These only produce we were able to get. Tomatoes, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Tomatoes, Peppers, and Napa Cabbage. The place was a mad house. After we got these we figured we’d go to the meat section and just turn around and come back to get more like Sweet Corn, Watermelon, Apples, Peaches, and herbs. But, we weren’t able to turn around due to the flow of traffic, heat, and all the people out there. While we love fresh produce we’re not that brave or crazy to handle all of the aforementioned details.

Behold, the rabbit meat. I could have bought this fresh but since I’m not cooking it today, frozen rabbit it is. My husband has eaten rabbit before but I haven’t. The people I talked to at the Farmer’s Market said anything you could do with chicken also applies for rabbit. So keep an eye out for a rabbit dish sometime this week.

Here is a goat meat roast. My husband and I love goat meat. There is a Filipino dish that we miss so much which involves lots of spices and citrus. I’ll definitely share the recipe here with you using this goat meat in the coming days.

Fresh butter that is so good I had to practically pry myself from eating a huge piece. It’s creamy with that natural taste and a slight saltiness as well.

We also bought fresh milk but we only bought 1 small size to share for a taste. My husband wanted to drink fresh milk so he got his wish.

Maybe next time we’ll get some of the fresh produce that we couldn’t get this time around. For now, we’ll definitely enjoy all of these.

(Images @ Dexie J Wharton)

Post from: Blisstree

Farmer’s Market Goodies : August 15th

IMG: Elizabeth Ferree

When we told the kids where we were going we were asked questions such as:

“Will we see cows? What about sheep? Can they let us visit their farm? Oh can we just buy a farm from them?”

Yes, the kids know how much I really, really want to live on a farm. I’d love to raise a few animals, have fresh eggs, have goat’s milk and try my hand at gardening. I would love to live away from the city with some property. I have never been one to live near the city, traffic scares me and I hate driving. We did answer each of their questions, but more kept coming. As we pulled in they couldn’t get out of the car fast enough.

To be fair this was not a farmer’s market like I thought, maybe they all went on vacation or couldn’t make it this month. But there were about 7-10 little tents set up, some had vegetables, jams, plants, seedlings, soaps, etc. We bought two of the homemade jams, one strawberry and the other Hot Pepper Jam and they gave us a huge bag of spicy spinach leaves (which I have no clue how to use), another we bought 5 little plants (peppers, jalapeno, tomato and some others that had no names). We also stopped by and bought a few homemade muffins and honey sticks. Before leaving the hubby had to stop off at the beef tent and bought $50 worth of meat, we ate a few sirloins last night and while I’m not much of a red meat fan I certainly loved these.

IMG: Elizabeth Ferree

My son (SoccerBoy) insisted on this little guy that got broke during their drive out here and looked very sad. Honestly I don’t know if it’ll make it but he insisted we could try because no one else would. It already had a pepper on it. Anyone know how to help this little guy?

So hopefully our beautiful vegetable plants grow and produce something. I never can get them to grow from seeds. The kids though had full bellies and can’t wait to go back. Next time we were told they’ll have even more tomatoes, so we are already looking at recipes to use with tomatoes. I better end this my biscuits just finished baking and I want to use that Hot Pepper Jam. Yummy, smells good.

Post from: Blisstree

Trip to the Farmer’s Market

Here are a few tips:

*I purchase bags of loose leaf lettuce at the Farmer’s Market, but when I’m at the store, I go for hearts of romaine. I move the plastic to the side, because I want to chose the romaine with the least amount of “rustiness” at the core. Heads of lettuce will last longer than a bag of chopped “salad.” Look for crisp leaves that are evenly colored and unwilted. When purchasing Spinach, turn the bag over and make sure that you see no shiny pieces.

*Salad greens need a bit of air, so poke a couple of holes in your bag. The air circulation slows decayand keeps your crisp leaves from turning into lettuce soup. (Eww, yuck). I wait to wash my lettuce until just before I use it. I rinse it thoroughly, then dry it. If you have a salad spinner, even better. I store the unused portion in a zip lock that I’ve popped a couple of holes in.

Image credit: Michelle Smith

Post from: Blisstree

The Care and Keeping Of Salad Greens

The market just opened for the season. Years ago we were just one of a few folks who headed out there every Saturday, but it’s since become hugely popular here. Which is a good thing for the farmers.

Today we bought a bunch of strawberries, because Truman would choose to eat strawberries over any other food on earth. We also bought tomatoes from one of the few vendors who had ripe ones to choose from. Then we went home and made Ina Garten’s Greek Gazpacho for dinner.

Our Publix didn’t have Sacramento tomatoes so V8 had to do (oh hush, Ina), and I did without the olives because I have an aversion. I also used panko instead of day-old bread just because I had it on hand. And I love panko. 

I plopped a generous hunk of nice goat cheese over the top, which was one thing my old recipe didn’t call for.It was to-die-for. Even Truman devoured it. Well, he mostly devoured the toasted bread crisps I served with it. Then we paired it with a nice bottle of Cotes du Rhone.

For dessert we had a generous serving of Adam Lambert performing with Rick’s childhood favorite band Kiss – DVR’d from Wednesday night’s awesome American Idol finale. Sigh…makes me wonder how the rest of the world is faring this Memorial Day weekend.

Photos, JWJourney

Post from: Blisstree

Farmers Markets a Sign of Summer

Through the summer I grow quite a bit of my own produce, but what I don’t grow I try to find at my local farmers markets, or street side produce stands for several reasons.

1. It’s usually cheaper than supermarket produce.
2. Better flavor, it doesn’t even compare!
3. Support local growers (especially if they’re growing organically and sustainably)

Do you have a favorite local farmer’s market?

Image via sxc.hu

Post from: Blisstree

Love Those Summer Farmer’s Markets

Old School Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya from Real Cajun by Donald Link

I think cool, rainy, lazy Sundays call for slow-cooked and fussy meals. Warm, sunny days, of course, demand something grilled. And once Pepper Place farmers market opens here, we’ll have locally grown fresh vegetables all weekend long. (Last year I did a Summer Soup Series with a new vegetable soup each week, like minestrone and gazpacho and a fabulous smoked onion soup. I might have to revive the soup series again this summer.)

3 1/2 hours later - the finished product!

I enjoy making dinner for the family every night. Rick will sometimes take over some or all of the duties. And Truman likes to help, too. But for the most part, I enjoy the boys sitting close and coloring world flags while I chop, sauté, stuff or baste. Rick and I were both raised in homes where our parents actually cooked dinner as opposed to slapping frozen fish sticks on a baking sheet or picking up a sack full of McDonald’s. (Not that they didn’t do that from time to time.) I am still amazed at how many parents dread making dinner. To me, food is art and creating new ways to release its flavors is an expression of love. To share it with others, like love itself, makes it even more meaningful.

NPR food commentator Bonny Wolf said in a recent story that our country’s recession is making home cooking more popular again. “But it won’t be exactly like your grandma’s. There will be slightly more sophisticated twists — artisan cheese mixed in with your mashed potatoes. And things will probably be healthier — less butter, more vegetables,” she said. “This may also bring back, the trend-spotters say, the family dinner, which has been a victim of two-income families and after-school activities for the last few years.”

Looks like for once in my life I’m riding the crest of a trend!

Source: NPR
Photos, JWJourney

Post from: Blisstree

Recession Revives Family Dinner Trend

I use cloth reusable shopping bags, but sometimes I forget them. Also, some grocery store baggers are determined that certain items need to go in plastic bags, even inside my cloth bags. So, even though I take my own bags to the store, I still find myself with a few plastic bags.

Shy about giving plastic bags to farmers? Don’t be! I grew up helping my parents with their veggie/fruit business and we always had a few loyal customers who collected bags for us. It’s normal. Just make sure the bags are clean and don’t have holes in them, and your donation will be appreciated. Plus, it’s very eco-friendly to reuse.

If you’re looking for some great reusable shopping bags, try reusablebags.com. That’s where I got mine (pictured).

Do you take your own bags to the store or save plastic bags for reuse?

(Images by Peggy Rowland)

Post from: Blisstree

Save Plastic Bags for Farmer’s Market

To organize your farmers’ market trips, and save time, try the following: 

Choose one farmers’ market and stick to it. If you’re making tons of trips to various markets, you’re not saving time, or money considering gas. If your city has plenty to choose from, find the one that fits your family’s needs and stick to it.

Go early or late: Midday is when most people hit farmers’ markets. If you go early or late you’ll avoid lines. If you go early expect to pay more, but you’ll have a better selection. If you really want a special blackberry honey, and you know it sells fast, then choose mornings. If all you need is soup or pie produce (i.e. no one will see the produce) go late in the day to save both time and money.

If you take the kids give them a bag to hold. It’s hard to shop farmers markets with kids. Mine liked to run off to see it all. If you give them a bag to fill with produce, and note that they must hold onto it, it can help your kids to stick by you, and you’ll make better time.

Don’t go with a list. Whenever I take a list to the farmers’ market, I waste time hunting down that one item I think I need or want. Because markets change week to week, you can actually save time by leaving the list at home and taking your open mind instead. Cruse the market in an organized fashion and pick up what looks good; don’t waste time lamenting the fact that there’s no baby carrots this week.

Park far away. Parking reasonably far away may seem like a time waster, but have you ever tried get through traffic (both people and cars) close in to a farmers’ market? It’s nuts. Park further away. You’ll spend time walking, but save more then if you drive in close. Plus, come on, the exercise is good for you.

Do you shop at farmers’ markets? Do you like to linger or get in and get out? 

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Blisstree

Save time at the farmers’ market