Thanksgiving is probably the BIGGEST foodie holiday of the year! Whether you are a “food blogger” or not is irrelevant. Thanksgiving is the meal-of-the year for some families. The meal where we pull out all the stops and cook a ridiculous amount of food to enjoy with friends and family.
Some of you go elsewhere for the big meal and perhaps feel like you got gypped. The rest of us have tons of leftovers, which SOUNDS really cool, but get’s a little old after four days of turkey sandwiches.
Surely you have some secret family leftover recipe just waiting to be shared with the world! Blog about it and then stop by here to link up! After you join the LinkyTool don’t forget to stop by the two blogs before yours and leave a comment!
The Heritage Herb Garden at the Ozark Folk Center in Mountain View, Arkansas graces the park with visual colors and textures, sweet and pungent aromas, and helps us to interpret the history of the human use of plants.
Suddenly, it is autumn, with vacillating temperatures, social events and children back in school. These factors play together to the benefit of germs that pass between people that attack the upper respiratory system, be they bacteria or virus. It has always been so; human bodies catch colds, especially when it gets cold outside. There is hardly anything better for colds than a good soup.
The Ozark Folk Center showcases the seasonal activities of Ozark folks getting ready for winter. Food storage was of major importance, being that, during our time period, before the advent of rural electrification, an automobile in every driveway and a convenience store on every block, if you didn’t dehydrate, store roots in a cellar and can, you could starve! Making sure that plant remedies were put up and handy was just as important as having foodstuffs.
Herbs have been allies for people, easing and shortening symptoms and lending comfort, since earliest recorded history. In the Ozarks, settlers, with roots in Europe, knew the benefits of the alliums, sage and thyme in the battle to breathe and swallow while in the throes of a cold.
Onions, leeks, chives and garlic are foods that help the folks that eat them stay healthy. When the germ is mightier than the herbs and the tickle in the throat turns to trouble, these sulfur-containing alliums can still help. Old timers still remember their mothers sprinkling sugar on a cut onion and spooning the resulting sweet syrup into their mouths to quiet the croup. Onion plasters were applied warm to the chest and covered with flannel to break up mucus in the lungs. Soup, heavily laced with garlic or any of the aforementioned alliums lend their sulfur to the fight to kill the germs that multiply in mucus.
Soup and stew was a convenient way to prepare stored vegetables and preserved meats. It was handily simmering at the back of the wood cook stove to ladle up for the entire family, both the fit and the ailing.
Think about the wisdom in these old ways. The greatest volume of soup is H2O. Water that has been heated to a simmer produces steam that, when inhaled, loosens phlegm. “Getting plenty of fluids” helps to flush the system. The foods in homemade soup are nourishing. Vegetable soup stock is prepared by simmering large chunks of onions, scallions, garlic, carrots, celery, potatoes and even dandelion roots in lightly-salted water for an hour. The vegetables are then strained out of the broth. Bay leaf, cayenne and peppercorn may be added during this time of extended heat.
Adding a tablespoon of dried thyme or sage to a quart of soup stock and then covering the pan with a lid for ten minutes before serving makes an herbal infusion. The thyme and sage contain essential oils that are volatile. Both the flavor and the medicinal benefits will leave the soup in the form of steam if added to the soup too soon.
These herbs can help kill some of the germs that are causing the problem and can also work as decongestants to expel the mucus. I think of thyme specifically for coughs. Sage tea is my go-to herb for sore mouth and throat.
All that said, our forefolks had the wisdom to use the plants and some folks still do. Nonetheless, a smart person knows when to call the doctor. We live in an amazing time, with access to past knowledge and modern medicine. Take good care of yourself this fall and winter. If I don’t see you in the future—I’ll see you in the pasture!
Sometimes I get so bored with breakfast. Bacon and eggs–cereal–bacon and eggs–cereal! Every now and then I’ll throw in some oatmeal or French toast sticks. Some things just take more time than I am willing to commit to on a weekday morning. Often experimentation happens on the weekends. This, of course, disrupts everyone’s favorites–Pancakes on Saturdays, Orange Rolls on Sunday. See why I am bored!?
The other day I remembered a great Pampered Chef recipe I have not made in YEARS! I thought I would spring it on my crew.
Ham & Cheese Omelet Roll
Let me say this up front…This recipe requires a jelly-roll type pan. You need to have a fairly deep one, so the egg doesn’t pour over the edge. You will also need parchment paper. DO NOT skip the parchment paper. You will be sad.
Ingredients:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
¾ cup milk
2 tablespoons flour
¼ teaspoon salt
12 eggs
8 ounces finely chopped ham (1 ½ cups)
6 ounces cheddar or Swiss cheese shredded (1 ½ cups)
¼ cup green onions thinly sliced (optional)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (optional)
Preheat oven to 375. Whisk cream cheese and milk in a small bowl until smooth (add milk slowly so it doesn’t splash everywhere). Add flour and salt; whisk to combine.
Gently whisk the eggs until blended-12 eggs! I know! Add the cream cheese mixture and mix well.
Cut an 18-inch long piece of parchment paper. Press it into the bottom and up the sides of your pan. I kind of creased the corners to make sure the egg didn’t find it’s way under the paper.
Pour the egg mixture into the pan. Say a prayer as you carry your sloshy pan across the room to the oven. Bake 30-33 minutes until puffy and golden.
When you take your eggs out the oven they will be all puffy. You will think,” How am I supposed to get the ham and stuff in there?!”
Don’t worry. It will deflate a bit.
At this point, you spread the mustard on there, if you want. I kind of wish I had not put it on mine. My kids don’t really like mustard. I only used half of what was called for in the recipe. I thought maybe they would not notice–HA! I have smart kids. Next time, I will leave the mustard out completely.
Sprinkle half of the cheese onto the eggs.
Top with ham and green onions, if you want them. I knew my family would balk at onions! I suppose you could add mushrooms or peppers or whatever you like.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Starting at the short end of the pan, start rolling the eggs in a jelly-roll fashion. Use the paper to help you along. Beware! Everything is still HOT!
Once I got my roll going, I was able to use the paper more to help with the process.
Place your lovely egg roll on a cutting board or serving plate. I had to add a little extra cheese on the top. It’s cheese! The egg is still hot at this point, so the cheese will melt on its own. If I were taking this somewhere, I would have put the onions on top for an extra fancy look.
The Omelet Roll really slices nicely. This is a great recipe for brunches, showers, holidays or any days–as long as I leave out the mustard!
Peggy Bayer is a stay-at-home mom who experiments on her family with new recipes. She enjoys spending time with her family, fun food, and crafts that she can finish in a day. She also spends a lot of her time singing with her Sweet Adelines group, Top of the Rock Chorus. Check out her blog Pork Chop Tuesday.
I’ve always had a special fondness for pears. That probably stems from the hours upon hours that I spent as a child climbing the pear tree just outside my Nonnie’s house. It was the perfect pear tree with toe holds in just the right places. From the second branch over, I could reach the roof of the carport and from there the pinnacle of the roof. It seemed that the sky was always robin’s egg blue and the sun always lemon yellow warm.
I may have even harvested a pear or two along the way. I sometimes read. Sometimes I napped. Sometimes I pretended. Mostly I became the master artist of all sorts of cloud masterpieces.
The pear tree was my path to my secret spot. My hideaway. My quiet place. My escape. Every child should have one of those.
All children need a quiet sanctuary where imagination has freedom, where self-assurance has no limitations, and where, for even just a little while, all really is right with the world.
The last time I climbed that pear tree was the day before I married and had to grow up or old. I’m not sure which it was. It was time to say goodbye to an old friend never to climb it again.
Sometimes, I think I could still use a pear tree.
The inspiration for these cupcakes came from the October/November 2012 issue of Garden & Gun. It was presented there as a gorgeous three-layer cake. I knew immediately upon seeing it that I would me trying it soon – very soon.
Brown Sugar, Pear and Walnut Cupcakes with Ginger Buttercream Frosting and Pear Chips
(Makes 18-20 large cupcakes.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cupcake liners in pans.
Melt butter over low heat in a stainless steel pan (not nonstick) over low heat until it has become liquefied. Turn the heat up to medium to brown the butter. Watch carefully to prevent the butter from burning. When it stops sputtering, strain the browned butter through cheesecloth or a coffee filter to remove any sediment. Allow to cool. You should have about 3/4 cup of butter remaining.
Core the unpeeled pears. (I use the small end of a melon baller.) Grate using a food processor or box grater. Gather the shredded pear in batches in a clean cloth or layers of cheesecloth and squeeze tightly to remove the juice. Reserve the juice. You will need 3/4 cup of the juice for the pear chips; use the remainder in a smoothie or however you choose.
Mix the eggs, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and powdered ginger (if using) at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add in the cooled brown butter and vanilla. Add in the flour and stir until just incorporated. Fold in the grated pear and chopped walnuts. Evenly divide the batter among the cupcake pans. (I made 18 large cupcakes and 1 small loaf.)
Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until the cupcakes are puffed and spring back to the touch. Remove pans to a cake rack to cool before removing. (I made the cupcakes the afternoon before frosting them the next day. We inhaled ate the small loaf while still warm. It was delicious as is without any frosting.)
(As mentioned earlier this batter will make three 8-inch layers if you prefer.)
Ginger- Buttercream Frosting:
1/2 cups egg whites (about 5 large eggs)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 sticks butter (2 cups), cut into chunks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (clear, if possible)
2 Tablespoons freshly grated ginger
1 Tablespoon powdered ginger (more if you want a stronger ginger flavor)
2 1/2 – 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Combine the egg whites, sugar and salt in a heat-proof bowl. Place it over a pan of slowly simmering water, whisking continuously until it reaches 145 – 150 degrees. Remove from the heat and place in a mixing bowl. Beat on high speed until the white double in size and a snowy white. This will take approximately 15 minutes and the bowl should be completely cool. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and begin adding the chunks of butter one at a time incorporating each one for a few seconds before adding the next. Expect the whites to deflate. Add in the vanilla and 1 cup powdered sugar at a time. Continue whipping until all of the powdered sugar is incorporated and the frosting is smooth. (The amount of powdered sugar needed may be dependent upon the humidity. If you want to use a decorator’s tube or bag, you may want to add more powdered sugar to form a thicker frosting.)
The frosting can be refrigerated until ready to use. It will need to be whipped again before using.
Pear Chips (optional garnish):
3/4 cup pear juice (or water)
3/4 cup sugar
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1-2 winter pears (or Bosc or Barlett)
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Combine the 3/4 cup pear juice with 3/4 cup sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Add in lemon juice.
Using a sharp knife or, preferably, a mandoline, slice the pears vertically creating thin rounds. Add the rounds to the pear juice mixture as soon as they are cut. Let them stand for 10 minutes. Remove the slices, letting the excess juice drip into the saucepan. Place in a single layer on the cookie sheet.
Bake until the slices are dry to the touch, about 1 1/2 – 2 hours. Turn them over about midway through the cooking time.
Use as a garnish for the cupcakes after they are frosted. (These are also good to eat as is or as an accompaniment to fruit or pumpkin dips.)
Basic Pear Varieties:
Depending on the variety, pears vary in color, shape and use. The yellow-green, tubby COMICE is best when peeled and eaten raw. Its flesh is creamy and full of juice which causes it to fall apart when cooked. Pair it with a full-bodied cheese (Gorgonzola, Camembert, Roquefort, mascarpone e) for a cheese course or dessert.
The pink-tinged to red BARTLETT is probably the most recognizable and most popular pear in American markets. They tend to be pudgy with an longish neck that curves into a wide base. When fully ripe, it will fall apart in cooking. Green Bartletts, however, are excellent choices for poaching or baking.
The tall and slender golden brown-speckled BOSC is ready to eat even when crisp. A soft Bosc is usually a pear well beyond its prime. Choose pears that are firm with no soft spots or blemishes. They, too, are good choices for baking or poaching.
ASIAN pears are round and fat and will remain hard when ripe. They are usually ready to eat when purchased at the market. Choose Asian pears that are fragrant and free of blemishes or soft spots. Their flavor is delicate and can be overshadowed by strong flavors or aromas. Asians are good candidates for sautéing, baking or poaching. It is almost impossible to overcook an Asian. This tends to be one of the more expensive pear varieties.
The small SECKEL pears are not readily available except in specialty markets. They are delicious as a snacking as well as a cooking variety. They are fragrant, sweet and crisp. Because of their small size, they are often used as a garnish or preserved whole. They are excellent baked with brown sugar, cinnamon and ginger and served as dessert. Poach them in red wine as an accompaniment to roast turkey or roast pork or wrap wedges in thin smoked ham or prosciutto as an appetizer. Soft Seckels are not desirable as softness generally indicates rot.
The yellow-green, reddish- speckled NELIS is a small, egg-shaped winter pear is an all-purpose pear that is best used while still crisp. It is suited for poaching, baking or snacking.
The red Anjou has a reddish-tawny skin and is moderate in size. It is a desirable choice for a variety of cooking purposes. It also adds color to a centerpiece of pear varieties or other fruits.
Smaller than a Bartlett but larger than a Seckel, the FORELLE is a golden skin with a red blush and are fairly plump. A ripe Forelle will yield to gentle pressure, will be well-colored and fragrant. Once ripe, it should be eaten soon as it becomes overripe quickly.
Pears are available year-round in most areas. The peak season begins in late summer and lasts through January.
Generally, pears are best when picked unripe and then allowed to ripen off the tree. Choose pears that are still hard and allow them to ripen at room temperature.
Debbie Arnold is a retired teacher, mother of Emily, grandmother to Connor and Kate, and wife to Gary. She divides her time between Central and Northwest Arkansas. She loves to travel, garden, cook and spend time on Beaver Lake. Mostly, she has playdates with her grandchildren. She blogs at diningwithdebbie.blogspot.com and debeats.blogspot.com. She also manages arkansasbloggers.blogspot.com and welcomes guest posts and reposts from Arkansas Women Bloggers.
I met many of the Arkansas Women Bloggers when we were guests at P. Allen Smith’s Moss Mountain Farm for the Bean2Blog event. What a wonderful group of women they are! It was such a fun day of touring his home and gardens, and we were learned a couple of new recipes, too!
One recipe he showed us was a Garlic Parmesan Edamame that was just delicious. I took that recipe, and adapted it to use pre-shelled edamame. This is a fabulous snack, and healthy to boot! I hope you enjoy it as much as my family and I do!
Parmesan Edamame
1 12 ounce package shelled edamame (thawed and dry)
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 400. Toss the edamame with the oil and half the cheese. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 15-20 minutes on a sheet pan, tossing occasionally, until edamame is golden. Remove edamame from oven, toss in the rest of the cheese, and taste for salt and pepper.
Amy lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas with her husband, John, and children Kate, Abby, and Alex. She blogs at Our Everyday Dinners everyday about her family dinner. Visit her site for healthy, family-friendly recipes.
Some people think that you have to be eating meat to have a real meal.
I disagree.
If only for the cost and my mild disgust at touching raw meat, I am pretty much a weekday vegetarian.
Occasionally my husband and I will enjoy a chicken or beef-enhanced meal, but we have grown accustomed to our veggies.
Vegetables brighten the plate, are so very versatile and are incredibly good for you.
One of my favorite meatless meals is quiche. It’s creamy, filled with yummy stuff and wrapped in a crust. If there’s a crust involved, I’m usually on board.
Quiche is always great because you can use whatever veggies need to be used in your fridge or pantry.
For this quiche, I threw in zucchini, tomato, sauteed onions and cheese (of course). After you add the veggies on top of the crust, just mix some eggs with (my secret) evaporated milk and season it up!
Other fantastic quiche ingredients are asparagus, peppers, artichokes and corn.
I like to enjoy a big slice of this veggie quiche with a spinach salad or a piece of baguette if in need of carbs.
Enjoy!
Grace Flack is a writer, editor and social media guru by career and a foodie and food blogger by love. She resides in Fayetteville, Ark., with her wonderful husband, Jason, and always has a mystery novel by her bedside.
Create your own cookbook via Cookbook Café. Written by Lyndi of NWAFoodie.
Today is the day. Today you are going to cross something off your things-I-have-always-wanted-to-do list! You are going to create your own cookbook by using Cookbook Café, an easy technology tool that allows you create an interactive cookbook.
It’s free!
Cookbook Café is a new revolutionary cookbook builder that allows you to create and also shop for virtual cookbooks. You don’t have to be a food blogger to create one, either. You don’t even have to have a hundreds of recipes at your disposable. All you need is a handful of recipes (four will do nicely), a theme idea, and a clever attention-grabbing title and you are set.
While my cookbook is available for free downloading, you do have the option to sell your cookbooks on Cookbook Cafe. Think about the opportunities for your church group, sports team, or even… here’s a thought… The Arkansas Women Bloggers cookbook! I just KNOW we could come up with a clever title between us gals.
There are just a few easy steps from start to finish.
2. Click on the ‘Cookbook Café’ tab and look for the ‘Upload/Share Recipes’ link on the right. Click on that.
3. Upload your recipes, one at a time. Feel free to add videos of images. Once you feel like you have the right amount of recipes uploaded to create a cookbook, it’s time to create one!
4. Toggle back to the ‘Cookbook Café’ tab and look for the ‘Create/Sell a Cookbook’ link on the right. Click on that. Follow the easy directions and you will be done in no time.
5. You’re done! Your cookbook will appear on the ‘latest cookbooks’ page.
6. You will receive an email with a hyperlink sidebar widget to add to your blog.
Cookbook Café is the brain-child of Babette Pepaj, owner of bakespace.com. I met Babette at TECHmunch NYC in May and she is incredibly supportive of the blogging industry, setting up TECHmunch conferences throughout the U.S. and Canada. I highly recommended becoming friends with her.
I can’t wait to download your cookbooks. Come back once you’ve finished and leave a link so we can all support each other.
As the kids are heading back to school and the mornings are getting hectic it’s time to start thinking about quick and easy breakfasts that pack a punch without sacrificing on healthiness and quality. I don’t have kids but I like to eat a quick breakfast and these homemade Freezer Egg Muffin Sandwiches are one of my favorites. The initial cooking takes around 10 minutes and then you have a fresh, healthy breakfast all week.
My husband and I are big fans of the Petit Jean Meats Boneless Peppered Ham but they do make a non-peppered ham that is also delicious. Add some farm fresh eggs, a piece of cheese and a whole grain English Muffin and you’ve got a really yummy breakfast that also freezes and reheats well. Let’s make it!
Freezer Egg Muffin Sandwiches with Petit Jean Meats {Foodie Friday}
Makes 6
1 package whole grain English muffins
3 slices of Petit Jean Meats Peppered Ham
6 slices of cheese
6 whole eggs
Open the English muffins and lay them cut side up on a baking sheet. Toast under the broiler until they just begin to brown.
Place one piece of cheese on the top half of each muffin.
Lightly brown three slices of peppered ham until they are heated through. Place 1/2 a slice of ham on the bottom half of each muffin.
Break 6 eggs into a bowl and blend with a fork. Melt one tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Pour in the eggs, give them a quick stir with a fork and then cover and cook over low heat until they are cooked through. Divide the large omelette-style egg into 6 pieces and place a piece ontop of each piece of ham.
Place the top half of the muffin onto the sandwich.
Enjoy a sandwich and place the remaining sandwiches, unwrapped, in the freezer for 20 minutes to cool. Wrap each sandwich in a paper towel and place them in a freezer bag. Freeze.
When you are ready to reheat, remove one sandwich from the bag and place it in the microwave still wrapped in the papertowel. Microwave on high about 1 minutes and serve. Add a piece of fruit and a glass of juice or milk for a well rounded breakfast.
If you are smart in your cheese and muffin selection your sandwich will be under 300 calories!
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Petit Jean meats is a sponsor of the Aransas Women Bloggers Unplugged Conference and Foodie Friday event to be held August 24-26, 2012. Petit Jean Meats did not require or ask for this post. I am writing this because I truly believe in the quality of the product. All opinions are my own.
Why I Write News (Or, This Week’s Missed Opportunity)
By Christie Ison fancypantsfoodie.com
Well, that’s what I get for sitting on a story.
If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen this tweet from me in February about the 80’s favorite Mr. Dunderbak’s coming back to McCain Mall. Details had come from the owner via Facebook, so I immediately started courting him for a phone interview. He was nervous about saying too much before the lease was squared away and declined.
About a month ago, he finally sent me his phone number. I was sick, then busy, etc. etc. Today, I finally did the interview, only to find that Arkansas Business ran their own story today. Bleh. It may just be food news, but by golly, I hate getting scooped. Especially when I had the info five months ago or so.
Lesson learned, for myself and other bloggers: If you happen across the info on a really great, timely story, it’s worth the effort to write a news-based article. Work to confirm it, just like a good journalist. Then write.the.post. It earns credibility for yourself and for blogging as a profession/hobby/whatever. Writing it before anyone else does — even better.
“But my blog is just recipes,” you might say. Or crafts, or stories about your family. What good does a news-style piece do in your blog? I’ve found the the occasional timely news-style story brings readers in hordes, readers who stick around and read my more casual ramblings. You can do the same with news items that relate, even loosely, to your blog’s emphasis.
My most well-read blog post, which still gets search engine pings every day, is a poorly-written one on Alton Brown and his kooky entrance (and departure, repeat) into the world of Twitter. Is this directly related to my blog mission of local food and resources, and what you can take away to use at home? Not really. But I’m a big fan (or at least, now, a devoted gawker), as are a good many of my readers, actual and potential. News brings readers.
I’ve done several other, more mission-appropriate news stories, too, putting on a more formal journalism hat than my usual silly blogger one. Having a journalism degree puts me at a bit of advantage here, but it’s not a requirement. Learn some basic skills (interviewing, using quotes, inverted pyramid or news feature style, how to properly quote/summarize/rehash other news sources, etc.) and go to town.
As I enter what I believe to be the next phase of my blog, I wonder what to do with these news-type stories. Should I focus exclusively on local, feature-style food stories? Must they all include a recipe? Is there even a place for news-type articles anymore?
For the time being, I’m going to keep writing news. And I won’t wait.
P.S. I’m still running the story, and it’s gonna rock.
You can read Christie’s piece on Mr. Dunderbak’s here.
Don’t let the Arkansas Women Bloggers Unplugged Conference be a missed opportunity! Click here to learn more and register today! Early bird pricing ends July 31st!
Farmers Market season is upon us with many markets already open while others must wait until late June or July before farmers’ fields are productive. Four years ago, I started and ran two farmers markets – coordinating with the towns, recruiting vendors, connecting with customers and devising eccentric activities that keep the customers returning to the market even after their shopping was done. With four market seasons under my belt and my time on the Arkansas Farmers’ Market Board, I have garnered a little wisdom (and a lot of farmer friends) and want to share a few tips with you that can enhance your farmers marketing experience.
Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food. Spend a few minutes chatting it up at your local farmers’ market! It takes tremendous dedication to both science and art (not to mention dirty feet and nails) to turn out beautiful produce on a small farm, and the time you spend inquiring about the results of that dedication will yield both useful information and infectious enthusiasm.
A huge benefit of farmers’ markets is your ability to look the farmer in the eye and ask anything you want about how the food was grown. That’s a rare opportunity in our supermarket culture. Do it! Ask about a food you don’t recognize, how to cook it, and whether it’s coming in or heading out of season. Find out what the farmer expects to bring to market next week so you can start to plan ahead. Learn all you can about the farmer’s growing practices, and make sure you know who you’re buying from. And, sweet strawberry, make sure you are buying from a real farmer, not a peddler who went to a warehouse or south of the border and bought a truck load of produce to sell.
Know Your Seasons: If someone is selling watermelons in May in Arkansas, you can bet that they did not grow them locally. Check out the Arkansas crop harvest calendar. http://www.pickyourown.org/ARharvestcalendar.htm
The Early Bird Gets the Worm, or Best Tomatoes: The season’s first blueberries and finest tomatoes will disappear within the first hour that the market is open, so if you’ve got your heart set on something in particular, it pays to wake up early. Hopefully the market you frequent will serve coffee.
Go Big: If it is in season, buy as much as you can! You’ll enjoy the best flavors and the best prices when you buy a lot of whatever is at its harvest peak. How to use it all up? Try new recipes with favorite vegetables or learn the lost art of preserving food. Freezing, canning, and drying are just some of the ways you can save seasonal tastes you find at the farmers market for later in the year.
Try Something New Each Week. A benefit of farmers’ markets, as compared to CSAs, is the increased ability to stay within your comfort zone if you so choose. But if you are lucky enough to visit a farmers’ market with a selection of unusual produce, why not try one new food each time you visit? At best, maybe you’ll discover a new love. At worst, you will know better next time.
BYOB -Bring your own bag, and maybe a cooler. Yea hippie chics, that reusable canvas tote is good for the earth and it helps the farmers out by not cutting into their already slim profit margins. You are also being kind to yourself, because those el cheapo plastic bags are no way to carry cantaloupes and a dozen ears of corn in one hand, yes, I have seen them bust resulting in bruised produce and embarrassed foodies. If your market sells eggs, cheese, or meat, bring a cooler. The only thing worse than passing up a dozen beautiful eggs because you’re not prepared to bring them home is bringing them home anyway and they ruin.
And, my favorite- Volunteer at the Market! By volunteering at the market not only do you get a better understanding of the workings of a farmers market and farm-to-market relationships, but you also enjoy an opportunity to spend some time outside volunteering for a good cause. By volunteering at the market, you reduce the substantial workload faced by the market manager. A good market manager makes a market, help them do their job, they usually are doing it for free. It will make your local market stronger and you may also earn some free fruit, vegetables or other food as many vendors will leave goods they don’t want to take home with market volunteers and management.
Celebrate your market and your local farmers. Buy fresh, buy local and buy in season.
And, my favorite-