Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Time to hit the Farmers' Markets....................


I've found some good things to cook and eat the past couple of weekends. Now that locally grown produce is arriving daily I head to any little market stand I can locate within a few miles of the cottage. 


At the Vintage Village where SuzAnna's Antiques is located, there is also Sam who brings veggies, fruits and plants from North Carolina farms. It was at his stand/antiques shop, twice in the past week, I found the best baby zucchini and tender yellow squash, much more flavorful than those than big tough-skinned grocery store offerings.


Eggs.....I love eggs from free range chickens. 
These displayed in my favorite bowl are so fresh, 
with deep yellow yolks, and taste truly eggy like an egg should! 
They were purchased from the latest addition at the Vintage Village on Saturday 
afternoons, Walk Ahead Farms stand. 
A lovely family who farm 14 acres just a few miles outside Raleigh in a country town named Youngsville, sell these beautiful eggs along with their own vegetables, herbs, flowers and farm-raised meats. (You know I'm a non-meat eater so I won't give details, but you can click on the link above to read more). If you do eat meat, I'm certain find their products, all of which are hormone, vaccination, and medicine-free, of excellent quality. 


We are also smacking and staining our lips with lots of sweet, ripe local strawberries - I was brought a basket by my daughter and they are delicious. She also gave me a hydroponically grown Butterhead lettuce from another local farm, and they are now available in local Whole Foods shops in our area.

Do you look for local produce from your Farmers' Markets and roadside stands? 


11 comments:

  1. I love youe egg bowl Mary. Yes, I do shop at farmer's markets. This past weekend I bought some ramps, strawberries, asparagus and shitake mushrooms. All were yummy.
    Hugs,
    Penny

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  2. I love these photos Mary. Such pretty warm colours and lovely looking foods. We try to get local farm fresh veggies here in season, which won't be for a couple of months yet. There is a new store in town that sells fresh and organic foods which I haven't visited yet plus there are 2 markets on the weekends with lots of fresh foods in season. I'm looking forward to eating local strawberries soon! Hugs, Pam

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  3. Mary, I love farmer's market. I miss going to the one in Raleigh :( But I heard there is a good one in Kansas City which is about 35 minutes from where I live. I actually visited the small market here in Leavenworth and was surprised by the variety I found.

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  4. Eat up Mar, there's not much grub Chez Paula!!!

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  5. Those goodies look wonderful! We have always been fan of farmers markets. We have one within 10 miles from us, but it is pitiful - selling more flea market stuff and jewelry than produce. The markets around here have just dried up and disappeared!

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  6. I love buying from the Farmer's Market and watch at my regular market for things grown in the area. They are really good about buying locally as much as possible including meat and fish too. Local produce is so good. We will have a few veggies in our garden this summer too.

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  7. Surprisingly, we do have farmer's market nearby, although the produce is mostly from Indiana, but picked fresh the day before. I really love cooking with fresh veggies and there is nothing like a fresh strawberry or peach (my favorites!).

    XO,
    Jane

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  8. Mary, I'll be round in a minute for my courgette frittata ;)

    XO
    Paul

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  9. I love the eggs and your egg bowl. Such lovely colors. And I'm jealous that you have fresh strawberries because there's nothing like a strawberry from nearby that was never intended to travel miles in a plastic box. We do have markets that feature many local products all year round, and in the summertime, farmer's markets blossom everywhere. I love to eat locally.

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  10. No, I don't really buy from Farmer's Markets as the produce from our own garden is fresher.( most of the markets are flea markets ) There are a few roadside stalls but mainly they sell what I have already got. Just sometimes I find something we haven't got and that's a treat.
    Love your beautiful photography.

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  11. Hi Mary, those veg sure look tasty! The farm that is only around 200 yards away from our door sells wonderful free range eggs with an honesty system at the gate. The chucks are roaming free and I often her the Rooster crowing :o)
    Lots of love
    Rose H
    xx

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