Farmers' Market

This past weekend I took in a farmers’ market in the Midwest, not far from Chicago.  It was a fun experience despite the fact that that part of the country (like just about every other section of the country) has been experiencing some radical weather.  It was hot, humid and overcast- hardly conducive to a fun outing- but we enjoyed the experience never the less.  It was surprising to see so many people there who could have chosen to hide indoors in some cool air conditioning but instead strolled amongst the many booths displaying all sorts of merchandise.  The beauty of the thing- and there is much to be extolled about farmers’ markets- is that the folks in attendance and the folks displaying their wares are from the community or at least the “extended community”- maybe as far away as fifty miles, but no one is schlepping stuff across the continent to hawk it there. 

There were wonderful vegetables- gorgeous zucchini and yellow squash, fresh green beans, plump tomatoes, deep red beets, freshly picked spinach, fresh turnip greens, ripe cantaloupe, fat blueberries and fresh garlic for sale.  Michigan was represented by the juicy peaches which have begun to come in as well as the last of the cherries, and plump blueberries, to be sure.  Flower bouquets were available for purchase- I found the Queen Ann’s lace bouquets spiked with pink snapdragons and blue cornflowers especially attractive.  The local apiary had a wonderful array of honey available in so many sizes- and honeycombs also.  I’m a regular purchaser of local honey.  I’ve found it’s headed off many a sore throat for me-  just a teaspoonful when I feel the scratchiness of a sore throat coming on.  (And if you buy your honey in pint jars with metal screw-on lids, I found that a dab of olive oil around the jar lip where it meets the metal will keep the lid from getting stuck and hard to open.)  There were wonderful cheeses on display, with obliging salespeople cutting off just the exact amount you ordered… creamy mild cheeses, piquant hard cheeses and tastes in between to satisfy every cheese lover’s palate.  And the grass-fed beef and pork farmer was there with his meats.  They use sustainable farming methods and sell meat from animals which are not fed antibiotics, nor hormones.  There were bakers of artisanal breads and rolls-  and some wonderfully crispy things with savory rosemary baked into the dough! 

Do yourself a favor- if you haven’t been out to a farmers’ market yet, get out there!  There’s an abundance of produce coming in now, and it’ll continue through the end of the summer and well into the fall.  Avail yourself of some of these products; try a new vegetable; get to know your local farmers.  It’s fun, interesting, and nourishes not only your body but your spirit as well.