You may think that with just two regular Markets left (this week and next!) the selection has begun dwindling. The truth is anything but! It's harvest time, folks, and that means you'll see the biggest selection of produce and prepared foods this year.

What to do with all the goodies? We offer seasonal recipes in each newsletter but don't forget that there's a treasure trove of recipes preserved in previous newsletters, all available to peruse here (pro tip: scroll down to all the previous October editions). Or, you can also use the handy Lansdowne Farmers Market search box (upper right corner) to find recipes by ingredients.

Line-up

Weekly: Big Sky Bread, Bonnie's Wondergardens, Frecon Farms, Freeland Market, Fruitwood Farms, Green Zebra Farm, Kia's Cakes, MyHouse Cookies, Rebecca's Dumplings, Wilsons Curiously Good Foods. Biweekly: Amazing Acres Goat Dairy, Paradocx Vineyards, Rafiki Shoppe. Soap: Love Naturally. Specials: Ridge Valley Farm.

After we told you last week that the 2/4 vendors would be appearing both this week and next, it turns out that most of them won't. Rafiki and Paradocx made other plans, leaving just Amazing Acres for a return engagement. With slots to fill, we've invited the 1/3 vendors back for the 29th. Keep your eye on this space for a list next week of exactly who to expect.

This is your last chance until the pre-Thanksgiving bonus market (November 19) to pick up syrup, granola, and other maple goodies from Ridge Valley Farm. If your Sweet Endings Dessert Contest entry needs a touch of maple syrup, now is the time to pick it up!

Bonnie's Wondergardens can help revitalize your garden and your spirits by bringing a little color (mums! decorative kale!) and flavor (basil, thyme, and other herbs!) into your garden as leaves fall and plants die back to take a long winter nap.

And hooray that Kia's Cakes is back after being off last week!

Soup's Up

If your schedule is anything like ours, finding time to make a meal from scratch every single day is challenging. But in the crisp fall weather, there's nothing like hot soup for a quick lunch or comforting dinner, especially if served with a hunk of your favorite loaf from Big Sky Breads. It's also a clever way to work more veggies into your diet, something we are always struggling to do.

Squash and pumpkin soups were liberally covered in this previous newsletter, so the focus this time is on other veggies that can be turned into a bowl of comfort and joy. May we suggest that you start with the very best cauliflower soup recipe ever? Then there's potato leek soup and its French cousin, Vichyssoise, which is traditionally served cold but is darned good hot, too. You can't go wrong with any of these recipes, which manage to use clever combinations, as in broccoli-apple soup with cashew or peanut butter or almond-Brussels sprouts soup that, frankly, we never thought of.

No time to cook? John Wilson has you covered with his curiously good fresh and frozen soup varieties that change each week, including his ultra-famous cream of mushroom that frequently becomes our breakfast on a chilly Market morning. We also include his red wine beef (or turkey) chili in the category of really, really hearty soup.

Whip It Up

If you have a talent for conjuring up delightful desserts for your family and friends, step up to the Sweet Endings dessert contest and silent auction! It's coming up next week on October 29 (aka Community Day) and you'll need at least one Market ingredient to qualify, so you'd better shop this week.

Entries can include any and all made-from-scratch desserts such as pastries, cakes, cupcakes, puddings, cookies, crumbles, pies, etc. Recipes can be original or from another source but they have to be "personalized." Remember, no mixes allowed! Complete the entry form and bring it, along with your fabulous creation, before 10:30 to the Market Manager's tent (next to the music tent). At noon, we'll extract a slim slice for judging, and the balance will be sold to the person who's bid the highest over the course of the day during our silent auction, with proceeds being donated to the local food cupboard.

If you have a discerning sweet tooth, you should volunteer to be a judge by emailing us before noon tomorrow (Friday). We'll pick names out of a hat and let you know if you've been selected.

Housekeeping

You may want to start training now to prepare for our last regular market, October 29, which is going to be mighty busy. First, it's Community Day, so come on out to meet members of area organizations and businesses who apply for a vending/information spot. We'll share a complete list in the next newsletter.

Second, kids and adults alike are invited to dress up to celebrate Halloween a few days early. Many vendors will offer treats to costumed customers big and small. Starting at 1:00, children up to age 10 accompanied by adults can parade from the LFM parking lot down to the Twentieth Century Club, where they will be treated to a Halloween party with snacks, music, games, and prizes for best costumes until 3:00 pm. The fun is sponsored by Lansdowne Borough, the Lansdowne Park and Recreation Board, and the Lansdowne Public Library.

Finally, share the bounty with those in need by bringing canned goods and nonperishable foods for the local food bank. Think healthy and sustaining nonperishable canned and boxed foods (rice, pasta, sauce, dried milk, coffee, tuna, peanut butter, etc.) or cash donations so they can shop for what's needed. Please bring your donations in a bag or a box to the Market Manager tent on October 29 and we'll give you a Market Buck in thanks.