Eating Like a Locavore (Part I)

J and I are fortunate to live in an area with one of the best "locavore" communities -- for the uninitiated, the term refers to a person who prefers to eat foods grown or raised locally, as opposed to sourced from long distances. In fact, our weekly Farmer's Market opened for the season last weekend, and we finally had the chance to check it out today. Why eat local? Well, aside from the obvious lower-carbon-footprint advantage, the food is super fresh, typically hormone-free, often from family farms, and offers a better value than supermarket stuff. While we don't choose to eat exclusively local, we both prefer the combined benefits of helping the community and eating better.

So today, we set out to explore the market with an eye for a new recipe for the week, and to start pricing some things we haven't tried yet. Last year we stuck to mainly fruits and veggies (with some wine and maple syrup thrown in for good measure), but I'd like to try out the grass-fed meats and free-range eggs soon. We happen to have a very good butcher shop/market in our area that we've relied on for meat products for a while, but it would be nice to make a truly local-sourced meal this summer.

After making the circuit once to get a feel for what the sellers had to offer, I honed in immediately on this display of potatoes:

Look at 'em all! 

From the folks at Heron Pond Farm

I had a recipe in mind already for this week, and seeing these gorgeous golden taters just sealed the deal. In the bag they went.

This is the time of year for planting and transplanting seedlings, so the majority of the sellers had baby plants in pots, ready for their new homes in backyard gardens. We have a small outdoor space that is just crying for some edibles, but our soil is poor and drainage is bad -- not a good combination for growing food items. Still, it might be worth a shot...

From Wake Robin Farm

Ah well, maybe next week. This seller also had a great selection of produce, and J couldn't resist some fresh lettuce for salads this week. 

Both above photos also from Wake Robin Farm

At the season progresses, more sellers will appear with an eye-popping array of goods... and we'll have some decisions to make! I'm looking forward to putting some new foods on the table, and maybe making some new favorite dishes for cookouts and get-togethers. 

Part II of Eating Like a Locavore will commence when I make something with these fabulous ingredients. Tonight we're celebrating an early Mother's Day with both families (and hey, none of us have to cook or clean up!!), but then it's back to the kitchen and some creative cooking. Happy spring!