7 replies to this topic

[calmcookie]

Started making a Saturday habit of biking down to the local farmers market in Austin ... GREAT weather this morning and there was a 5 piece band playing and a big crowd of people wondering around and buying fresh produce. Sweet peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, rainbow radishes, collard greens, local tomatoes .... taste awesome! Add a little salmon, olive oil and spices and you have lunch fit for royalty. DELICIOUS ! Most of us have gotten so far away from this sort of thing ... but what a way to spend a Saturday morning. It was all so beautiful ... truly perfect. In bliss, C.C. (support your local farmers ... get away from cans and overpackaged junk food)

Edited by calmcookie, 03 November 2007 - 01:28 PM.

[diogenes227]

Started making a Saturday habit of biking down to the local farmers market in Austin ... GREAT weather this morning and there was a 5 piece band playing and a big crowd of people wondering around and buying fresh produce.

Sweet peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, rainbow radishes, collard greens, local tomatoes .... taste awesome!

Add a little salmon, olive oil and spices and you have lunch fit for royalty. DELICIOUS !

Most of us have gotten so far away from this sort of thing ... but what a way to spend a Saturday morning. It was all so beautiful ... truly perfect.

In bliss, C.C. (support your local farmers ... get away from cans and overpackaged junk food)

Bravo!

Did the same myself today. Mostly bitter greens as a contrast to a sweetish Sunday cassoulet I have planned.

Got some butter from a local dairy person (cute farmer's daughter). As Anthony Bourdain once wrote "if it tastes great I can believe IT'S BUTTER!". And this butter is like nothing sold in a supermarket.

Bon appetit!

[SemiBizz]

I used to frequent farmer's markets. When they went to Whole Foods + type of prices here a few years ago that ended it for me. For years I went religiously every Thursday morning.... Whole Foods here does support our local growers. I just can't think of a good reason I should be inconvenienced to make a special trip to pay them those high prices. It used to be a good deal here though, until they became all trendy and felt they could jack the prices up... I can't make time for it if there's not a good price, besides Whole Foods here consistently has great produce, generally better than I can find there and at lower prices...

Edited by SemiBizz, 03 November 2007 - 05:33 PM.

[Rogerdodger]

support your local farmers

Or better yet, become one.
I'm only 12 weeks from starting my tomato seeds for next year.
I picked a dozen yesterday and will harvest another 50 before the first freeze.

Note:
Last year I heard that garden suppliers spray their plants with a herbicide to slow their growth so that they will stay nice and compact while on the shelf.
IS IT TRUE?
Well, I started 1/2 of my plants from seed last year and bought another 1/2 from the market.
My "unsprayed" grew to TWICE the size of the store bought!!!

This year I'm going to try growing some "upside down".
You have to watch the moisture level (I use a simple automatic drip), the heat, especially on the roots, and give 'em plenty of sunlight.


Upside Down Tomato LINK

Edited by Rogerdodger, 04 November 2007 - 12:22 PM.

[OEXCHAOS]

I've been shopping at our "Farmers" Market religiously since the late 80's. It's cheaper on everything than almost anywhere else and the carbon load of the veggies and meats/poultry is quite low. I was speaking to a friend the other day and he and I both haven't had a Perdue or Tyson chicken in over a decade. All it took was one good fresh Amish or free range bird and that was it. Butter is now a religious experience, too. The flavor of really fresh, boutique butter... Plus, I have really exotic stuff available at very cheap prices. Spices are always under $1, save for saffron, which is $1.50. There is nothing like getting to know the people who grow your food. I do business with them, they look after me. Hell, they were all rooting for me 7 years ago when I was making the meal that seduced my wife. You don't get that at Kroger or even Whole Foods... M

[calmcookie]

I've been shopping at our "Farmers" Market religiously since the late 80's. It's cheaper on everything than almost anywhere else and the carbon load of the veggies and meats/poultry is quite low.

I was speaking to a friend the other day and he and I both haven't had a Perdue or Tyson chicken in over a decade. All it took was one good fresh Amish or free range bird and that was it. Butter is now a religious experience, too. The flavor of really fresh, boutique butter...

Plus, I have really exotic stuff available at very cheap prices. Spices are always under $1, save for saffron, which is $1.50.

There is nothing like getting to know the people who grow your food. I do business with them, they look after me. Hell, they were all rooting for me 7 years ago when I was making the meal that seduced my wife.

You don't get that at Kroger or even Whole Foods...

M

You're a rare breed ... that's a compliment.

Edited by calmcookie, 05 November 2007 - 07:30 PM.

[maineman]

problem is the crowd at these farmer's markets are tough. I was standing next to a woman who wanted to buy a chicken. She had already rejected several when she picked up a fresh one and spread apart one wing and sniffed. Then she lifted the other wing and sniffed. Then she spread the chicken's legs apart and smelled and announced, "this chicken is no good, I want another one". At that point the farmer got annoyed and said, "Lady, can you pass a test like that?" mm

[OEXCHAOS]

I do believe that was apocryphal!!