Local diet update - March 30, 2009

Ok. We have been seriously busy on the local food front here. We still have broccoli, potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms in the produce drawer of the fridge. Then, as you can see in the photo, I did some major harvesting from my garden over the last few days: that's a cabbage head and the surrounding leaves at the top of the picture, the remains of my broccoli plant (including some florets) in the middle, and a big stack of hearty green onions towards the bottom. The bugs were after my last cabbage and the other plants were starting to flower, so it was definitely time to harvest. Now, it's time to eat!

Then, my dad stopped by with some goodies from a produce market south of town. Not all of it is local, but he said the watermelon is from Texas. It all eats the same, local or not, so I'll be sure to enjoy this generous gift. That's a spaghetti squash (my dad knows what I like!), 5 summer squash, an acorn squash, and a behemoth of a watermelon. It all sounds mighty tasty right about now...

Then, of course, was my weekly trip to the farmers' market. Saturday brought a bit of a cold front (it was over 80 degrees the other day, Saturday morning it was 36!), but we were prepared and the market turned out beautifully. The usual suspects (both vendors and goodies) were there, tables bursting forth with an amazing harvest. This week, between 18 vendors, you could find:  

Peppers, tomatoes, carrots, red onions, yellow onions, green onions, cabbage, red potatoes, white potatoes, broccoli, lettuce, beet greens, collard greens, celery, mustard greens, herbs, radishes, turnips, chives, honey, strawberries, dried apples, pickles, locally roasted coffees, locally roasted peanuts, homemade egg noodles, olive oil, a variety of baked goods: tortillas, yeast breads, sweet breads, cookies, and pies, a variety of salsas, jams and jellies, dry mixes, decorative and vegetable plants, and a wonderful variety of beautiful crafts.

With so much already at home, I kept my list short. I picked up some mint for tea, some whole wheat flour, 2 dozen eggs, honey, 2 small apple pastries, and two humongous bag of bagel bites (the bagel bites and eggs will be turned into a couple dishes for a locavore event later this week). Of course, none of this even touches on the many jars of homemade, local jam in the cabinet, or the all-local homemade, soups and stewed tomatoes lining the pantry shelves. 

We are just swimming in local, here in Bryan, TX and it's never tasted better! Be sure to check into farmers' markets, CSAs, and family farms in your neck of the woods to find out where the freshest, healthiest, tastiest produce can be found. When in doubt, check Local Harvest, and discover the wonderful world of local food. 

Have a great week, everyone. And, as always, Happy (and mindful) eating! Now, what to eat first...