Farmer's Market

[DFen911]

What a morning! I started by going to the street side farmer's market. All the produce was grown in Riverside about 20 minutes away.

Then I went to a new roadside stand called Jacinto Farms. Jean this place was amazing!! Very small but all the produce is grown about a mile away. It's all picked early in the morning and brought to the stand.

I wish I had taken my camera to their store because they had about 10 different varieties of heirloom tomatoes. My gosh they were beautiful!

Here is my bounty for the day -



I got a package of Tomatillo's, 3 different types of squash, the garlic wasn't elephant garlic but they are huge and so fragrant! I also got cauliflower, poblano chili's, jalapeños, honeydew, cantaloupe and watermelon. The cabbage I about flipped when I saw them. The ones in our grocery store are always so pale green. The carrots are very sweet and the basil was a buck!

Tonight we're going to dinner and I'm making the Summer Fruit Slaw from issue 81.

Tomorrow I'm going to roast some of the garlic and use it with chicken and stuff the poblano's and then grill. The cabbage we eat pretty much raw. I just shred it and salt it a bit and let it wilt.

I can't to cook up the beans and squashes. So many ideas running thru my head.

BTW the watermelon is one of the sweetest watermelon I have ever eaten in YEARS!!

[esgunn]

Wow! Beautiful produce! Have fun!

[HomeCulinarian]

Looks like a magazine spread for fresh vegetables! Have fun with them.

[Harborwitch]

You just had to post that didn't you! LOL We drove out to the Tappen Farmers' Market. It wasn't at the address listed, in fact it didn't exist!!! Crap!!!!

[cjs]

Oh my, Denise, what a beautiful bounty you have!!! I can't think of much of anything I more enjoy that moseying (a word?) around a farmers market. Hope we can get down there before this project is done!!

[Harborwitch]

Jean the state of ND sends out a great "Local Food" guide that lists farmers' markets, growers, roadside stands, u-pick, CSA's, etc. It also tells if they are organic (certified or non-certified), pesticide free, etc.). Bob and I are hoping to hit as many as we can before we leave - but so far we're not doing so good.

I wish more states did this. Of course I also have a "Pride of Dakota" booklet that lists lots of food producers that maintain very high standards.

[cjs]

Those little roadside places are so fun also.

[Gourmet_Mom]

Denise, that is a beautiful spread! Have fun!

[DFen911]

So tonight I'm using a couple of the zucchini and the poblanok's.

I really must encourage everyone to find a farmers market in their area. Wow the flavors just cannot be topped!