Monday, June 16, 2008

The Farmer's Markets Are Open

Over the weekend the local Farmer's Market opened up, and the Mrs. was there right about opening time. This is pretty important when shopping at these markets because they don't bring tons of extras. they usually bring what they expect to sell, and little more. Plus, the "early bird" gets the choicest fruits and vegetables.
One thing she bought was strawberries. They were kind of pricy, about double the cost of Shop-Rite, but we believe in supporting the local guy when we can. But boy, were they worth it. They were possibly the perfect strawberries. Red, sweet, with just the hint of a tangy undernote that made me fully appreciate a fresh local berry picked at the peak of flavor.
I never put sugar or any enhancements on my berries anyway, and it would have been a shame to do it to these. They were the strawberriest.

She also had some fresh spinach that was turned into a quick dinner after being sauted and tossed with some Sicilian extra virgin oil and whole grain pasta.

She also stocked up on other fruits and vegetables that we will be enjoying during the week. One advantage of buying locally is that the produce lasts longer. Rather than spending a few days in a warehouse, then being shipped to us, we are getting wonderful food that was picked just a day ago about 20 minutes away from here. It has more vitamins, and much more taste.

We are making a conscious effort to eat from nature's bounty this summer. I'd have to say we are off to a great start.

2 comments:

Nicole said...

i love farmers markets and produce stands on the side of the road. they always have the best stuff!!

shyne said...

Our Farmers Market opens today......:-)
It's still very early in the growing season so I don't know how much will be really locally grown.

I, actually, prefer the small veggie stands on the side of the road.
Buying is on the honor system and the produce is usually absolutely fresh out of the garden.
The prices are always so much lower, too...I guess because there's no overhead thrown into the equation?