Wednesday, September 03, 2014

MoFo: Farmers Market Day!

Today is Wednesday, and in my world, that means one very important thing: 
Farmers Market Day!

complete with emojis of fruits and veggies

Actually, I go to the farmers market twice a week, but Wednesday is especially fun. On Wednesday market days, I always meet up with a couple of my special veggie pals and we do our shopping together. The ritual begins with some last minute text-messaging to make sure we are all good-to-go with our usual plan!

I feel like I am always late!

We all meet on the corner, and usually chat for a little while, before we start poking our way from stall to stall. We each have our own favorite vendors for most items, but for some items we're more fickle - depending on which farmer has the best nectarines or who has the best price on carrots that day. And of course, we make sure to try as many free samples as possible. Today we sampled lots of stone fruits from a few different vendors, apples, pears, tomatoes, avocados, and grapes. Even after all that, there were plenty of samples we passed up today. Yum!

corn, spinach, white nectarines, emerald beaut pluots, stripey eggplant, romano beans, assorted onions, dry-farmed early girl tomatoes, fuji apples for Mr. VE&T, one gwen avocado, dill pickle sauerkraut, three colors of tomatoes, carrots, parsley, heirloom tomatoes, summer squash. Huzzah!

Even though "I didn't need much today" (ha ha!), I still ended up with a market bag that was so heavy I could hardly schlep it back to my car. I got some fruit and loads of veggies. My new effort to eat lots of veggies at lunchtime definitely means I need to buy more veggies when I go to the farmers market. As you can see, I got so much beautiful produce today... With the dreaded signs of autumn starting to appear (winter squash and apples! avert your eyes!), I was especially determined to stock up on lots of beautiful late-summer bounty like corn and tomatoes and eggplant.

phew!

Wednesday market days are one of my favorite rituals of my week. I love to see all the beautiful seasonal produce... what's coming and what's on its way out. I love to see my sweet friends and visit together with them. I love running into friends and yoga students and people I went to high school with. It has such a sweet feeling of our community. I love building friendships and relationships with the farmers and vendors. And, of course, I love coming home with a giant bag full of amazing fruits and veggies! 

24 comments:

  1. I love rituals like this. It's almost a spiritual thing to mix friends and food.

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  2. I get to the markets so infrequently these days with yoga and work taking up most Saturday morning, but I do love going. When the weather is better I will go early before work to pick up some goodies, thankfully spring is here so hopefully that won't be far away!

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    1. that's so fun. of course, it is jut getting to be autumn here. It warms my summer-loving heart to know that summer is still on its way somewhere in the world!

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  3. Nice haul! And especially nice that you do it with friends. Does the market go all year? Probably since you live in Calif.

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    1. Hi Andrea! Yes, we are so lucky. We have many markets that go all year. Wed, 2 Saturday markets (one on each side of town) and a Sunday market that all go year-round. I almost never have to buy produce at the store. It's great.

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  4. Hi Amie, I wish I had seen you today! I came later in the afternoon/early evening. My favorite farmer is Route One. Which is yours?

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    1. Oh Connie!! It would be great to see you! We always get there around 1:45. I like to get there early so that I can drive back to Soquel before the traffic on Hwy 1 gets too intense. I also love Route 1, but I think Pinnacle is my top favorite. I also love the kale from Windmill Farms - such huge and abundant greens for only $2 a bunch. hee hee!!

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  5. Farmers market day is my favorite day! But I never buy too much at a time, lest it go baddd. Plus, yeah, carrying it home is a trek.
    Wish I had a group to meet up with and go with!

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    1. We also have a really cool thing at our market called "Veggie Valet" - where you can leave your food at the table (which is staffed) and they give you a number. Then you can walk to your car, drive back and park in a temporary spot and grab your produce. It's so great! Sometimes I use the service if I'd had to park a few blocks away, or if I've decided to buy two watermelons!

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  6. I will be mourning the loss of tomatoes. We make you tempeh bacon, corn, tomato salad all the time in the summer.

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    1. oooh, I've been thinking of that salad and I haven't made it yet this year! Must make it pronto before it's too late!

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  7. lol...I love that last illustration! I've actually thought I might take my luggage cart to the market so I can roll my haul home. Or a very large backpack. Or an oldtimey red wagon. :)

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    1. I've seen so many cool solutions - luggage carts, special market rollers that have little hooks for each bag to hang from so that nothing gets smooshed, red wagons... But I don't have room for any of that really in my car. So, giant weighted-down market bag will have to do!

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  8. I love going to the farmer's market! You got a beautiful haul of veggies, and I'm ready to come over for dinner anytime ;)

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    1. Yes! you'll see these veggies appear in the next couple days' of posts!

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  9. What a beautiful assortment of deliciousness! I love farmers markets, but as an antisocial introvert I find the whole experience overwhelming. Our local grocery store has a "homegrown produce" area with all kinds of local veggies and some fruits which is as close as it gets for me. Sadly the homegrown area will be replaced with cookies and crap on sale soon as the summer produce starts to fade :(

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    1. ha ha, I hear you on the antisocial bit, actually. On Saturday mornings I go to a market that is closer to my house, and I go at 7:15 in the morning (before I work out at 8). I partly love going at that time because hardly anyone is there and I can do my shopping in an efficient way. It's totally different than the wednesday market experience. Also, if I go after my workout, around 9, I'm running into people every two feet - which is can be either nice or not nice depending on the person! and most of all, it makes shopping take forever! ha ha

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  10. Anonymous11:30 AM

    Dang, those are some beautiful vegetables, especially the black tomatoes.

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    1. I know! I grow red tomatoes at home, but I can't stop myself from buying the fancy tomatoes at the market!

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  11. I typically go on Saturdays first thing in the morning, and it's so lovely! I do get sad this time of year though, knowing that the awesome summer produce won't be around much longer.

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  12. What an amazing market haul, everything's so beautiful! I need to remember to eat some great fruit whilst I'm here as there'll be none (well none that isn't from New Zealand or somewhere silly) when I get back to the UK.

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  13. Wow I am jealous of your farmer's market experience. I have one that's on Saturdays right across the street from my house! But a haul like the beautiful one you got runs me about 1 hundo, and I'm just too broke for the farmer's market. Plus, it's New York and I'm always in a hurry, so everyone cluttered up in the booths makes steam come out of my ears when everything is blocked. Maybe I need to establish a ritual to become zen-like right before going out to the farmer's market! Also, autumn produce is my fave! I can't wait for all the best stuff to start popping up! Pumpkin-apple everything, please!

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  14. Wednesday market day is the best. I miss seeing you all then!

    Those emerald beauties (I can't call them beauts! it bothers me!) are so good. Grey and I have been fighting over them a little bit.

    I see nectarines in there. Summer isn't over yet!!

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