Saturday, June 28, 2008

Farmers Market, yay!

The farmer's market is quite different in summer. They've re-arranged it now that there is fresh produce. Fresh local produce!

I felt like a kid in a candy shop, or transported back to summers working at my aunt's fruit stand. Piles of fresh fruit, fresh veggies. No blemishes or bruises or waxy coating. We got corn, and tomatoes and pale yellow carrots and dark blue carrots. And raspberries, and strawberries. I barely resisted the cherries and the blackberries.

I forget, going to the grocery store, what a difference freshness and a lack of industrial handling makes. There's no picking through for that one apple without an obvious bruise or a tomato that isn't somehow off, or that box of strawberries that hasn't started to get soft or moldy.

Nope, just reach in, pick something up, and enjoy the goodness.

I've only eaten the raspberries so far- most of the rest is for a family dinner tomorrow - but oh my goodness, SO GOOD! Sweet, tart, and seemingly right off the vine. The grocery store ones have lost some vital essence, but these were a reminder of summertime at my grandmothers house. We'd be given ice cream buckets and sent to pick raspberries from the bushes that lined the garage wall.

I think even as a child, if you'd offered me a choice between raspberries and candy, the raspberries would have one. Raspberries would beat chocolate, sometimes!

If there's a farmer's market in your area - check it out some weekend. It'll be worth it!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Gotta love farmer's markets, Laura. I really miss the ones we had up in New England. We'd browse through the nearby market for fresh stuff, then walk across the parking lot to the local vineyard for a bottle of great wine to enjoy later.

Thanks for writing about them!