Farm market report

The Mrs. went to the market this week and picked up some heirloom tomatoes along with peaches and baked goods.

She gets focaccia for me. The price isn't bad, but I can make this myself, better and cheaper when the weather breaks. This is one of my favorite things. It's like a thick pizza, usually without cheese. I like it with onions, in addition to the tomatoes. The tomatoes dry out a little bit and the flavor concentrates, making them even sweeter.

And talk about bargains. My sister went to her local farm stand, and caught a deal on organic Roma tomatoes. She bought a 50 lbs box for $15. Looks like she will be stocking the freezer with spaghetti sauce, and the cupboard with home made salsa. By the way, her grapes were exceptional this year. She has the vines growing on the chain link fence that surrounds her pool. So, she gets extra privacy, a nice bit of greenery, and some very tasty fruit. She harvested enough grapes to make a few gallons of her own organic grape juice, too.

This is the time of year to catch deals on tomatoes. It has been a pretty good year for them, and many farmers would rather pass along a bargain than dump them. Stock up and enjoy.

Peaches still great

The Mrs. brought home some softabll sized peaches from the farm market this weekend, and surprisingly, they were every bit as sweet and delicious as the smaller ones she has been getting. Often, when fruit is larger, to me at least, it just seems to not taste as good.
This has been the best peach season in a while, and I hope everyone has enjoyed them as much as I have. The season is winding down, so now is the time to stock up to can them or make special desserts.
A fellow Jersey blogger has a nice recipe forpeach upside down cake here :
http://househubbie.blogspot.com/2008/08/peach-upside-down-cake.html

Report from the Farm Market

The Mrs. just returned from the market with more peaches (this must be the best peach season ever) some peach praline pie (yum) and these tiny plums. I don't know what variety they are but they are about the size of a "shooter" marble, or a jawbreaker, if anyone remembers what they are. I can fit a whole one in my mouth, which is convenient because it prevents the juice from getting over everything. But normal folks would probably be better off eating them in a couple bites.

Plums are low calorie (about 20 for a small one) and are a source of vitamins A and E. They also combat fluid retention and aid in circulation.

A Philly Pretzel store/factory is across the street from the market, so I did have a garlic pretzel today, too.

The market is in full swing

The Mrs came back with multi colored peppers today, along with zuchini, mushrooms, and a load of tomatoes. And, of course, more of the best peaches we've had in years.

Tomorrow, she will make spaghetti and serve sauted zuchini and onions over it.

One thing I've found is that really fresh local ingredients can stand on their own. A little extra virgin oil, a sprinkle of hot pepper flakes, and they are good to go. I don't even use sea salt most of the time. And just the smallest amount of shredded Romano cheese, and it's ready.

I'm looking forward to some thick sliced tomatoes on my sandwiches this week.

Whether it will be with mayo, or peanut butter (I'm telling you, this will catch on one day) New Jersey tomatoes are fine eating.

Low in calories, almost no fat, and one of the most versatile ingredients around. Delicious fresh, cooked, or dried, what other fruit has so many uses?

Fresh, local produce hitting markets

Oh yeah. Here in New Jersey, the farm markets are starting to open with great local produce.

Yesterday, the Mrs. bought some local peaches that were absolutely perfect.

So sweet, with juice that just ran down my chin when I bit into it.

MMM. Nothing, and I mean nothing, is as good as eating fresh local foods.

And peaches are a great fruit.

A small peach (about 3 oz) has around 30 calories, with a tiny amount of protein, and lots of energy producing carbs. It is a complex carb, so it's not like eating sugar, although they taste as sweet.

I also has my first peanut butter and tomato sandwich of the season, on whole grain toast. And, it was wonderful.