I have an addiction, and I am finally admitting it! I have an almost unhealthy fetish for farmers' markets...probably due to the fact that ours is so small and I'm always in awe whenever I go to another town's. Every vacation, every chance I get to explore a community market, I am always researching and planning out a way to stop in, even if only for a few minutes. It's such a good way to get to know the locals and get a taste, literally, of what the area is like. Not to mention that almost every other area's growing season is much longer than ours and there are dozens of tasty offerings waiting to be purchased!
Today I hurriedly cleaned up our breakfast dishes, started the laundry, and scurried out the door to spend the day in Ashland, sans kiddos. I had birthday money to spend, and I needed some time to shop for clothes (I'm always doing that for children, but never for myself, and my stuff is starting to take on the appearance of rags...). By starting my day in Ashland I was able to check out their Tuesday Growers' Market and take advantage of a leisurely stroll conducive to meal strategizing and planning. Most people might not think it's special or out of the ordinary to find the treats I stumbled upon, but when you're coming from an area that has three, maybe four, veggie booths at our local market...well, I get pretty excited. I bought chanterelles and morels. And they were FRESH!! I tried handmade goat cheese at not only one, but three different booths, and the Rogue Creamery was there as well (with samples of just about everything they make). All natural, locally made buffalo salami, homemade pastas, big juicy marionberries, garden fresh fennel bulbs, piping hot tamales with homemade salsa, strawberry limeade, pastured chicken...the list goes on and on! I could've spent a fortune, but the small cooler in my car limited what I was able to buy.
Farmers' markets are crucial to any town, and it's so important to support them. Every week I show up for ours and try to support as many people as I can, and it makes for a great family outing. If you haven't checked out yours, be sure to go at least once! Who knows...you might become as addicted as I am! It's so fun to meet the people growing your food and to learn about how they do their work. Kids ask questions and people are held accountable for what they produce. The quality is much higher than the grocery stores, and most of the time to prices are comparable to a regular shopping trip. I am constantly reminding myself of this fact, even though it seems like I'm dropping so much cash all at once. The thing is, I buy the same amount in the grocery store, but it's paid for with plastic and I don't have to count out nickels and dimes. It's an illusion that it costs more because the money is actually in your hand.
Anyway, I had a very nice, quiet day to myself and was able to find several nice outfits and have a fun time doing so, not being rushed or having to adhere to a schedule. As soon as I came home we quickly whipped up an amazing dinner and let the family chaos start again ("Sit down! Behave!" "Don't interrupt!" etc, etc, etc.).
By the way, I didn't take pictures because it was such a rush to get things on the table tonight, but I have to mention what it was that we had for dinner. Last night I grilled corn on the cob, and I saved two ears, shaving the kernels off for tonight. I mashed some black beans and mixed the kernels in along with cotija cheese, a touch of sour cream to bind the mixture, ground black pepper, cilantro, green onions, and a few slices of crispy, crumbled bacon. Then I stuffed that mixture into poblano peppers from our farmers' market, replaced the caps, and grilled them until the centers were hot and bubbly and the skins were blistered. Served with red quinoa, organic Sugar Baby watermelon, and a green salad, it was a delicious, quick, and easy end to a delightful day!
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