Look At These Beauties!

New at the Farmers Market! First persimmons of the season and brussels sprouts on the stalk. Have you seen anything more beautiful?

Maggie Be Chillin'

Here's Maggie in the back of her pimp mobile enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of the farmers market

Farmer's Market Goodness

Another haul at the Farmer's Market. I am going to make homemade marinara sauce with the celery, carrots, fresh basil, and a bushel of tomatoes still growing in our garden! I picked up some swiss chard and yellow zucchini. I asked the farmer lady what I could do with the swiss chard and she suggested to sautee it with garlic and olive oil. Also, she said the yellow zucchini is much sweeter than the green zucchini. Sounds good! I can't wait to stuff my gob!

Farmer's Market Again...

This week's grocery haul. Not a huge one. Green beans are now in season. Needed protein so I got sardines imported from Portugal and Organic tofu. From now on, I am buying organic soy products because I do not want to support or advocate Monsanto.

I'm proud of the fact that I haven't stepped inside a large grocery chain like Safeway for a few months now. Most of my produce has come from the Farmer's Market, and a few things from the Asian supermarket. Also, the farmer's market is much more interesting and exciting than the generic supermarket. The supermarket doesn't have live cooking demonstrations using vegetables and fruits that are in season. You get tastings and recipe ideas for free...



In the documentary Food Inc, Michael Pollan says that you're better off buying at the farmer's market these days since you are face to face with the person who is growing your food. At least you're guaranteed that the food you will be eating is real food.

«Other reasons why you should buy local...»

Source: greenrightnow.com

After declining for more than a century, the number of U.S. small farms has increased 20 percent in the past six years. This is in large part a result of the growing demand for locally grown foods, which is slowly but surely shaping the business of food.

Brenton Johnson, an organic farmer and owner of Johnson’s Backyard Garden, came up with this list of top 10 reasons to buy local food, based on his philosophy to live in harmony with the land.

1. Locally grown food tastes better.

Food grown in your own community is usually picked within the past day or two. It’s crisp, sweet, and loaded with flavor. Produce flown or trucked in is much older. Several studies have shown that the average distance food travels from farm to plate is 1,500 miles.

2. Local produce is better for you.

Fresh [supermarket] produce loses nutrients quickly. Locally grown food, purchased soon after harvest, retains its nutrients.

3. Local food preserves genetic diversity.

In the modern industrial agricultural system, varieties are chosen for their ability to ripen simultaneously and withstand harvesting equipment. Only a handful of varieties of fruits and vegetables meet those rigorous demands, so there is little genetic diversity in the plants grown. Local farms, in contrast, grow a huge number of varieties to provide a long season of harvest, an array of eye-catching colors, and the best flavors.

4. Local food is GMO-free.

Although biotechnology companies have been trying to commercialize genetically modified fruits and vegetables, they are currently licensing them only to large factory-style farms. Local farmers don’t have access to genetically modified seed, and most of them wouldn’t use it even if they could.

5. Local food supports local farm families.

With fewer than 1 million Americans now listing farming as their primary occupation, farmers are a vanishing breed. Local farmers who sell direct to consumers cut out the middle man and get full retail price for their crops.

6. Local food builds a stronger community.

When you buy direct from the farmer, you are re-establishing a time-honored connection between the eater and the grower.

7. Local food preserves open space.

As the value of direct-marketed fruits and vegetables increases, selling farmland for development becomes less likely. The rural landscape will survive only as long as farms are financially viable.

8. Local food helps to keep your taxes in check.

Farms contribute more in taxes than they require in services, whereas suburban development costs more than it generates in taxes.

9. Local food supports a clean environment and benefits wildlife.

A well-managed family farm is a place where the resources of fertile soil and clean water are valued. Good stewards of the land grow cover crops to prevent erosion and replace nutrients used by their crops. Cover crops also capture carbon emissions and help combat global warming.

10. Local food is about the future.

By supporting local farmers today, you can help ensure that there will be farms in your community tomorrow, so that future generations will have access to nourishing, flavorful, and abundant food.

Going to Spain

It's hot. I've got a shitload of fresh vegetables from the Farmer's Market and my garden. What to do? Make Spanish tapas of course...

For dinner, I will be having:

Gazpacho, a refreshing cold summer vegetable soup:

Photo from the thefoodmonkey.com

Escalibada, an assortment of roasted grilled veggies doused with garlic infused olive oil:



Gambas al Ajillo, a sizzling platter of garlic jumbo prawns:

Photo from recipezaar

Earthquake Weather

It is freakin' hot today! It's around 97 degrees! Either Indian summer has started early or we are going to have an earthquake. Today was way too hot to spend all day outdoors so we didn't spend much time in the Farmer's Market. We got whatever we needed and booked it out of there. My dog, Maggie was in the back of the Landcruiser, we were worried about her also. Luckily, I packed some ice so it wouldn't be too hot for her.

«Another typical but roasting day at the Farmer's Market...»

It was so hot people were walking around wit parasols

Headless people playing chess!

New goodies in season from the Farmer's Market...

Bounty of peppers: red and green bell peppers, jalapenos, banana peppers! All this for only a dollar!

Succulent and sweet strawberries! $3 dollars for a huge basket!

Fatso Manifesto: Eating With the Seasons

Today was a gorgeous day. The weather was just right, not too hot and not too cold. I went with my mom to the Farmer's Market. I can never get bored of the Farmer's Market. Every time I go, I encounter new and exciting fruits and veggies that peak my curiosity. I'm also starting to learn which fruits and veggies are in season. And believe me when I tell you this, you save a shitload of money when you shop for produce in season.Not only do you save money but you are buying produce at their peak, when they are at their highest in nutrients. August is the best month because there is so much variety to choose from! These days I hardly ever spend my money, and if I'm gonna spend it, I'd rather spend it on good food that's good for me! I spent a whopping $12 at farmer's market (plus $10 at the Asian supermarket)! Unbelievable price for the amount of stuff I got!

«Check out what's in season (and some not in season)...»

Fruits and Veggies in Season at the Farmer's Market:

Six ears of fresh, sweet corn for $3!They are cheap! Corn is at its peak in August so get them while you can! Are you jealous, Hop Along? I know you love fresh corn on the cob! :P

Organic Japanese Eggplant (or aubergine for you UKers) $2 per lb.

Zucchini (or as they say in UK "courgettes") $2 per lb.

Gorgeous red and green bell peppers. I got two for $1.50

Mini Yellow Heirloom Tomatoes for only $.75 per lb. These are so cute and they taste good too!

Such a work of art! I can stare at these all day! It's late rasberry season! I got a mix of three different berries for $3.00! Blackberries, Golden Yellow rasberries, and red rasberries

These beautiful babies are in season! You can tell they are at their peak because I bit into one and I swear it was so juicy I had to wear a bikini to eat it. It's really sweet too. White peaches and nectarines are going for $1.50 per lb!

Sold at the Farmer's Market but not in season:

Cauliflower is a winter vegetable. $2.00 a head

Broccoli, another winter veggie

Organic Parsley and Cilantro(UK translation: coriander), these Fall/Winter/Spring herbs

More stuff at the Asian supermarket:

Lime is only 10 cents here!

Spring onions are only 54 cents a bundle

Red leaf lettuce is only 54 cents a head

I crave for noodles lately. Buckwheat soba and Sweet Potato cellophane are my favorite. I like to have my noodles with sauteed veggies or the soba noodles in broth.

And for a little treat now and then, Mochi ice cream! If you never had Mochi ice cream, I suggest you try it, it is so good! Mochi ice cream is a Japanese confection made from mochi (pulverized sticky rice) with an ice cream filling in different kinds of flavors: strawberry, mango, chocolate, green tea, etc.

And on top of all the produce we bought at the farmer's market and the asian supermarket, our garden is going crazy. We are currently harvesting...

Can you guess it's tomato season? The pic doesn't do it justice. These tomatoes are as big as a newborn baby's head. They are the big bertha variety and that's not even half of it. There are roma tomatoes and cherry tomatoes still ripening on the vine. More to come!

We also have fuji apples and miniature pears!

Whew! I'm beat. Now THIS is a grocery haul! I'll be eating good this week! :)