There's a nip in the air that promises frost and the end of the growing season for gardens everywhere. But the majority of the farmers markets in the Mid-Columbia still have a few more weeks before they close for the season.

This is when you will want to stock up on late season fruits like apples and pears, and winter veggies like acorn and hubbard squash. They'll keep for weeks in the fridge, a chilly basement or the garage. Just don't let them freeze.

Richland's Market at the Parkway is the first in the Tri-Cities to close. Vendors there just have one more Friday before they pack up their booths for the year. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Pasco Farmers Market will close Oct. 29. The market is open from 8 a.m. to noon Wednesdays and from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays at the corner of South Fourth Avenue and West Columbia Street.

Southridge Farmers Market in Kennewick will close Oct. 27. Hours are from 4 to 8 p.m., Thursdays in Southridge Village, Kennewick, at the corner of Highway 395 and Hildebrand Street.

Walla Walla Farmers Market runs through Oct. 30. The market is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays at 4th Avenue and Main Street in the city hall parking lot.

The Prosser Farmers' Market runs through Oct. 29. Hours are from 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays along Sommers Avenue in Prosser City Park.

Moses Lake Farmers Market & Craft Bazaar will close Oct. 29. Hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. The market is at McCosh Park at Fourth and Dogwood streets by the Moses Lake Aquatic Center.

The Hermiston's Own Saturday Market runs through October, depending on the weather. The market is open from 8:30 a.m. to noon Saturdays in the Conference Center parking lot, 415 S. Highway 395.

Markets already closed for the season include: the Umatilla Farmers Market, the Milton-Freewater Farmers Market and the Boardman Farmers Market.

New read

The book: 250 True Italian Pasta Dishes by John Coletta with Nancy Ross Ryan.

Cost: $25

Best for: The book provides home cooks with all the tips, tools, and techniques needed to produce delicious pasta meals. There are recipes for many different kinds of pasta -- fresh and dried, festive and every day. Most are very easy to make and won't take much time to prepare, while others are more complex and time-consuming, suitable for very special occasions.

*Loretto J. Hulse: 582-1513; lhulse@tricityherald.com. To receive a recipe via e-mail each Tuesday register at tricityherald.com and click on newsletters.