Ode to a Bunch of Fennel (Boulder Farmers' Market Report)

So sad that today is the last midweek Boulder Farmers' Market of the year. Although the number of vendors has shrunk, the market is still well attended, and the produce is varied and beautiful. I bought the most amazing bunch of three fennel bulbs tied together for $3, making it just $1 per fennel bulb, at the Red Wagon Organic Farm stand. The fronds flowing from them are amazing, filling and overflowing my grocery bag by nearly two feet. I was moved to measure them with a tape measure, and the part I grabbed clocked in at a whopping 31 inches long. Plenty of other produce was available, from the hard squash, tomatoes, and Brussels sprouts you'd expect to see this month, to the leafy greens like kale and chard that we fortunately have through so much of the year, and even lettuce and sorrel, that I think of more in the spring. Full Circle Farm had their chile roaster there, roasting their wonderful, certified organic chiles, so you still have a chance to lay a supply in your freezer for the rest of the year, if you haven't already. Sad to see the end of the Wednesday markets for the season, but we'll still have the Saturday ones for a few weeks more.