A Trip to the Farmer's Market

 During the warmer months of the year, one of my favorite things to do is walk the aisles of the Farmer's Market and check out stall after stall of fantastic local goodies, and it's not just produce. From veggies to fruit, meat and fish, jam, soap, cheese and hand woven baskets, you can find some great treasures that you won't find anywhere else. I think it is extremely important to take good care of local small business owners who work hard to provide alternatives to big market chains and often sell one of a kind products. If you enjoy cooking seasonally, there is not better place to go than the Farmer's Market. It is a direct reflection of what is truly fresh and just picked.

 I love that there are never any annoying stickers on the fruit....look at how beautiful these bright red strawberries are!

 This ginger root was gigantic and now I want to figure out a reason to buy a piece that big.

 I don't even know what this vegetable is! It was labeled as Kolhrabi and the sign said to peel and cook it and that the leaves were similar to kale...I would never find this anywhere in a conventional grocery store.

 Sample, sample, sample. Another awesome part about shopping here is having the opportunity to try everything before you buy it...and the sellers are constantly encouraging you to take more. Come hungry!

 Gorgeous local flowers for a great price. $5, $6 and $7 bundles that could cost twice as much elsewhere.

My haul. Raw local honey (which is said to be great for people with allergies), Walnuts to make another batch of Raisin Apple Walnut Bars, a bag of 4 big Onions (for a dollar!), freshly squeezed Orange Juice, bright fuschia Snapdragons, and one of my favorite snacks of all time from a Mediterranean food company called Baba Foods, the Three Layer Dip. It's Olive oil, basil, sundried tomatoes and feta cheese and I can only get it at the Farmer's Market!

Do you have a local market in your neighborhood or somewhere nearby? If so, you should definitely check it out. Not only will you get some great quality foods, but you'll have a wonderful time too and I guarantee you'll discover something you didn't even know grew around the corner!

Enjoy!