By Deborah Geering

For the AJC

Tate Tewksbury’s broccoli rabe was, he admits, “a shot in the dark.”

“I’ve been growing it for eight weeks,” he announces with mock authority.

Still in his first year as a solo farmer — he grew up farming with his family — Tewksbury planted conservatively last spring, growing the more common spring and summer vegetables.

“Regular food,” he says. “But the more markets I went to, I saw the kinds of varieties you can grow here. So when I ordered my seeds for the fall, I tried to find some things that would be cool to grow.”

In addition to the Sessantina Grossa broccoli rabe (aka rapini), Tewksbury is trying his hand this fall at Little Finger and round carrots; red, yellow and white carrots; purple, yellow and white cauliflower; brussels sprouts; purple and green kohlrabi; fennel, radicchio, broccoli and kale. “This year I’m just saying, ‘Can I grow it?’ ”

So far, so good. The broccoli rabe planted at his farm near Madison is coming in strong, and Tewksbury plans to sell it at area farmers markets until frost. His other vegetables are doing nicely too, he says.

Growing new vegetables means eating new vegetables, too. Tewksbury tried his first broccoli rabe a few weeks ago. “We just cooked it in chicken broth, cooked it down and put salt and pepper on it,” he said. “I’m not a big turnip green kind of fellow, but it was pretty good — milder than turnip greens and more like collards.”

Tewksbury Farms sells at a few different farmers markets, depending on Tate Tewksbury’s schedule. Look for him Friday mornings at Paper Mill Farmers Market (255 Village Parkway N.E., Marietta) or Saturday mornings at Studioplex Green Market (659 Auburn Ave.).

Hot pepper update: Thanks to all the readers who sent in creative uses for abundant hot peppers. Special thanks for these great suggestions: hot pepper vinegar (Beth Respess, Fayetteville), dehydrated hot peppers (John Grier) and a cracker spread of raspberry preserves, grated cheddar cheese and chopped hot peppers (Craig Wilson, Sandy Springs). He suggests serving it on thin ginger snaps — yummy.

Local farmer flood relief: Support local farmers affected by last month’s floods.

● Saturday: From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Peachtree Road Farmers Market sells $10 Jim ’N Nicks Bar-B-Q sandwiches. The restaurant is donating the food, supplies and labor; all proceeds will benefit the Peachtree Road Farmers Fund. The market, at 2744 Peachtree Road, opens at 8:30 a.m.

● Oct. 21: All metro Atlanta Whole Foods stores will donate 5 percent of net sales to the Georgia Flooded Farmers Relief Fund. The Briarcliff, Cobb and Duluth stores plan to hold special farmers markets as well. Throughout October at all seven stores, shoppers may donate their bag refund (10 cents per reusable bag) to the relief fund.

Want to give? Donations to the Georgia Flooded Farms Relief Fund go directly to affected farmers. Send checks to P.O. Box 2641, Smyrna, GA 30081.

At local farmers markets

Apples, arugula, Asian pears, beans, carrots, collards, cucumbers, eggplant, field peas, flowers, garlic, green beans, herbs, kale, lettuce, Malabar spinach, mixed greens, muscadines, mustard greens, nasturtium, okra, onions, bok choy, pears, peppers, potatoes, pumpkins, radishes, summer squash, sweet potatoes, Swiss chard, tatsoi, tomatoes, turnips, watermelon, winter squash

From farther afield

Looking good: New York apples, Georgia and Virginia beans, California cantaloupe, Michigan and California carrots, California and Georgia corn, California and South Carolina greens, Chilean and South African oranges, Washington and California pears, Georgia and California peppers, California plums, California and Michigan tomatoes, Texas and California watermelon

Local reports and the Packer

Rapini and Chickpea Pitas

Hands on: 15 minutes Total time: 30 minutes Makes: 12

Serve these little open-faced sandwiches as a party appetizer or a casual supper. You can substitute turnip greens, Swiss chard or kale for the rapini.

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 large garlic cloves, chopped

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Salt and pepper to taste

2 bunches rapini, coarsely chopped (thickest stems discarded)

1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes

12 (4-inch) whole-wheat pitas

12 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, sliced into thin strips

1 cup (about 4 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large, heavy skillet over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the garlic and cook until it sizzles, about 30 seconds. Transfer the garlic and half the oil to a food processor; pulse. Add the chickpeas with 1/4 cup water and blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Reheat the skillet with the remaining oil over medium-high heat. Rinse the rapini and drain it, but do not dry it. Add the rapini to the skillet with a pinch of salt. Cover and cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the leaves are wilted and the stems are crisp-tender. Add the red pepper flakes and season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Spread each pita with about 2 tablespoons of chickpea spread. Top with the rapini and sun-dried tomato slices. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Arrange the pitas on a baking sheet and bake until the cheese is melted and the edges are golden, about 10 minutes.

Adapted from a recipe at www.mariquita.com.

Per serving: 189 calories (percent of calories from fat, 28), 8 grams protein, 27 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 6 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 5 milligrams cholesterol, 419 milligrams sodium.