Sustainable Saturday - Binghamton's November Tomatoes

Come the beginning of November in Binghamton, in upstate New York, the outside Otsiningo Park Farmers Market moves indoors to a venue in downtown Binghamton. It's too bad on a day like today, sunny, with temperatures in the 50's (11 or 12 Celsius). (Don't worry, weather will turn more to the wintery side Monday.)

This morning, we needed eggs, so we made the trip downtown.

Metrocenter, where the indoor market sets up two Saturday mornings a month in the winter, has had a fascinating history. When I first moved to this area in the mid 1980's this was an indoor shopping mall.  It's changed owners multiple times.  In its current incarnation, it is mainly offices.  At least it is occupied, which it hasn't always been.

The entrance of Metrocenter, with an old historic church mirrored on the left side, beckoned.

As we entered, and looked for eggs, we saw.....tomatoes?  The merchant was Old Barn Hollow, our local locavore store, so we knew these were true local tomatoes.  The young lady who sold us several told us that Lone Maple Farms, outside of Binghamton, had closed for the winter and had sold their stock to the store.  Years ago, we would have grabbed a flat. But, we have too much going on this week in advance of my spouse's cataract surgery later in the week.  We did buy two tomatoes - something I would never do in August, but this isn't August.

Also available for sale in the market were lettuce, sunchokes, brussel sprouts, homemade breads, crafts, herbs, jellies, pork, stewing chickens (might have gotten one but our freezer is stuffed), beef, lamb, and goat.  A couple of vendors were taking turkey orders for Thanksgiving (November 28 this year in the United States.)

On of our favorite bakers had English muffins, in multigrain, honey whole wheat, cranberry, and wheatless.

Three seed crackers, made with whole wheat flour.

Winter squash-Carnival, Spaghetti, Butternut, and Acorn.

We will be enjoying those tomatoes later tonight.  Yum!  We have a lot to be grateful for, as Thanksgiving approaches.

What local foods are in season where you live?