Let's Talk About the Farmer's Market

It is Sunday and still early enough in the morning. So let's talk about the Farmer's Market.

Coming home with my fresh produce loot I paused in my kitchen and thought about why is it that I make such infrequent trips to the Farmer's Market. There were plenty of goers who are dedicated and do this on a weekly basis and there are people like me who infrequent the place. Is it because it is early in the morning and you can't get anything good by the closing time (we still shop with our eyes first, not our noses)? Or is it something else? For me it is because I have marked a lot of wonderful small open air markets in my area which I can go to and not be restricted by the Sunday morning routine. It is because the same farmers who sell their goods at the Farmer's Market also sell their produce to the open air markets that I visit. Mind you, the pricing is somewhat fuzzy to me. Some items cost the same in either place and others a little more at the open air market (they have to make some profit, or it wouldn't be worth a dime to be in that business). I pay for that convenience that I can go any day of the week and get the basics.

But I didn't start writing this because I wanted to talk about the prices or the convenience, I wanted to talk about the Farmer's Market experience. My market happened to be set up in a horseshoe shape, which I walked through and through a half a dozen times while making the selection comparisons and deciding what will I be making with all those lovely fruits and veggies. I wanted it all, the fresh berries that shined brilliantly at me with their bright, deep reds, oranges, and blacks (I am talking about strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and golden raspberries); the crisp looking leafy greens like kale, spinach, Swiss chard; the aromatic plethora of tomatoes of different colors, shapes, and sizes; the new crop of apples and the season's end of the stone fruit; pumpkins and squashes; dried fruits and nuts; honeys and olive oils.... My mind was racing, skipping the mental pages of the cookbooks that I have written and those that I have read, looking for the ways that I could enjoy the bounty today and not have to wait. The intoxicating images of delicious plates were appearing before my eyes, I could almost taste it. I had to collect my thoughts, gather them into a neat package and place them on a shelf so that I wouldn't go overboard. There I was, walking around for the third time ready to make my first purchase. Earlier I have noticed in a corner of one farmer's stand gorgeously packaged zucchini blossoms. It was meant to be as it was the only place that sold them. I will dip the blossoms in a delicate batter made with the rice flour and sparkling water (yup, that's tempura batter) and fry them crisp. It will be the best starter for my dinner tonight. I dashed to another stand to buy levain bread (French Pain Au Levain), a crusty bread that's a bit sweet and a bit sour, nutty and earthy, it will be perfect with the fruity extra virgin olive oil that I spotted a few steps away. I wanted something crisp and bright and there before me sat the bins of ripe cherry tomatoes. I sampled and it was heavenly. I got a bag, heaving two pounds of those red juicy rubies. I figured I could make a tomato sauce as well. I followed my nose and found most delicate and light sweet basil. Yes, definitely a sauce. I will improvise, French bread with olive oil and fried zucchini blossoms and now crisp cherry tomatoes as a starter. Then I will make a tomato sauce for my pizza margherita with the same cherry tomatoes and that lovely basil. Somewhere in my morning daze I remembered that I saw a stand with fresh mozzarella. Yes, definitely a pizza. But I couldn't pass by the berries, those dazzling golden raspberries and dreamy blackberries. Dessert. Chantilly and berries. Chantilly is a french word for whipped cream, I just love the way it sounds. I thought I was done, but I wasn't.

After making my first dinner selections I detected a meat stand. Glorious grass fed beef. I pounced at the opportunity. Here I was making my fifth walk around. With the beautiful stew meat in my bag (by the way, don't worry as all Farmer's Markets sell frozen meat so there is no worry about the spoiling) I searched for something else. I read a while back about these purple potatoes and how wonderful they are, and since I was planning on stewing the meat I figured the purple potatoes will be just wonderful. And I needed kale, some dinosaur kale as it can easily cook for a while. Carrots, hmmm-mmm, delicious rainbow carrots. A simple stew that I will make the next night (and write a recipe on this blog) in which I will dip the levain bread to sop up the scrumptious juices.

As I was walking out I bought some heritage eggs, will make pancakes for breakfast. And have some left for a bread pudding.

There, I got it out of my system. I talked about the Farmer's Market. Or did I write about how the Farmer's Market inspired me to plan ahead, make the purchases that I could stretch into more than one dish, and hopefully peak your curiosity at what you can find at your own Farmer's Market.

What I found was marvelous and a new found appreciation for although inconvenient time an unbelievable spread of ideas ignited by the Farmer's Market which the open air markets did not.