Local diet update - September 7, 2009

I had a rough week last week so rather than host a booth at the farmers' market, I slept in on Saturday morning and biked to the market instead, playing customer for the day instead of vendor. It was a nice break from routine and I still got to visit with everyone (and pick up a couple needed goodies).

The market was really hopping with the usual late summer suspects like...

Veggies and Fruits: tomatoes, potatoes, bulb onions, green onion sets, carrots, cucumber, yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant, green beans, a variety of hot and sweet peppers, okra, spinach, herbs, purple hull peas, black eyed peas, tomatillos, yard long beans, salad greens, dried apples

Baked Goods: yeast breads, sweet breads, cakes, cheesecake bars, pecan bars, cornbread, dog cookies

Canned Goods: jams, jellies, salsas, pickles, chow-chow, relish

Other Foods: cornmeal, wheat flour, eggs, honey, locally-roasted coffees

Non-Food Items: jewelry, pottery, pot holders, decorative plants, soaps, roll-on perfumes, body cream, greeting cards, other decorations

With loads of goodies still at home like carrots, eggs, and red potatoes from a previous farmers' market; all-local rice and home-canned local goods like soups, spaghetti sauce, and corn lining the shelves of the pantry; vegan pesto made from local basil, bean burgers (local pinto beans), and black-eyed peas from the farmers' market in the freezer; and of course green peppers, sweet potatoes, green onions, sage, and basil ready for harvest in the backyard, I certainly didn't need much in the way of supplies. I just picked up a jar of honey for a gift and some local whole wheat flour for baking (homemade bread is always on the menu at our house).

That still left me in need of fruit, so we stopped at the Farm Patch for some Texas watermelon and also picked up 6-packs of tomato and broccoli plants for the garden (more on those tomorrow).

Summer is winding down, but the Brazos Valley Farmers' Market, as well as my own garden, has proven the harvest never stops in Texas. It only changes, bringing new seasons of old favorites.

I hope you had a chance to visit your local farmers' market this weekend and are looking forward to a wonderful week of local foods. As always, I'll be sharing what we did with our local goodies on Thursday in the weekly "Market to Table" post. Until then, have a great week! And, as always, Happy (and mindful) Eating!