FAMILY FARMERS

This blog post was originally written and published in 2011.  Much has changed since then.  Jason and Haruka are not currently farming-they are traveling the world.  You can follow their escapades at their blog Edible Earthscapes.  

They're still family-because we showed up in each other's orbits.

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When I first joined a CSA (community supported agriculture), 

I was just excited to be eating seasonally. 

I wasn't that concerned about eating animals or plants that had 

been treated with chemicals. 

I was more concerned with the taste of the food-

with trying to recreate the fresh amazing layers of sun contained

 in an heirloom summer tomato. 

Obsessed really.

Seconds from the farmer's market

Over the past few years though, my connection to food has morphed

 into something more complex. 

I now strive to make thoughtful decisions about most everything

 I put in my mouth-not just does it taste like the ultimate best version

 of itself but....was it grown using conscientious practices? 

Is it local (or at least local-ish?) 

Would I feel comfortable if my child went to the field, 

picked this vegetable and ate it without washing it?

I'm still evolving and I'm not endeavoring to be rigid in my lifestyle. 

I eat bananas sometimes. 

I just am more likely to eat vegetarian at a restaurant where I don't know

 the source of the meat. 

I'm less likely to eat asparagus in July or strawberries in September. 

If you invite me over you can serve me whatever you wish. 

I will enjoy it, eat it with gusto and relish the time we spend together at the table. 

But when my dollars are making the choices...

I choose food that I know the provenance and 

I believe that the choices I make matter.

That is radical behavior.

Edible flowers are a trick Haruka taught me

It began with my farmers. 

Jason and Haruka Oatis are the farmers of www.EdibleEarthscapes.com. 

They are stewards of the land who care tremendously about 

the work they engage in. 

They believe deeply in sustainable farming methods and 

share their knowledge at every opportunity-

in a kind, supportive way. 

Not only are they smart and hard-working-

they are also genuinely big-hearted, interesting folks. 

We were lucky enough to stumble into their CSA on our first try 

and I'm grateful for that happy accident on a regular basis.

Work day on the farm

Haruka and Jason have gradually become part of our family. 

We belonged to their summer CSA for 2 years and then 

just this past winter joined their winter CSA. 

Even better, I got to be a part of the magic by delivering farm 

boxes to the Raleigh members each Saturday. 

They aren't doing a summer CSA this year as they try to navigate our extreme NC weather in a way that still allows them some freedom 

and balance in their lives. 

However, we still see one or both of them just about 

every week at the market. 

If we miss a week, the whole family feels the absence. 

They are characters in our children's lives as much as any aunt or cousin. 

They have had significant positive impact on the way we eat (greens!!!) 

and the way we view our footprint on the world. 

They've gently nudged us to examine our over-consumed suburban

 lives and live more richly (without more money). 

They introduce us to new foods and perspectives that we wouldn't 

have appreciated earlier. 

We talk about food and music, 

weather and politics, 

extended family and pets. 

I often wish there was a more familial designation for them 

because farmer doesn't really cover it. 

Friend? 

Teacher? 

Brother and Sister? 

Aunt and Uncle? 

None of those titles convey what they mean to our family.

Interestingly enough, we've added more farmer-family 

members in the past few years. 

What started with the Oatis' is now a broad group of people 

that I see and laugh (and sometimes gripe or rage or cry) 

with who I view as vital to my life. 

We recently considered a move out of state and one of the cons

 against the move were the farmer friends and connections we have. 

This weekend I watched as my daughter sat on Esta Cohen's lap 

and told her all about her new preschool classroom. 

And all I could think was....we all need more of THIS right here. 

Much love to ALL my farmer buddies-

we are grateful for all the gifts that you give.

My daughter in her farmer's market glory circa 2009.

HI TECH MARKET PREP

It's amazing how advanced most of the farmers we connect with are 

in regards to technology and marketing.  

Almost every farmer has an email distribution list that they send 

out weekly to let you know what they'll have and their price list.  

Why would you want to do that? 

Here's a few reasons to get on a farmer's tech side:

You can make a list and stick to it-just like in a modern grocery store

You can set a budget

You'll have time to research the produce or cuts of meat that you don't know

You'll know which markets a farmer is going to visit

You can find other ways to get local produce besides a farmer's market

You will often get interesting stories about life on the farm and seasonal changes

You will often get recipe links and ideas for produce that is in season now

SUBSCRIBE TO THEIR FEED!

I currently follow about 5 individual farmer's lists.  

I've only subscribed to the farms that I use most consistently 

and/or who's operations I've visited.  

That keeps my focus where it's important for me-

helping my friends and eating with the seasons.  

But they are all so different and interesting.  

My friend Esta Cohen just lists what's in stock.  

The email might have a few blurbs about what's going on 

but for a full update on farm life, you need to TALK to Esta 

(you really should, she's got the brightest blue eyes and a grin that's contagious).  

My friend Beth from Wild Onion Farms will give you a little glimpse into 

what's coming down the bend and then tell you just how easy it is 

to get all her great treats.  S

he ends with a link to a recipe.  

My family farmers at Edible Earthscapes often put their info on Facebook. 

 I get daily bits of love an inspiriation from them-

and I also get to know when the edamame is in!

FARMER'S MARKET WEBSITES 

The farmer's markets usually have Facebook pages and websites

 where the market manager will post goings-on.  

This weekend, the Western Wake Farmer's Market had live 

music and face painting.  

f you look closely you'll also notice the ring of yellow icing 

from The Sweet T fabulous flavor du jour around my little one's mouth. 

My kids have gone from protesting loudly about visiting the market to jumping out in all kinds of weather.  

Most of the smaller markets offer some kind of draw-whether it's local 

hand-crafts, entertainment, samples or a holiday centered themes. 

If nothing else, you'll have a great time OUTSIDE for an hour or so 

and you can feel smug.  

Farmer's markets know what everyone else is realizing-

we crave community and they want to connect!

STRATEGY SESSION (How to eat localish on a budget)

It occurs to me that I have developed an ability over 4 years (4 YEARS!) of eating a significant part of our diet from the local foodstream that most suburbians don't have.  I can basically walk into one of our local farmer's markets and come out in 20 minutes with food to feed my family for the next week.  Without a real plan.  My goal is to get as much of our diet locally as I can-without creating false hoops to jump through.  (I'm shooting for 75% of the volume of our food to be from the farmer's market.  I want 100% of our meat and eggs to be local, sustainably and humanely produced.).  We are a house full of omnivores but we have reduced our meat consumption over the past 4 years to about half of what it used to be.  Meat is expensive and because of that, we use all of the meat that we buy in more creative ways.

I'm going to try and start sharing what I'm buying (or getting once CSA season starts) so that maybe I can share some of how I go about selecting food and then what I do with it once I've nabbed it.  I am not trying to convert anyone to a new way of living.  I am not a purist in any sense of the word.  I AM kind of a snob in that I want an apple to taste like an apple (and not like apple flavored goop).  I don't want to eat fake food product-but if that's where you are in life, I'm not judging you.

I enjoy cooking and I realize that not everyone does.  It's a steam-release valve for me but I have lots of buddies who get freaked just thinking about making cookies from scratch.  That means that I've made enough mistakes to begin to have some 'go-to' recipes and methods.  I can be flexible when I show up at the market.  Not because I'm a great chef or I attended culinary school (I'm not and I didn't) but because I just like to get in the kitchen and muck about.  I'd like to share my mucking!

One of the things that drives me crazy is when people say you can't eat locally on a budget.  It is true that you can't eat the same thing every week of the year and eat locally-at least it's true right now in central NC.  But if you can be flexible, you can feed a family of 4 for a week for under $200.  I do it all the time and feel as though we're eating extremely well.  I could actually get it down to under $100 a week if I had to-I'm very thankful that I don't have to because I am a glutton for good food-this is not a blog about saving money after all.  However, if you really wanted to save a lot of money, you could grow a bunch of stuff yourself in your own little urban oasis....I sense another post coming on.

This week I spent approx. $170 on groceries for my family.  

I went to 3 places over approx. 1.5 hours.  

I did stop in the middle to eat lunch at Centro.  

(yummm...Centro).  

I could have only gone to 2 places and spent a little bit more money....

but I like hunting for food.  

Please pause for a lunch break.

Here's the haul from Mid-Town Farmer's Market (I spent approx. $60).  

My market trips generally involve me with my cooler bouncing 

around from farmer to farmer.  

I do one walk-through before I buy anything.  

Then I start trying to build meal options from what I see around me.  

For instance, the hamburger purchase came after I saw that my friend 

Jason had green peppers on special (frost is coming, peppers need to go).  

It's also ok to ask farmer's what they're cooking right now for inspiration.  

They eat what they grow-they know how to make it tasty.

Farmer's Market Purchases

1 lb of hamburger  
1 pack of beef soup bones 
1 pack of sweet Italian sausage 
5 sweet potatoes 
1 lb of green beans 
2 kohlrabi 
8 large turnips 
6 small harukai turnips 
1 head of romaine lettuce 
4 beets with greens attached 
8 green peppers  
2 bunches of carrots-greens attached 

I'd like to point out an important strategy for eating locally successfully:  

buy ahead for when things AREN'T at the market. 

I will buy as many carrots as I see for the next few weeks-

because they will get scarce and they keep well in a fridge for months. 

I will buy any beans I see because my family loves them unrepentantly. 

I can blanche and freeze them for winter or mid-summer. 

I often buy more potatoes than we can actually eat in a week because 

they too will disappear and potatoes often get treated with a LOT of chemical 

to keep them from sprouting. 

For the months of August and September, 

I bought 2-4 heads of garlic a week. 

That means that I still have 4 heads to go through before I 

need to resort to buying it at a store. 

If something is on special 

(meaning the farmer has a lot of it and needs to move it) 

I will buy it and then work my menu options for the week around it.

 Fresh ginger is something I have quite a bit of right now because...

well because it was there and I like ginger so I'll figure something out.  

Winter squash, berries, corn, celery-these all have a relatively short season.  When it comes in though, it's everywhere so I do a little shuffle 

so that I can spread it out longer. 

  

We stopped by the Grand Asia Market and spent $10.  I am a sucker for cheap when cheap is good and Grand Asia Market really knows how to treat a girl right.  Plus, it's kind of on the way to Whole Foods for us and it's a great multi-cultural experience for our kids.  WIN-WIN!

Grand Asia Purchases

2 packs of rice noodles
2 packs of mushrooms

At Whole Foods, we stopped in for about $100 worth of stuff.  

You will notice that this list highlights my imperfections the most. 

 I try to go for organic when I can't get local.  

I will sometimes eat fruit that is local and not organic if 

I can understand how the farmer treated it.  

I have a lot more knowledge than the average person 

about what treatments mean.  

If my children want to eat apples and grapes, 

then we are going to have apples and grapes for them to eat.  

If I need a snack while on an airplane or in a rush, 

then I will have a Luna Bar.  

We're all making choices and trade-offs.  

My own growth continues and will be different next year than this year.  

For now, this is our reality and I'm okay putting my list on parade for full disclosure. 

Whole Foods Purchases

organic milk-1 gallon
organic half and half
organic sourdough bread
sliced cheddar cheese
organic jasmine rice
large can of diced organic tomatoes
organic celery
organic grapes
organic granny smith apples-about 10
organic yellow onions-about 6
1 lb of pecans
1 lb of walnuts
dried unsweetened cherries
organic unsalted butter
pre-made hummus (i'm lazy)
2 boxes of pre-cooked organic cannellini beans
Chocolate Peppermint Luna bars-1 case

What does this actually make?

Generally, I don't set an actual menu for the week.  

If I do that, then I usually end up rebelling because it's too strict for me.  

I like to have room for creativity and options.  

To balance my need for creative with my lack of actual time during the week,

I spend a large part of a weekend day cooking and prepping

 for the coming week.  

Sundays at my house are usually for dessert making, 

stock or soup making and chopping/sorting.

Tentative Menu This week:

• Green Peppers stuffed with rice, hamburger and tomatoes
• French onion soup made with my very own beef stock and some of those mushrooms
• Sweet Italian sausage and kohlrabi-probably with some noodles and more mushrooms
• A large salad with apples, nuts, and dried fruit along with those sweet little turnips
• A gratin from the large turnips, a sweet potato and some little white potatoes that have been hanging out in my cupboard for a while doused in cream and the nubbins of cheese in my cheese drawer

Making the Meals:

This Sunday, I made beef stock with the soup bones, an onion, 

the tops of a couple of carrots, slices of ginger, and some celery.  

That just bubbled away all day on a back eye while  

I roasted beets and chopped up some sweet turnips.  

I washed, sorted and stored greens. 

I took the tops off of the carrots and scrubbed them and put them away. 

 I made the stuffed green peppers.  

Snapped the green beans.  

Even though this sounds like a lot...my actual active time

 in the kitchen was probably an hour and a half.

My point is....eating localish is not simple

but it can be flexible and creative

without a lot of stress as long as you approach it with

a strategy.

Cornbread Cobbler

***update for gluten free folks.  I have made this recipe many times by doubling the cornmeal eliminating the flour.  Do it.  You won't regret it.  I've also replace the half-n-half with an equal amount of buttermilk.  SHUT UP.  so good.


My friend Marian asked for this recipe after I posted the above photo on Facebook. I figured if it was good enough to gush about over on Facebook, then it must be good enough to post a blog about. And it is good enough people...it is.

Lots of cornbread recipes use half flour/half cornmeal. I like the cornmeal texture so I tend to play a little loose and use more cornmeal than flour but I'm posting the recipe the 'right' way.

This setup so nicely-crisp texture on the top, creaming pudding-like in the middle, soupy goopy peaches on the bottom. You're going to love it.


I'm intentionally starting to mark organic and non-GMO items in my recipes because that is how I cook. Aside from the health reasons that you should eat as naturally as possible, there are some very tangible taste differences between local and/or organic food. It's clearly your choice whether you buy organic or conventional. I understand the resistance and the cost arguments. However, if you are really eating thoughtfully, you can easily end up spending the same amount  of cash on better quality food. (Thank you to all our farmer friends for making that possible!)

 Peach Cornbread Cobbler recipe

Ingredients
 Filling
 6-9 fresh peaches, peeled and sliced*

 2TBSP vanilla extract
 4 TBSP organic sugar (depends on how sweet the peaches are/how sweet you want this thing)

 Topping
1 cup organic yellow corn meal
1 cup organic all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ cup organic sugar
1 stick of organic butter-sliced into cubes and cold
1/3 cup of organic half and half *(you may need a tiny bit more or less)

Preheat oven to 375
Slice peaches and place in the bottom of a well-seasoned cast iron pan.
Sprinkle vanilla extract over top.

 In a medium size bowl, blend the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda and sugar.
Add the cubes of butter. Work them into the flour with your hands. If you’ve ever made biscuits then this part might be familiar. Basically, you want to smush those little bits of butter into the dry ingredients until the whole thing feels like slightly damp sand. Go at it with a will and it will only take about 5 minutes (although the first 3 minutes will seem like an impossible feat).

Add the half and half and blend quickly. Yes, it will look a little goopy but not TOO goopy. You want all the dry ingredients to be moistened but they will still form a little lump of goop when spooned up.

Drop spoonfuls over the peach mixture until the whole top is covered in goopy dough. I started thinking this recipe would be like drop biscuits but it was goopier than that and worked out just beautifully in the end.

Place in the heated oven for about 35 minutes or until top begins to brown.
Eat it while it’s still warm. Preferably with homemade vanilla ice cream.

*Note about the peaches-mine were local but not organic.  Peaches are one of the things that EVERYTHING loves to eat and we modern humans have gotten persnickety about wanting to make sure ours are blemish free.  That kind of snobbery can make it pretty hard on growers to commit to not using pesticide since they MUST sell their crop or loose their livelihood.  If you can find organic, I recommend them. If you can’t, at least talk to your farmer and see what happened to that little peach before you eat it.

Family Farmers

When I first joined a CSA, I was just excited to be eating seasonally. I wasn't that concerned about eating animals or plants that had been treated with chemicals. I was more concerned with the taste of the food-with trying to recreate the fresh amazing layers of sun contained in an heirloom summer tomato. Obsessed really.

Over the past few years though, my connection to food has morphed into something more complex. I now strive to make thoughtful decisions about most everything I put in my mouth-not just does it taste like the ultimate best version of itself but....was it grown using concientious practices? Is it local (or at least local-ish?) Would I feel comfortable if my child went to the field, picked this vegetable and ate it without washing it?

I'm still evolving and I'm not endeavoring to be rigid in my lifestyle. I eat bananas sometimes. I just am more likely to eat vegetarian at a restaurant where I don't know the source of the meat. I'm less likely to eat asparagus in July or strawberries in September. If you invite me over you can serve me whatever you wish. I will enjoy it, eat it with gusto and relish the time we spend together at the table. But when my dollars are making the choices...I choose food that I know the provenance and I believe that the choices I make matter.

It began with my farmers. Jason and Haruka Oatis are the farmers of www.EdibleEarthscapes.com. They are stewards of the land who care tremendously about the work they engage in. They believe deeply in sustainable farming methods and share their knowledge at every opportunity-in a kind, supportive way. Not only are they smart and hard-working-they are also genuinely big-hearted, interesting folks. We were lucky enough to stumble into their CSA on our first try and I'm grateful for that happy accident on a regular basis.

Haruka and Jason have gradually become part of our family. We belonged to their summer CSA for 2 years and then just this past winter joined their winter CSA. Even better, I got to be a part of the magic by delivering farm boxes to the Raleigh members each Saturday. They aren't doing a summer CSA this year as they try to navigate our extreme NC weather in a way that still allows them some freedom and balance in their lives. However, we still one or both of them just about every week at the market. If we miss a week, the whole family feels the absence. They are characters in our children's lives as much as any aunt or cousin. They have had significant positive impact on the way we eat (greens!!!) and the way we view our footprint on the world. They've gently nudged us to examine our over-consumed suburban lives and live more richly (without more money). They introduce us to new foods and perspectives that we wouldn't have appreciated earlier. We talk about food and music, weather and politics, extended family and pets. I often wish there was a more familial designation for them because farmer doesn't really cover it. Friend? Teacher? Brother? Sister? Aunt? None of those titles convey what they mean to our family.

Interestingly enough, we've added more farmer-family members in the past few years. What started with the Oatis' is now a broad group of people that I see and laugh (and sometimes gripe or rage or cry) with who I view as vital to my life. We recently considered a move out of state and one of the cons against the move were the farmer friends and connections we have. This weekend I watched as my daughter sat on Esta Cohen's lap and told her all about her new preschool classroom. And all I could think was....we all need more of THIS right here. Much love to ALL my farmer buddies-we are grateful for all the gifts that you give.

Sharing (CSA)

This winter has been incredible-in ways both good and bad. 

We had the coldest, snowiest winter I can remember 

(we even had a white Christmas!). We visited Savannah, Georgia for the first time and fell in love with that city-

the parks, the people, the ghosts-all are beautiful.

We usually have a lot of stress flying around our house-

two working parents, 

two kids, 

two dogs 

means an awful lot of WORK. 

But this winter we had the added stress of a huge project at work, 

one parent changing jobs, and some tragedies too. 

Our beloved Uncle Al passed away in February after a long illness. 

It doesn't matter how long the illness-it still comes as a shock 

to your soul when you lose someone. 

Also, one of my aunts has been very sick and 

my grandmother was hospitalized.

Miraculously, through this whole stretch of dark, 

our household had one person get the flu (in early fall) 

and one person get a stomach bug. 

I believe whole-heartedly that our sustained health is directly 

tied to the winter CSA we were a part of this year. 

Our very favorite farmers decided to try out a winter CSA 

instead of a summer CSA. 

Somehow (I really don't remember how) 

I became the delivery girl for the winter CSA. 

Each Saturday I drove out to the farm to pick up boxes and shuttled

 them into a central drop-off location. 

I met a lot of new friends (fellow CSA members) and quite often got

 to teach new and random people about the joys of CSA membership. 

It was the highlight of each week and I cherish the love and support I received. I also appreciated the healthful food that my family received

 each week in the box. 

I would NEVER have purchased the amount of greens that we got each week...

I would have bought 2 bunches and felt superior with my healthful-ness.

Consider us a changed family! 

We ate greens in some form almost every day of the week

 this winter and will continue these habits!

I'm not a very prolific blogger. 

I'm so extroverted and people-centric that it takes a lot to get me

 to sit down and write about something. 

I much prefer to gab and gab about the things that I'm passionate

 about in person. 

My office asked me to write a blog this week for our public site

-describing what a CSA is and how to find one. 

I'm being lazy and reposting it here. 

Happy Spring!

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Community Supported Agriculture What is a CSA? CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Small farmers offer ‘shares’ of their farm for an up-front payment. Participants then get a share of the production of the farm for a certain number of weeks. There is a high degree of variability based on the kind of CSA you join. The farmer will set the pick-up or drop-off locations, the price and the duration of the CSA. Some farmers give you some choice in what your share is each week and others pick for you. Why would I do this? I could literally talk about this for hours (I have been STOPPED on more than one occasion). I am extremely passionate about this topic and have a close connection to the farmers who provide food for my family. Your motivation for joining a CSA could depend on lots of factors and your experience will depend on the CSA that you choose. Here are some reasons but if you need more…come see me.

• You want to be less dependent on a global food supply


• You have concerns about food borne illnesses or broad recalls of specific foods


• You want to eat more seasonally


• You want to eat food grown for flavor instead of shelf stability


• You want to eat food (as opposed to the stuff sold in boxes in fluorescent lit stores)


• You want to diversify the type of food you eat


• You want to know exactly what production practices went into your food


• You want a broader sense of community


• You want to meet people who care about food or agriculture related issues


• You want to encourage yourself, your kids or your spouse to eat more veggies


• You want to have someone else decide what food you’re going to eat this week


• You’re looking for an excuse to go to the farmer’s market more often


• You want to support our local economy and small business

Will this save me money?

This one is complicated. Since I don’t know what you normally spend on food, I can’t really answer that. My personal experience is that your food budget stays about the same-you just choose different ways to spend that money. My family used to be dairy-holics and we ate meat more often than we currently do. We’ve switched to less quantity of those products and higher quality. My kids have also switched to eating veg (carrots, turnips, radishes) in place of some of the chips and crackers that they used to eat. Are CSA’s just for veggies? You can find CSA’s for just about anything produced on a farm-fruit, eggs, chicken, pork, beef, and vegetables. There are even CSA’s for yarn, cheese and cider.

How do I find a CSA?

Here are several links:

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/chatham/ag/SustAg/csafarms.html Locally run site by Chatham county extension agent. All of these farmers are organic and/or sustainable.

http://www.ncfarmfresh.com/Directory.asp?product=&county=region®ion=2&CSA=yes&SearchType=farms&submit=Search


You can also just ask at the smaller farmer’s markets. I’m sure there’s one close to you! There's one by my office every Saturday and Tuesday (starting May 3): http://westernwakefarmersmarket.org/

and there's my favorite local one: http://www.northhillsfarmersmarket.com/

SIMPLE TUNA SALAD

I used to think salad recipes were over-rated and didn't really 

qualify for the actual title of 'recipe'. 

Mostly, I thought you were just tossing in some of the veg 

that you have around and squirting some dressing on it and voila. 

How hard could it be?

Who needs directions for that?

Well,...at least that's what I thought until I started making salads daily

 in order to use up all my green veg from the CSA. 

Salads are deceptively difficult. 

 The prep work, the dressing, the combos that beg for a little restraint

 so that you can truly savor the substance. 

 Sometimes my salads are disastrous. 

Other times they're just plain boring. 

This one was divine so I thought I'd share the picture and the 'recipe'.

Ingredients:

Oil for sauteing

1.5 lbs Yellowfin Tuna from Southport Seafood Company.

Zest from two lemons

Coarse Sea Salt

Black Pepper

3 big handfuls of your favorite salad green (I used arugula from Edible Earthscapes)

8 oz. canned chickpeas

Half of an English cucumber quartered and chopped

Prep:

Heat oil in a skillet on med-high to high heat

Mix the zest and salt and pepper.

Wash and pat dry the yellowfin

Press the zest mixture into both sides of the yellowfin.

Cook:

When the oil is nice and hot, pop the yellowfin into the pan. 

 You want to sear the fish, not cook it through. 

After about 3 minutes, flip the fish over carefully. 

Cook for 3 more minutes until just colored. 

 Remove from heat. 

If you like your tuna rare on the inside, you may need to slice it up right away. 

 Otherwise, it will keep cooking while it cools.

Present:

Mix the rest of the ingredients. 

 Top with the Tuna. 

 Squirt some lemon or your favorite light vinaigrette over the top. 

 EAT!!! 

 Sigh.

CARE AND KEEPING (How to get the most out of a farmer's market trip)

The first farm box of 2010 is just around the corner and 

I can't believe how fast it came around! 

Over the weekend, I was reminiscing about how difficult I found

 the first few weeks of the season last year and 

how much easier it is for me now that I have a system. 

I admit I was pretty overwhelmed by my first box last year 

(4 types of lettuce? what do I do with 4 types of lettuce?) 

and it took several exasperating mornings for me to sort myself

 out those first few weeks. A

bout mid-summer, I got a good rhythm going 

and now I've got Saturday morning market visits down 

to a well-timed routine. 

I thought it might be useful to share the things I learned 

that help me maximize my Saturday market time. 

I'd also like to hear about your food philosophies or 

how you keep up with the market.

In full disclosure, I think it's fair for me to disclose my 

approach to food in general. 

Everyone has different food strategies and expectations

 for their market experience. 

I have seen people come to the market, 

stroll around for an hour and leave with one little melon. 

My eating philosophy is not nearly so calm or esoteric. 

I am usually on a mission when I get to the farmer's market 

and I have lots of energy and enthusiasm for food. 

Lots. 

My food philosophy is to eat food that is as fresh 

and tasty as it can possibly be. 

To that meet that end, I try to eat as locally as possible. 

If organic is available, I like that but I won't pay double for it (for veg). 

I am very particular about meat and want the animals to be cared for 

sensibly (without irresponsible dosing of anitbiotics or hormones) 

and humanely. 

I also want sustainability in most of the food that my family consumes. 

Finally, I want to eat with the seasons as much as is possible so I can

 savor the gifts that come along during the growing season.

So that's my philosphy. 

It's not rigid and I don't beat myself up if I eat a highly processed 

hot dog or something. 

The reality of my life is that I have two small children, 

I work a full week, 

and I live in a suburban/urban area. 

My family goes through 2 gallons of milk and a staggering amount

 of assorted cheeses in a week. 

We also use common western staples like rice, pasta, and chocolate chips.

 I am not a tee-totaller. 

I won't get up from a meal if I'm served food of unknown provenance 

and I love Biscuitville (who I'm certain doesn't use free-range, 

hormone free ANYTHING).

 I believe that the way I eat is realistic for the society that I live in

 (although many people think I'm an extremist 

and others think I'm a light weight foodie. 

egh......i eat for myself, not for a group).

I try to put about half of my weekly food budget into the farmer's market. 

I buy all vegetables, meat, and eggs from the market. 

I also get most fruit and some dairy/bread options from the market.

 I usually have to make a stop on the way home at a storefront grocery

 store to pick up milk and assorted staples. 

Once a month or so I do a run to a wholesale club or an importer

 for things we buy in bulk (wine) or specialty ingredients 

(like spices) that I can't get from a local source.

How we roll....

A typical Saturday morning involves getting up the whole family, 

packing the car w/reusable bags and a large rolling cooler w/a handle. 

We go to the farmer's market to pick up breakfast and coffee. 

The North Hills market has a Starbucks and several bakers. 

The Western Wake market has a coffee roaster who will sell samples. 

We eat breakfast together and then hubby and kids usually go to listen

 to the music or start to stroll while I begin hunting.

I take one pass through the market, 

pick up my box from Edible Earthscapes and 

then go back to fill in any gaps. 

Since what's available at the market changes weekly, 

it's difficult to write a menu or a list and stick with it. 

I find it's easier for me if I think in terms of weekly 'servings' or sources. 

In any given week, I need to leave the farmer's market with the following

 or else I'll end up having to go to a normal grocery store mid-week:

8-10 vegetable sources

1 dozen eggs

1-2 loaves of bread

3-4 meat sources

1-2 cheese sources

We get most of our vegetable sources from Edible Earthscapes 

but I sometimes need to fill in some things to suit my recipes

 or our family's individual tastes. 

I also try to get several fruit servings-

this year I'm going to try and freeze some since fruit 

has a shorter growing season than the vegetables. 

Everything goes in the big rolling cooler to keep it from 

wilting or getting crushed.

Before we go home, we stop off to get milk, cheese, etc. 

Then we head home for the real work. 

The biggest lesson from last year that I learned: 

It is imperative to deal with the produce as soon as possible. 

What do I mean? 

I mean that you can't treat farmer's market produce 

like produce that has been grown for its ability to sit on a shelf. 

Farmer's market produce is typically not treated with preservative and the farmer chose to grow it because of it's taste

-not because it won't bruise easily. 

This is not produce that can sit on your counter all day.

Greens:

Wash all greens. 

spin it in a salad spinner to remove excess water

Go ahead and divide stems from leaves for more hard greens

and chop them so they're ready for stir-fry.

Put greens into gallon ziplock bags with a dry paper towel

and store in the fridge until ready to use.

Root Vegetables:

(Carrots, Beets, Turnips, Radishes)

Take the greens off of root vegetables and store them separately (see above)

 if you want to use them (and you do want to use them!). 

If you don't take them off, 

the root is likely to get mushy as the leaves pull out energy and water. 

If you really want to leave them attached, 

you can put the whole thing into water-

similar to putting flowers in water 

and then stick that in the fridge. 

Just don't stuff those carrots into the bottom drawer with the leaves

 still attached and expect them to be firm in 4 days.

Non-root Vegetables:

(Eggplant, peppers, okra, squash, cucumbers)

Wash and dry these.

Store in a cool, dry place

which might be your veggie drawer

if you don't need to prep them for a meal.

Herbs (and scallions):

Either store in a vase like you would cut flowers

OR

make into pesto immediately.

Most herbs do not keep well without a lot of prep in the fridge.

You can store the vase option in the fridge if you have room

but if you're going to use them within the week, on the counter will work too.

Big stuff:

Melons, sweet and white potatoes

Ripe melons need to be eaten within a day or two.

Unripe melons will ripen faster on the counter

but can also be stored in the fridge.

You need to check these daily!

Most white potatoes from the market

will need to be eaten within a month.

They are not treated with inhibitors the way store bought

potatoes are.

You can store in the fridge or in a bin-

just keep them away from onions unless you want them to sprout.

Sweet potatoes have been cured before being sold

which means they are fine in your kitchen for a couple of months.

Tomatoes:

Never.

Ever.

Store tomatoes in the fridge.

On your kitchen counter will do fine thank you very much.

A note on bugs:

You should wash everything and make sure you don't have some passengers. Most produce from the farmer's market is not treated with pesticide so 

bugs like it as much as you do. 

That's a good sign! 

(You just don't want to put your stowaways in your fridge for later). 

Final Life Saving Tip:

If you already know what's on the menu for the week, 

it's a good time to do some sou chef prepwork. 

Chopping a gallon of strawberries took me 10 minutes last week. 

But once they're chopped and safely stored in the fridge, snacks are easy. 

I usually make up any condiments that will be needed that week-

refrigerator pickles, salad dressing with herbs and pesto are handled 

at this time so that I don't do 'double duty' 

when putting away the components and then have to 

repack them again once the condiment is made.

I also prep chop onions, peppers, squash, celery and carrots

and put them away in containers so meal prep is easier.

By the time I'm finished, it's lunch time-

just in time to sit down to a nice, local meal.