Jan Powers Farmers Markets Halloween 2016

Given the roots of Halloween come directly from the dirt (with a little bit of Shakespeare), naturally Jan Power's Farmers Markets has brewed up the quintessential shopping list for spellbound trick-and-treaters! Ghoulish festivities kick off on Wednesday 26^th October with the City Markets, and hit full broomstick speed on Saturday at the Powerhouse Markets before the ghouls officially come out on Halloween – Monday October 31.  Stallholders will be dressed up on both market days, and have sourced dead-set wickedly good, fresh ingredients from SEQ's best farmers, producers and suppliers for the most spook-tacular of festive feasts….and yes there will be a Blood Burger special!

For those looking for locally produced spooky foods for Trick or Treating, use fresh beetroot juice or blood oranges for bloody disguises and makeup and try carving a watermelon for a Queensland take on Jack-o-lanterns!! The team from Missy Mae's fresh produce are going all out with all staff in costume and ghouls and ghosts throughout their stalls, while the team from locally made Wild Rissole Burgers are creating a special Halloween Blood Burger!!

With so much ancient ritual attributed to some of our greatest super foods, modern Halloween is nothing short of a harvest with local varieties of Pumpkin, Apple, Turnip, Sweet Potato, Nuts and Kale at their peak in South East Queensland (see below)….

APPLES

The -forbidden fruit' are a big part of Halloween and Celtic folk used them in their Halloween divination games for centuries. Just add water to recreate Apple Bobbing and Snap Apple games, or put them to good use for apple pie, apple cake (Halloween Soul Cake), toffee apples or apple chutney.

PUMPKIN

It's the tale of the trickster called Jack. Denied entrance into both heaven and hell, the devil grudgingly tossed Jack a fiery coal, which he caught in a hollowed out pumpkin to light his night-walk on earth until Judgement Day. While the carved pumpkin Jack-o'lanterns are seldom eaten, smaller varieties such as Queensland Blue, Butternut and Jap are far tastier for a devilish pumpkin pie, chutney or pumpkin bread.

KALE
Every Halloween in Scotland, young people were blindfolded into the garden to pull Kale stalks. The amount of earth clinging to the root of the Kale was believed to predict their love life. Believed to be a descendent of wild cabbage, native to Europe and Asia Minor it has been grown and consumed for more than 4,000 years. From the far out kale popsicles or kale cupcakes, it's almost always the perfect addition to salads, soups, pasta and smoothies.

NUTS
Used for magic since Roman times, some Celts believed nuts were such powerful sorcerers they called their October 31^st Nut Crack Night.

October is peak harvest season for our Queensland Walnuts, Almonds, Pistachios and Pecans. Crack them, snack on them and sprinkle them on salads to add texture and crunch, or let their buttery richness smooth out ice-cream, biscotti and all kinds of cake.

WHEN:  Wednesday October 26
TIME: 8am – 6pm

HALLOWEEN at Powerhouse at New Farm in Brisbane's inner city

When:  Saturday October 29
Time: 6AM – 12PM (Noon)
Where: The Brisbane Powerhouse, 119 Lamington St, New Farm.