There they thrive, side-by-side, long rows of subterranean plants that, if they had cognition, might think: “What the heck are we doing here?” And also: “We like this place!”
Peanuts and sweet potatoes. We’re not sure any other farmers along the Front Range are growing them, although it’s likely some backyard gardeners have given them a shot.
We were skeptical when we first planted them, back in 2016 for the peanuts and last year for sweet potatoes. Both have fairly long growing seasons, and are highly sensitive to frost. Colorado’s growing season is relatively short — certainly compared to places like North Carolina and Georgia where they prosper. Frost hits our fields early, and strikes hard. Our summer nights are chilly, while those in the South are humid and hot. They get a lot of rain. Us? Not so much.
But we experiment with new agricultural endeavors every year, some of which triumph, while others flop. We counted both peanuts and sweet potatoes as wild successes.
Ever tried Boulder County traditional boiled peanuts? We have your answer: No. But now is your chance. Starting tonight, we have them on the menu at Bramble & Hare.
You will find both sweet potatoes and peanuts in restaurant dishes this weekend. At the Market, for this week at least, we will have sweet potatoes but no peanuts. Next week? Could be a different story — stay tuned, Peanut Heads.
These final Markets are awfully important for home cooks. As we march towards Thanksgiving, and then the holidays, so many dishes call for potatoes and parsnips, for carrots and turnips, for celery and onions and much more. And most farmers will have them for sale right up until the last market, the last Saturday before Thanksgiving.
We hope to see you at the Market in downtown Boulder or in the restaurants during this glorious fall weekend! Get ready for a big change — we are supposed to see temperatures in the 30s and 40s next week, with lots of clouds and snow.
And now, time for the Market list:
- Lettuce
- Spinach
- Arugula
- Kale
- Purple tat soi
- Ruby streak mizuna
- Mizuna
- Pak choi
- Osaka purple
- Carrots
- Beets
- Potatoes
- Sweet Potatoes
- Celery
- Onions
- Squash: Butternut, Spaghetti, Acorn, Delicata, Jack-Be-Little, Tromboncino, Long Island Cheese
- Pork cuts
