For the past year, I have been frequenting the Laguna Hills Farmer's Market every Friday to buy produce for our family. I first started going there as an effort to save money on our rather large produce bill. I quickly found out that the quality and variety I could find when buying produce directly from local farmers was far superior to that in any store. Granted, I am blessed to be in Southern California where almost any kind of produce can be grown, but the stuff in the grocery stores is the same bland junk you get everywhere else in the winter. Yes, I can get real organic sun ripened tomatoes in the dead of winter. . .only at the farmer's market!
I was sad to find out that my usual farmers market was cancelled for three weeks due to the fact that it is usually held in a mall parking lot. Apparently they thought they needed the extra parking (although this is a mall that hardly anyone shops at and the spots in question are WAY in the back). After two weeks with no FM fix, I decided to find another one. So I visited the Irvine farmers market this Saturday, and found the grand-daddy of all farmers markets. This is not just your run-of-the-mill Southern California produce. In addition to your usual citrus, vegetables and strawberries, there were two cheesemakers, a coffe roaster, five or six bakers, a mushroom grower, someone selling whole free range chickens just butchered yesterday... and that is just the food. There were also all kinds of local crafters selling their wares. Let's just say that I found it very inspiring and I will be returning when I can. I honestly think that I could easily find everything that I need to feed my family for a week right from the local vendors. That may inspire a new challenge in a few weeks. Seriously, if you are in the local area you need to check out this market. If you aren't, take care to try and find some local produce vendors and start a purchasing relationship with them -- your tastebuds and likely your pocketbook will reward you.
The produce in the photo are a pommelo, two tangelos and four satsuma mandarins, all purchased this Saturday at the Irvine Farmers market.
mmmm, pommelo
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