On Sat, 16 Jun 2007 10:30:19 -0500, Skyhooks
> wrote:

>More than likely, nearly everyone on RFC has access to a local farmers'
>market where they can shop for seasonal items. What is your favorite
>item(s) from a farmers' market and what draws you there?

Ohhh....farmers markets. I just adore them.

I miss the farmers markets of California. Such incredible
produce..and yes sky, that means GREEN stuff.

But no matter, I still love them almost anywhere.

I start haunting farmers markets as often as I can at this time of
year for the first tomatoes. Real summer tomatoes that is. Same with
corn. I like plain old yellow corn, not the super sweet varieties and
occasionally it still turns up in some markets.

I haven't been to the local farmers market here yet, even though it
opened a few weeks ago. My time is getting short here, and I would be
tempted to buy more than I could possibly cook and eat. I wish I
could... The little produce stand I frequent now also has local
produce, especially southern staples, like pole beans. Butter beans
in the pod and shelled. I was just there this morning and I saw these
gorgeous piles of beets, locally grown.

In California, I go for the fruit. I get my peaches and apricots from
farmers markets there, and if I got apricots, half are gone by the
time I get home. And the melons.

In New Mexico last year, I happened upon a farmer at one of the local
markets that was selling Winesap apples from a few trees he had on his
property. Man, those things were good!!!

In the fall, at New Mexico farmers markets, the chile roasters are set
up and you can buy many different kinds of chiles and have them
freshly roasted for you. Just to walk into the marketplace and smell
the aroma of that is enough to set one to salivating...

I like talking to the folks that grow the food too. Last year, at the
Corrales market, I got to talking to one of the ladies who had just
started coming to that particular market. She had some more boutique
type vegetables and was trying to see what folks wanted her to grow
for the markets. Should be interesting to see what she has this year.
I think last year (among other things) I asked her about having squash
blossoms for sale, and she was very interested in that. I am now
hoping I can find when I get back to NM.

You touched upon a topic near to my heart, sky. I think farmers
markets are wonderful, and I encourage folks to find their local ones,
where they are selling locally grown produce, in season. I think
farmers markets, among other things, remind us of the seasonality of
our food. It is always a pleasure to look forward to the first
tomatoes of the season, the first corn, the first asparagus, the stone
fruits of summer. In northern California, the green garlic that only
shows up in the spring... The profusion of ripe peppers of any type
that show up in the fall...

Christine, advocate of eating seasonally