Kabocha pumpkin and Lively Orchards Honeycrisp Apples (CV) bring a hint of Fall to this week’s Twenty Bag, along with gourmet potatoes, Shishito peppers, okra, Watsonia Farms organic grown squash and zucchini, NC heirloom tomatoes (CV) and Charleston Gold Rice (CV).

How lucky are we to live in a region that supports so many small family farmers. From the Carolina coast to the mountains, farms like Rooting Down, Watsonia, Lively Orchards and Marsh Hen Mill produce honest, clean food locally, in towns near where we live—much of which is grown organically or from cultivated varieties (CV). So what’s a CV?

“A cultivar is a plant that has been grown from a stem cutting, grafting, or tissue cultures to ensure it retains the characteristics of the plant parent. Growing a plant from one of these plant's seeds may not produce the same plant as the parent,” notes David Beaulieu of The Spruce Eats.

Characteristics like texture and flavor of the original plant are retained this way, like the nutty nuances of Charleston Gold Rice. A Marsh Hen Mill recipe cooks it up pretty much the same way as any ordinary type.

With cooler temps on the horizon, baking is becoming a more tempting option here in the Lowcountry—I’m thinking a holiday pie showcasing the Kabocha, or simply roasting it with a few chiles and maple syrup as in this side dish recipe from Bon Appetit. If I don’t gobble them down straight from the fridge first, I’ll be popping the Honeycrisps into this easy apple crisp recipe I found via Lively Orchard.

More happy time in the kitchen, in my opinion! Please search sweetgrass + grits for recipes I’ve selected especially for your Twenty Bag needs—and get cooking!

Harleston’s storage tips: Potatoes in the pantry or some place dark so they don't turn green. Pumpkin on the counter, or the porch :) Rice in the fridge after opening the package. Apples on the counter. Peppers, okra, squash and zucchini in the fridge. Tomatoes on the counter if they need to soften up and ripen. Protected in the fridge if they are already ripe. Don't keep these around forever, they are not meant for that.