Carrots — Our young carrots will be scarce this week, but we expect a lot more next week. If you want them, please come to the garden on Thursday or Friday, as they won’t last until Saturday.
• Red Russian Kale — A nice mild, sweet, flat-leaved Siberian-type kale. Always picked young and cooks quickly or can be eaten raw.
• Kyona Mizuna — Quick cooking and very delicious Asian green.
• Hakurei Turnips — These small Japanese delicacies are by far the sweetest “turnips” you will ever eat. Cook them until just soft without overcooking, or eat them raw as a salad turnip.
• Radishes — These are rich, bright red roots with a crisp and tasty flavor. Use the greens in stir-fries, soups, omelets, or any dish requiring “greens.” For a nice side dish, saute them for a couple of minutes with garlic and olive oil.

What’s Available from Other Vendors

The following will be available only on Thursday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., or Friday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Hattie’s Garden. Note: These items cannot be brought to the HLFM on Saturday as it is a producer-only market.

Black Hog Homestead

• Duck Eggs — Fabulous farm-fresh tasty duck eggs from their own free range ducks.

Deep Grass Organics

• Red Onions — Mild and sweet. Great for using in salads, salsas, and other raw preparations, as well as for cooking.
• Candy Sweet Yellow Onions — Good all-purpose onion, with a light golden skin and yellow flesh.
• Garlic — A wonderful seasoning to add aroma, taste, and added nutrition to your dishes.
• Free-range Chicken Eggs — Deep Grass chickens enjoy a natural farm life setting where they can produce the most nutritious eggs. These eggs are so much better than their commercially-produced, store-bought counterparts.
• Red Bliss Potatoes — Low starch content and are often characterized by a creamy, firm and moist flesh that holds its shape well after cooking. They’re typically great for roasting, boiling, casseroles and potato salads.
• White Sweet Potatoes — The white sweet potato usually has a golden to pale yellow skin and the flesh is creamy white to pale yellow. It also contains more sugar, and is used as an ingredient for desserts in addition to the main course. If you haven’t tried these, you will be in for a pleasant surprise.
• Orange Sweet Potatoes — In some parts of the USA and Canada, sweet potatoes are called yams. This is a misnomer since yams are actually a totally different species. A sweet potato is a tuberous plant that belongs to the Convulvolaceae family. The orange sweet potato has lots beta-carotene due to its orange flesh. When cooked, it becomes fluffy and creamy.
• Yukon Gold Potatoes — Available in two sizes. Slightly flat and oval in shape with light gold, thin skin and light yellow flesh. A true multi-purpose potato, Yukon Golds are starchy enough to bake, firm enough to boil and use in just about any cooking application.
• Acorn Squash — Has a smooth, dark green exterior with longitudinal ridges and a sweet, yellow-orange flesh. It derives its name from its distinctive acorn shape. This hardy squash can be stored throughout the fall and winter, and will save for several months in a cool, dry location.
• Butternut Squash — Has an oblong shape, a tannish-colored skin, and an orange fleshy pulp. Its taste is often described as sweet, nutty, and similar to that of a pumpkin.

Yours at the market and garden…