First purchase was a bunch of fresh asparagus grown on a nearby farm. After having read earlier this spring about the Huge difference between fresh asparagus and the store-bought variety, I admit that I was more than curious to try it out. I asked the farmer at the stand when the skinny spears were harvested (because apparently they should be eaten as soon as possible for the best flavor), and was therefore pleased to learn that they were cut from their stalks less than 12 hours prior.
So I spent $5.00 (yes, I know that's a lot for produce) on my bunch and then promptly cut them into ribbons for pasta at dinner. So are the rumors true? Is fresh asparagus really that much better than store-bought? Absolutely Yes! Even my husband agreed, and he hates to agree about stuff like that. The spears were so crisp and fresh, with this wonderful earthy flavor. Would I spend $5.00 again for the experience? Definitely. Totally worth it. Even more so, I now have a hankering to plow some asparagus trenches and grow my own...
The next purchase was this locally made pasta. I can't even begin to tell you the sizes and shapes and flavors that were available from this pasta stand! Orzo, fettucine, linguine, etc. etc. in tomato basil or lemon sage or whole wheat. After deliberating for several minutes, I finally settled on some chipotle pasta for a little kick. And since the sellers conveniently printed recipes for us to take home, I enjoyed the pasta with some chipoltle cream sauce (I'll share more about that in a few weeks!).
For $4.25, it was pricey for pasta, but I thought it was a fun novelty. Will I buy it again? Probably not, since truthfully the sauce provided the real flavor. But it was definitely fun to try!
Finally, the bread you see was my last purchase. I hadn't intended to get anything from the local bakery shop, but one of the bakers caught me trying to leave and insisted that I try some samples first. I am So glad he did! They had everything you could think of, including this amazing Asiago Sourdough that I almost stole right there. Talk about having a hard time deciding! I deliberated forever, asking for opinions and eating samples by the fistful. Finally I decided to go with a sweet bread perfect for breakfast. Which flavor, you ask? Only the most delightful lemony-choclaty bread Ever! Lemon White Chocoloate to be exact, which didn't sound appealing to me at all until I had a bite of it in my mouth. To. Die. For.
Needless to say, you can probably guess what I had for breakfast this morning... At $5.00 a loaf, it's way cheaper than drugs! I'll definitely have to get my fix next week!
Thus concludes the tales of my day at the farmer's market. If you haven't shopped one recently, I highly recommend it! Just remember these simple tips:
* bring your own bag
* bring cash, including smaller bills and quarters
* set a budget, and expect to pay more. The great food (stuff you would Never find at the grocer) is worth it!
note: this trip was part of my Retro Summer June calendar of field trips! Click here to download the calendar to join me on the next event!
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