The Farmer’s Market

Let’s Go to the Farmer’s Market

This is my favorite time of year when those wonderful fresh vegetables are at their juicy best and are popping up at the farmer’s market. If you don’t have a green thumb (in other words, you could kill an artificial plant), the nice thing about living in the country is access to farm-fresh fruits and vegetables. There are roadside stands on back roads and at flea markets and almost every town of any size has a farmer’s market one day a week.

Farmer’s markets have been around as long as people have settled communities and towns across the world. Market Day was an exciting event, giving families from miles around the opportunity to buy or barter for fresh foods and staples along with almost any kind of household needs. Most importantly, it was a very social occasion with the opportunity to catch up on the news and connect with friends and family in those days before social media, telephones, and television.

Local Markets

The Temple Farmer’s Market just started up last year and is already a hit. Matt Gailey, owner-operator of Dirt Free Farm, made it his mission to get the market up and going and you won’t find a better cheerleader for the farm-to-table movement. The market is open 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM Saturdays from May to November (weather permitting) at 155 Sage Street, featuring delicious, fresh produce, meats, jams and jellies. Pecan Acres Homestead is there every week with eggs, goats milk products and more.

eggs — Photo courtesy Pecan Acres Homestead

We are lucky here in Temple to not only have our own Farmer’s Market but also others, as we say, “right over yonder”. Cotton Mill Farmer’s Market in Carrollton, GA has been around for a long time, providing locally grown and produced products. One of the best features of Cotton Mill is the Power of Produce (POP) Club for kids aged 4-12. Tanner Health System sponsors the club and runs educational games and demonstrations so kids get to learn about the local farm system and fruits and veggies they might not have tasted before, because, well, kids and vegetables don’t always mix well. Best of all, they receive vouchers good for any market vendor so they can shop and take home their favorites. Cotton Mill, at 609 Dixie Street in Carrollton, is open on Saturdays year-round from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM (weather permitting).

Dallas Farmer’s Market in Dallas, GA not only has fresh produce and locally produced products but also lots of great little arts and crafts items. This is a good-sized market so plan enough time to see everything and don’t miss taking a gander at the great new mural a bunch of folks helped paint on the wall there. You can pick up a homemade sausage biscuit and wander the stalls while chatting with some of the friendliest people around. NOBODY leaves empty-handed with all the great stuff there. The Market is open every Saturday, 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM, April through October.

cabbages_muffins — Photo courtesy of Dallas Farmer”s Market

So, get on out of bed Saturday and head out to your local market. If you don’t know where it is, check out the locator at Local Harvest or ask around. If you see me, make sure you say hey!

Homegrown Tomatoes – Yummy!

Pick a Tomato – or Two!

One of the simple pleasures of my life is biting into a red-ripe, fresh-from-the-vine tomato. The tomatoes I’m talking about don’t look like the hothouse, slightly anemic tomatoes you buy in the grocery store. If you have ever picked a sun-warmed tomato from a vine, brushed off the dirt and bit into it, the juice running over your chin, you know exactly what I mean…it’s a little taste of heaven.

Around here, almost everyone has a tomato plant (or 10) in their backyard and there’s an unofficial race to have ripe fruit before the 4^th of July. People have their favorites – Better Boy, Big Boy, Beefsteak – and then there’s the argument about heirloom vs. hybrids. The truth is, the worst I ever had was excellent.

Here in South, tomatoes are kinda like Bubba’s shrimp in Forrest Gump – there’s sliced tomatoes, tomato sandwiches, tomato pie, tomato salad, baked tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, fried green tomatoes (that’s for another post), even tomato gravy. We make the most of every moment of tomato season and then we can and freeze them to make soups and stews in the winter. A pot of chili in December made from tomatoes you canned in July from your garden will make your tongue slap your brains out!

Choosing the BEST Tomatoes

You want a well-colored tomato. Those with too much yellow or green were likely pulled green and didn’t ripen on the vine to develop the sweetness and texture of a good tomato. Rest it in your palm – it should feel heavy for the size, kinda like a baseball. Smell it- a flavorful tomato will have a strong, sweet, earthy smell.

Finding a homegrown tomato this time of year is easy. Check out local farmers and roadside stands. Heck, your cousin Howard probably has more than he can ever use. Just tell him you are in desperate need of a tomato biscuit!

Squash Casserole

Squash casserole appears at about every family dinner, church potluck or gathering in the South. Since everyone with a garden has an overload of those succulent vegetables in the summer and a freezer full through the winter, most folks have their own version of this great side dish, usually from a recipe passed down from family cook to family cook. TA DA! This is my version.

The price of squash and zucchini has come down a bit so I stocked up last week. After weeks of frozen vegetables, it’s nice to have some fresh, tender selections to round out dinner.

I have to admit, I don’t stray much from the recipe on this one. I mean, tradition IS tradition. Having said that, I can see how this tasty dish could possibly be changed up by using mozzarella instead of cheddar or adding herbs, fresh or dried, such as basil, oregano and/or thyme. You could also make it in a muffin tin to serve as individual portions. Just don’t tell the church ladies I suggested you mess with the recipe!

This is one of those “put some south in your mouth” recipes. No matter where you’re from, try it out and let me know what you think.

[recipe title=”Squash Casserole” servings=”8″ time=”30 minutes” difficulty=”easy”]

Ingredients

2 pounds yellow squash sliced
1 pound zucchini squash sliced
1 medium sweet onion chopped
8 ounces (1⁄2 pound) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 tablespoons butter divided
2 eggs beaten
1⁄4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
25 crushed round butter crackers (Ritz)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Boil squash in a large pot 8 to 10 minutes or until tender. Drain well and gently press dry using paper towels, set aside.

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large skillet add onions and saute about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and gently stir in squash, mayonnaise, eggs, sugar, salt and garlic powder. Transfer to lightly greased 11”x7” baking dish.

Melt remaining butter add crushed crackers, mix well and sprinkle on top of casserole.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

[/recipe]