Farmers Market Adventures

by Jody Perrecone

Are you struggling to get more vegetables and fruits in your diet, but don’t know where to begin? Are you having a hard time getting past eating just corn, green beans, and carrots?

For most, it’s not that we are unwilling to branch out and try new vegetables and fruits, we simply are not familiar or don’t know how to prepare foods like Swiss chard, beets, patty pan squash, kale, kohlrabi, zucchini, ,yellow squash, broccoli, berries and peaches.

Explore the area farmers markets. The food is locally grown and is generally picked within the previous 24 hours. See something there you don’t recognize? Just ask! The vendors there are the people who actually grew it. They have a passion for what they do, have a wealth of information to share, and can tell you how to prepare it.

Last week I picked up some blackberries to put on top of my cereal. Bob told me they were just picked that morning and had dew on them. Either eat them right away, or spread them out on a plate in the refrigerator so they don’t mold. Great tip! I didn’t know how to fix the patty pan squash that were bigger than what I am used to. He told me just to cut them up and sauté them with onion. Delicious! New for me was green olive tapenade. I wanted to try it with sandwiches and on whole wheat pita chips. It was fresh and fabulous.

Farmers markets are like having your own garden without the work! Find the local farmers markets in your area and have a field day!