Farmer's Market

Tuesday was a day filled with errands.  Luckily, one of them was a trip to the farmer's market.  I am lucky enough to live in a place where we have farmer's markets 6 days a week, year round.  

Although the term locavore is new to me, apparently it's been around for quite a while.  There's all this talk about eating locally - better for your immune system to eat food grown in the same environment (100 miles apparently is the limit) in which you live.  Well, whether or not it's better for you that way - it sure tastes better!  Yes, there are also the positive environmental effects - a shorter distance for the food to travel means less fuels used to transport.  It also helps the economy of the area and directly supports the local farmers.  

Don't get me wrong, I still love things from distant lands, like bananas. * I did actually research this and there is no place in the US that grows bananas.  I also love to eat things out of season, although this habit of farmer's marketing has illustrated how much better things really do taste when they are harvested in the appropriate time and manner.  I'm trying to learn when these times are for which produce, and going to the market really helps.  

Also helping is the book Amanda gave me for Christmas last year The Produce Bible.  If you don't own it, too bad Amanda's not your sister ;), it's a beautiful book - the illustrations are fabulous.  It's full of information on produce items and then gives a few recipes to use with each. (available at Williams-Sonoma and Amazon.com)

Here's to hoping all of you have been able to eat a wonderful, juicy, fresh picked, sun ripened tomato...peach....plum...*insert your favorite summer fruit here*...!  There's really nothing else like it, is there?