Local diet update - October 12, 2009

Well, it was a little nippy Saturday morning, but with almost 20 vendors and a parking lot full of fresh, local food and crafts, the farmers' market was the place to be. Seriously. Take a look a this! Available at this week's Brazos Valley Farmers' market were

Veggies and Fruits: red potatoes, yellow onions, hubbard squash, patty pan squash, collards, carrots, cherry tomatoes, sweet potatoes, cucumber, yellow squash, zucchini, green beans, a variety of hot and sweet peppers, okra, spinach, herbs, black eyed peas, dried apples, and pears

Baked Goods: yeast breads, herb breads, sweet breads, peanut brittle, cookies, pound cake, carrot cake, croutons, cheesecake bars, pecan bars, dog treats

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

Other Foods: cornmeal, grits, wheat flour, eggs, honey, hot pepper sauce, jalapeno oil, locally-roasted peanuts, locally-roasted coffee, olive oil

Non-Food Items (hand-crafted): soaps, lotions, perfumes, stained glass art, decorative plants, fruit trees, vegetable and herb seedlings, aprons, greeting cards, plaques, jewelry, pot holders, dog bowl stands, pottery, bags, purses, a variety of welded iron work (lawn ornaments, plant stands, knick-knacks, etc)

Seriously! Can you beat that harvest? Not to mention all the awesome crafts to get you thinking of the holiday season (there's still plenty of time to join the "Buy Hand for the Holiday" challenge).

Of course, despite having finished off all the leftovers in the fridge this past week, I still have tons of local food still at home between the backyard garden (harvesting sweet potatoes, green onions, green pepper, and sage), the local watermelon and eggs in the fridge, and the local soups, corn, pasta sauce, whole wheat flour and jams/jellies in the pantry. Yeah, I didn't need much so I kept it simple, just picking up some red potatoes and carrots for Dave's steamed veggie medley and a zucchini given to me by one of the market vendors (Thanks, Helen!). Mmmm! Local tastes good!

And I'm still going strong with Chile's 100 Day Challenge, where I'm challenging myself to eat only what I have preserved, grown myself, or bartered for (aka no spending money on food for myself except for fruit). It actually feels good to start whittling away at some of the pantry supplies. It was getting out of hand and this challenge is a good excuse not to buy anything for awhile - let's face it, I have no self control at the farmers' market without the accountability of the challenge...

So what's local in your neck of the woods?

Have a great week, everyone. And as always, Happy (and mindful) eating!