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My love of Farmer's markets runs deep and true. I'm a food geek and the idea of knowing where my food came from and talking to the people that grew it, well, it makes me giddy. Go ahead and laugh, I'll wait.
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When I found out Janine Maclachlan who I met through my blog was writing a book called Farmers' Markets of the Heartland, I knew it was a book I needed to own.
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Living in the Midwest, we take great pride in our agriculture and buying local is good for the community. And for me. Honestly, there were 2 things I didn't like about this book. a) I didn't think of it and b) I didn't get to do the research. Oh, the research...
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Aside from trying the recipes in the book, I plan on using it whenever I am forced to travel on a Saturday and have to miss my own market. Maybe then I will be slightly less resentful about being away from home.
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Even my beloved Village market makes the cut. In case you can't visit it in person I thought seeing these pictures would be the next best thing. Of course you are still missing out on the second best part of the Farmer's Market, chatting with neighbors over the fresh beets.
Janine has been sweet enough to offer to send one of you a copy of her book. All you have to do is leave a comment here before midnight on June 20th and if you want to share what your favorite thing is to buy and/or make from the Farmer's Market, I would love to read it.
I love that you are so passionate about eating healthy and buying locally. I have tried to learn over the last few years to buy locally, even if it costs more, and to buy in season. I wasn't necessarily raised that way so it's been a new road for me. We love going to local orchards and picking our own blueberries, strawberries, and apples. What I cannot grow in my own garden, I do try to find from another local gardener or farmer. Our garden is full of squash, zuchinni, okra, tomatoes, cucumbers. I also love growing my own herbs. We have a small orchard ourselves but the trees are only a few years old so they are not producing yet. I cannot wait for that to happen. We have peach, plum, apple and pear trees. What about y'all? Do you have a garden?
ReplyDeleteThe farmers' market in my town starts this Thursday evening and we are looking forward to it. I receive organic produce through a food co-op but, unfortunately, organic doesn't always mean local and I am hoping to find both at the farmers' market. This time of year lettuces are in season here and my favorite thing to get.
ReplyDeleteWe really enjoy visiting our Farmer's Market and I love to pop over to Findlay Market in Cincy. Fresh cut flowers have to be tied equally with fresh vegies as my favorite purchases.
ReplyDeletehow lovely! i've been watching lots of ina garten lately and am so inspired by her to whip up fresh and simple dinners. this book looks fabuloso!
ReplyDeletexo
elyse
oh you know I love a Farmers Market! I know I should say that the veggies are my favorite thing to buy, but really it is the berries and the wildflowers. Especially the sunflowers.
ReplyDeleteHonestly - I don't have a "favorite" Farmer's Market find. Everything we get is something special, and unlike what is found at the grocery store. Sometimes it's corn-on-the-cob, sometimes berries, or peaches. Yum!
ReplyDeleteHow generous! I love Farmers Markets too. I live in Central California where we grow tons and tons of stone fruit and grapes! I can't resist a nice gorgeous ripe peach, apricot, or plum. But my true favorite would be the bouquets of flowers! Thanks for this chance!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness. I signed up for my first CSA, which begins next Friday. This book would really come in handy.
ReplyDeleteI love Farmers Markets. So homey. I love corn, peas, flowers, all of it.
ReplyDeleteErin
eparker@arkwest.com
I wish I could get to one of the local markets. There is one held Friday night- & 1 on Saturday- I am at work both these times- I keep hoping for a Sunday market. My inlaw's town has thiers on Tuesday eveings- Wish our town did too!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a really cool book! I'd love to have it!
ReplyDeleteI love buying gladiolus at the Farmer's Market and beautiful heirloom tomatoes. :-)
ReplyDeleteMy sister just bought that book & I loved looking through it! What a fabulous treat to have! I love the corn & berries best! We have a little garden growing veggies & flowers! Hoping to bump into you one of these Saturdays!
ReplyDeleteWe have a love affair with the farmer's market too! One of my favorite things to buy is goat cheese. We make a delicious grilled cheese which is actually called Farmer's Market Grilled Cheese http://www.bhg.com/recipe/sandwiches/farmers-market-grilled-cheese/. Yum!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a wonderful book. T love my city's all local farmers market. T enjoy going for the atmosphere even if T don't really need anything. There are so many great things to choose from but my favorite things are probably Caw Caw Creek bacon and these shortbread bars from a women who makes several different kinds of cookies and sweet treats.
ReplyDeleteWe are blessed to live in Orange County Indiana and have one of the top farmers markets in the country. The Orange County Farmers Market is award winning, My favorite things to pick up there are the wildflower bouquets. Sun warmd tomatoes are next on my list. The book looks so interesting, sort of reminds me of the "Cooking In Quilt Country" from a few years ago. Loving this post.
ReplyDeleteI love our farmer's market . . . it's in the oldest park in our city and within walking distance of my house. There are giant old trees, a fountain for the kids and a playground as well as a gazebo, clocktower (complete with moving story parts) and a stage for outdoor concerts. Our market sells all sorts of produce as well as homemade goods, yummy things to eat, and lots of farm fresh bouquets. My favorite thing to buy? The local raw honey is a must . . . and the kids love the flavored honey sticks. But I admit the handmade donut holes are pretty awesome too . . .
ReplyDeleteHands down the fresh baked pies and breads but the pasta runs a close second! I'm so happy more and more of these markets seem to pop up every season.
ReplyDeletelooks like a great book. i wish we had a good farmers market around me. i went to one about 30 miles from here and it was ok.
ReplyDeletehow fun! i am so excited to find out about farmers markets in our new area!
ReplyDeleteI love it when the corn is in at the Farmer's Market, I also love the fresh breads and honey and lemon shake ups....it's all so good!
ReplyDeleteI love to make a pie from whatever fruit looked the best to me that morning ---- and I love to eat a freshly baked scone with coffee as I wander through. What a gorgeous book!
ReplyDeleteFresh corn. I don't have enough room to grow it in my yard but it's sooooooooo good.
ReplyDeleteWe have a beautiful Farmer's Market here, one of the biggest on the West Coast in Puyallup, Wa. And of course, the Seattle Pike Place Market is always a treat and destination whenever we go to the city. My favorite thing to buy at the market are blueberries. Blueberry muffins, cobbler, and pie, oh, and fresh strawberries. There is nothing better than strawberry shortcake! xx
ReplyDeleteMy son and I love to buy items from a stand that sells gluten free items. Pizza rolls, cookies and etc. mmmmmmm.
ReplyDeleteHave I really missed this many posts here??? I LOVE your new staircase. I love your travel journals and I LOVE that you read : ) You are so darn neat about it too. I am more like your girl! Not so neat about it.
ReplyDeleteI love a farmer's market too M. I can't think of anything I would rather be doing than going to the different booths of fresh food and choosing my next weeks meals.
The closest one to me is on Thursdays, but Boise's is my favorite at over 200 miles away. So worth it!
sending hugs...
this looks like a great book! being a fellow midwesterner, i must check it out. i love our local markets too and am trying my hand at growing some veggies this season...so far i have lettuce and it's great to not have to buy it an worry about pesticides, etc.
ReplyDeleteyour pasta looks so yummy!
I prefer to eat locally, BECAUSE IT TASTES SO MUCH BETTER!!! And for so many other reasons. It is so fun to take my cart and hit the stands.
ReplyDeleteYummy!!
~Shanon
I love the farmer's market in downtown Detroit. Eastern market is 43 acres big! I has everything you need plus things you didn't know you needed. Lol. Fresh veggies and artisan breads. Yum. I would love to win this book. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteOh, Jen, I'm so excited to be featured on your charming blog - and delighted to add my book to your stack. Thanks to all your readers for their lovely comments!
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Janine
author, Farmers' Markets of the Heartland
Our local farmers market is held Sat. mornings on the lawn of the historic Madison County Courthouse (Winterset, IA). Since the county is a tourist destination we have many customers from far & near. It's always fun to learn where these new customers call home.
ReplyDeleteI love the opening day of our farmers market. To me it's just like CHRISTMAS! You never really know what you'll find until you get there.
Congratulations, Janine, on your new book!
Hi Jen
ReplyDeleteWe are lucky enough to be within walking distance to our farmers market which runs May~Oct 3x weekly. Strawberries are the must have at the moment (I bought some new canning jars to make jam) :-) and always pick up a bunch of sweet peas ♥
Thanks for the chance to win this beautiful book xo
We grow most of our own veggies for in the spring, summer and fall,so what I love are the berries and fruits. Especially locally grow plums, figs and white peaches. And while it is not a recipe, I can recommend you serve ripe figs with fresh biscuits and butter. It is a little taste of summertime.
ReplyDeleteWe haven't found a good convenient farmers market since moving to the DFW area
ReplyDeleteWe do better finding Texas grown items at 3 of the different grocery stores in this area. One even offers apples from back home in NY which I know is high on the don't buy out of your area gig but ohh there is nothing like a NY state apple especially a Mac and I am thrilled to have the taste of back home. I remember our farmers market from my youth it was between our village and a neighboring township it was wonderful they had the best Sweet corn.
We tried growing our own veggie garden but between the wind and extreme temperatures it was a disaster.
The book is beautiful it would be pretty to look at I would love to have it if the NT area was included but if not it should go to someone who would really be blessed by it.
RaNae
Depends on the time of year! Flowers - gladiolas, sunflowers & tulips. Strawberries. Cheese. What's not to like about a farmers market?
ReplyDeleteAwesome! Love a good veg book. Beautiful too.
ReplyDeletei'll have to check out this book ... i adore farmer's markets. in fact, i wrote a whole blog post once about a day at the farmer's market in st paul. there's nothing more inspiring that having no plans for what to eat, and making it up as you shop, depending on what looks good. and the flowers ... man, the flowers are amazing. i love to go early on saturday mornings, because there's a guarantee that there will be at least one bride there gathering up flowers for her bouquet, making it on the spot. love that. you should totally come visit the st paul one ... you know i have a room for you. ;o)
ReplyDeleteI love the freshness and color of the fruits and vegetables. Somehow the tastes are so intense! I love to mix fresh farmer's market veggies with pasta and olive oil and a generous sprinkling of parmesan cheese! Pair that with a great glass of red wine, and oooh...life is good!
ReplyDeleteI loVe farmers market ~ finding homemade soap in one was a treat :)
ReplyDeletehaPpY dAy :) crystal
I'd love to own this wonderful book! The one thing I really miss about Indiana is the extensive, easily accessible farmer's market in Carmel.
ReplyDeleteStrolling by the stalls at the Farmer's Market is such a treat! Each one is better than the last. Such beautiful and fresh produce. I love hearing the farmers talk about how they just picked certain items that morning to sell.
ReplyDeleteI love farmer's markets! Basically, any homegrown, local veggie or fruit is something I love. Your pasta dish looks light, fresh, and delicious. Perfect for a hot summer day!
ReplyDeleteOH....right now my favorite thing to buy at the farmer's market...or any local fresh stand is green beans.....I can't wait for the tomatos though!!!!! I also love the fresh cut flowers......
ReplyDeleteAndrea
AndeM1@hotmail.com
I am so happy every time I stop by and read all about your new life you've talked about wanting for so long!!! Your happiness is so obvious through your writing! So happy for you!!!
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