Summertime!
I hope your summer is going well!
One of my favorite activities in summer is going to the local farmer's market. I had a wonderful time visiting farmer's markets in the Lancaster County area when I visited. Until I get there again, I pretend I'm visiting one in Lancaster when I go to a local farmer's market.
While I love many winter vegetables and fruits in the winter such as sweet potatoes and acorn squash, there's just something so delicious about summer crops. This past week, I bought big, juicy vine-ripened tomatoes and lush green lettuces and some cucumbers and carrots for salads.
Of course I had to buy the first strawberries that are coming from our area farms as well as sweet corn. We grow both these crops in great quantities in my section of Florida. Strawberries are my favorite summer fruit so we love to visit the Plant City Strawberry festival in March. My favorite summer vegetable has to be corn on the cob. I could sit and eat nothing but hot buttered corn on the cob and nothing else for dinner. (Well, okay, some barbecued chicken and some fresh cole slaw and it's a feast!) One of my favorite memories is helping my uncle corn one summer in Indiana. Then we got a big kettle of water boiling over a fire out in the field, shucked the husks and silk, and cooked them there just the right amount of time -- no overcooking allowed! My aunt always set out those plastic corn shaped dishes and the holders and lots and lots of freshly churned butter.
We're very lucky that we can have just about any vegetable or fruit we want any time of year because they can be shipped in from anywhere in the world. But to me, there's nothing better than fresh, local produce.
Have you visited a farmer's market in your area lately? What did you buy? How did you prepare it for yourself and your family?
One of my favorite activities in summer is going to the local farmer's market. I had a wonderful time visiting farmer's markets in the Lancaster County area when I visited. Until I get there again, I pretend I'm visiting one in Lancaster when I go to a local farmer's market.
While I love many winter vegetables and fruits in the winter such as sweet potatoes and acorn squash, there's just something so delicious about summer crops. This past week, I bought big, juicy vine-ripened tomatoes and lush green lettuces and some cucumbers and carrots for salads.
Of course I had to buy the first strawberries that are coming from our area farms as well as sweet corn. We grow both these crops in great quantities in my section of Florida. Strawberries are my favorite summer fruit so we love to visit the Plant City Strawberry festival in March. My favorite summer vegetable has to be corn on the cob. I could sit and eat nothing but hot buttered corn on the cob and nothing else for dinner. (Well, okay, some barbecued chicken and some fresh cole slaw and it's a feast!) One of my favorite memories is helping my uncle corn one summer in Indiana. Then we got a big kettle of water boiling over a fire out in the field, shucked the husks and silk, and cooked them there just the right amount of time -- no overcooking allowed! My aunt always set out those plastic corn shaped dishes and the holders and lots and lots of freshly churned butter.
We're very lucky that we can have just about any vegetable or fruit we want any time of year because they can be shipped in from anywhere in the world. But to me, there's nothing better than fresh, local produce.
Have you visited a farmer's market in your area lately? What did you buy? How did you prepare it for yourself and your family?
Good Morning Barbara, The closest and best Farmer's Market we have around here is 30 minutes from here and they have the best fruit and veggies. Everyone just loves to visit there. I have not been there as of yet this summer. But, hoping to get there soon.
You have a great day.
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Rose,
I bet as soon as you make one trip this season you'll get in the habit again of going...bringing home all those fresh veggies and fruits always inspires me to cook healthier for the week. My mom grew up on a farm so she always insisted we had at least two vegetables on our plates--sometimes we had three! We didn't have to eat all of them if something new wasn't to our taste but we had to TRY it. To this day, I still occasionally try something I don't think I like and sometimes my taste has changed. Who knew I'd hate artichokes in my youth and love them now?
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I just visited our local farmers' market last Sat. in Welland, ON ,Canada.
Lots of fresh, local strawberries!! I went a little wild and bought a flat of them and made freezer jam, as well as ATE and ATE and ATE them. We also have- bakeries come and sell- lots of strudel, cookies, breads and pies. We have a large Amish and Mennonite community in St. Jacobs - about an hour and a half away, who bring canned and baked items. OH, is it good!! I love the markets- oh fresh flowers too!! I can hardly wait for our Sept. trip to Paradise PA where we will visit the markets as well as the Amish run Coops for bulk goods.
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Karla,
Oh, you're making my mouth water for strawberries! I've never made freezer jam. I'll have to try it next time I buy too many. I forgot to mention how you can find so many other wonderful things like baked goods and flowers at farmer's markets--sometimes even meats and seafood. At one local farmer's market we can even buy car racing souvenirs (I live near Daytona Beach, Florida.)
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I also love summer. We have a farmers market here in Sheboygan, Wi. It is open 2x's a week . Have you ever had sweet corn done with burlap bags on the grill? It is so gooood!!!!!
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Hi Patti,
Well, I like spring far more than summer since I live in Florida...if the heat doesn't kill you, there's all that tension of watching for hurricanes...
I've cooked corn in the husks on the grill (soaked in ice water first so they won't burn) but never done corn with burlap bags. Please share the recipe with us?
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I admit I've been lazy lately - used to go to the City Island farmers' mkt on Sat a,m, (early) to get stuff right off the truck but now usually go to Lee's Mkt. on Beville or 8th St., Holly Hill for better than the stores' produce (like Publix mostly from S.A. and Walmart from China!
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LOVE the farmers market!! This saturday I had a real treat the amish were there!! I only have 20.00 to spend so of course I went to their tables. Shoo-fly pie,wet bottom of course. Raisin bread, zuchini bread,apple pie...broke.
I really enjoyed and shared some of these. The Shoo fly is all mine!! I will be going back next Saturday too
I have to see what veggies they bring.
With all the rain we have had our gardens are not doing soooooooo well.
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