Fresh From the Farmer’s Market #1

March 4th, 2008  |  Published in Blog Carnival  |  13 Comments

Fall Potatoes 

Welcome to the first (of hopefully many) ‘Fresh From the Farmer’s Market’ digests!

Last month I asked people to submit their recipes, thoughts, photographs, sounds, etc that they found representative of the idea ‘Fresh From the Farmer’s Market’.  I didn’t know what to expect, nor if anyone would heed the call for works — but many people answered the call, and I got a fabulous mixture of articles representing FFTFM.  Thanks!

As we near the end of winter, I present this picture (above) from former Wellesley classmate Caitlin Winner of multi-colored potatoes at her New England Farmer’s Market.  So lovely and reminds me of my years spent there!  All photos in this article are hers!

Recipes

Katy over at Sugarlaws sent a recipe for a perfectly in-season Apple, Honey, and Goat Cheese Tart.  She has got a great blog, and appears to be a mean ice cream maker!  I’ve gotta learn how to do that...

Suzanne at Chickens in the Road sends  a recipe for ‘Perfect Asparagus‘.  I saw asparagus for the first time this year at the farmer’s market about a week ago!  I expect the season will be in full swing in about two to three weeks here in northern California.  I’ll definitely be trying this (4 types of salt and all)!

On a different note, I cannot wait until summer.  A farm near my home advertises ‘Corn Picked Hourly’ that is seriously delicious.  I’ve tried grilling corn in the past to mixed results, but I think this article on ‘Amazing Maize‘ from Are You Going To Be This Way The Rest of The Time I Know You? will lead me down the right path come summer.

Chef Andrew at Recipe Bank sent a recipe for French Bean Casserole.  It is a (far more delicious) take on the all-too-familiar green bean / cream of mushroom / crispy onion casserole that appears on many dinner tables during Thanksgiving dinner.  This one uses fresh, whole ingredients which I’m sure leads to a much more healthful and tasty result.

The Screaming Saucepan sent a recipe for Gorgonzola Salad which I think would be a delicious and bold side dish that would work very well with some simple BBQ’d tofu, pork, or chicken.  Many farmer’s markets (at least around here) offer seasonal salad mixes — during the early spring they tend to include a lot of arugula (since it grows so quickly), which would contrast nicely with the rich gorgonzola.

Woman Tribune sent a recipe for a delicious pick-me-up, Natural Mango Banana Soup.  Thinking about a Jamba Juice Smoothie?  try this instead and save yourself $5 and probably a bunch of unexpected chemical additives.  Her addition of cardamom (always a favorite here) gives it another flavorful dimension. 

 tomatoes

CSA / Food Sourcing

David from Sniggle sent his cost analysis of purchasing a CSA share versus buying conventional produce at a supermarket or corner market.  ‘Apples-to-apples’ he finds that the CSA is more expensive than the super or corner market, but he raises many points how an ‘apples-to-apples’ comparison fails to address many important concerns.

Tiffany at Nature Mom’s Blog reminds us that CSA season is starting up, and now is the time to find and perhaps choose one near you.  A lot of people think this is limited to produce-heavy states like California, Washington, Virginia, etc, but she talks of her old CSA in Arizona.  She also suggests resources for finding a CSA near you.

Jason Voiovich from State of the Brand sent an article discussing grocer Trader Joe’s’ relationship and actions regarding Chinese imports.  It seems that people these days have lost their trust in the authenticity of  ‘Organic’ foodstuffs originating in China.

 

Gardening

Jaime McIntosh submits an article about why one should follow organic gardening practices (and eating practices) while pregnant.  When I read it, I had one of those ‘Of course, that makes so much sense‘ moments…

BTW, how is YOUR garden doing?  I finally received my seeds in the mail today…  a couple weeks later than expected, but c’est la vie.

 

Health 

Kavit from Wellness Junction sent an article on 5 Reasons one might consider going Raw.  Raw food diets have been gaining popularity and recognition in the past few years — I have always thought it too extreme for my lifestyle, but incorporating some of its practices is definitely within reach for most people.

 

Travel

James from Costa Rica HQ describes the foods you might find if you’re traveling in Costa Rica.  Processed foods most people are used to are available, but why do that when there are amazing locally grown tropical fruits and vegetables readily available?  

 

Sunflower closeup 

Thanks again to everyone who submitted an article!  Please look for the Fresh From the Farmer’s Market #2 digest coming next month!  The deadline for submission will be Thursday March 27th. 

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