I feel so grateful to be able to shop at a Farmer's Market. The produce is farm and morning fresh, and I can know that the words "Organic" are reputable because I have a relationship with the farmers.  I get a 'rush' of ecstatic feelings seeing the lush vegetables and fruits and I get excited with the ideas of what I can prepare from the plant potpourri of selections.

I feel that shopping at a Farmer's Market can be a money saver. It is certainly a quality saver.  I ask my organic stall farmer's if they have the green tops of beets, (because many shoppers aren't aware of the health value of the greens, they have them cut off and they get discarded). All leafy greens are a good source of calcium. I also ask for daikon and turnip greens, which by the way, are delicious steamed or sautéed in a tiny amount of coconut oil.  When I buy radishes, if the leaves are young and fresh, I will steam them or add them to a fresh salad.  My son Stewart has an organic garden and when I visit him in Rhode Island I add radish greens freshly cut into my salads, which create a delicately spicy flavor.

Underneath many stalls there are sometimes boxes that may contain either discarded cut greens for cooking, or perhaps bruised vegetables.  There are times I have been happy to bend down and sort through the give-away produce.  Only my false pride keeps me from bending low to discover the possible rich harvest that may be available.

I allow the best savings and lush produce to guide me about what I will make with the selected produce.  For instance, if the organic kale is tender and robust, especially if it is priced well, I may make a kale salad and kale-barley soup.  I may also add some kale to a pineapple-coconut smoothie, or design a recipe where I use my dehydrator to make kale chips. If I get an especially good buy on some produce or shopping ingredients, I may do some quantity cooking for the freezer.  This is the only way I do "fast foods!"

You can search for locations at Farmer's Markets and CSA's (Community Supported Agriculture) @ http://www.localharvest.org

Especially during these times of GMO affecting the quality of our food and our health – it is a good time to create a relationship with your farmer so that you can confidently know about the source of your food, and how it is grown – and the importance of the effect it will have on your future health.

Organic Consumers Association is a website that you consider looking at to educate yourself about GMO's and their potential harms to our health. http://www.organicconsumers.org
Signing necessary and important petitions may be the only way we have any food rights for the future of our food.

I have a chapter on the subject of GMO'S in my various e-book formats and paperback, Vegan Bite By Bite. www.veganbitebybite.com

1 comments:

Rainbow said...

Those are some good tips. I can't wait to get to a Farmer's Market to try them out.

Post a Comment