Farmer's Market: Introduction

Everyone knows that the Farmer’s Market is hot right now. Don’t believe me? Check out your Facebook, and I guarantee you that someone took a picture of their “finds.” I will be doing a Farmer’s Market themed string of posts for a whole week. My mission is to use as many products from the market as possible, and to see what it is like to grocery shop at the market instead of the store.

I spent 90 dollars at the market, and about 10 dollars at the store. I do not include deserts, or snacks. In fact, we eat left overs for lunches, and usually do simple things for breakfast, if we do anything at all. I cooked 1 meal a day. I will post a new meal every day with a recipe and pictures. Here is what you can expect:

Sunday: Roasted whole chicken, green beans and mashed potatoes with gravy

Monday: Lasagna

Tuesday: Shish Kabobs

Wednesday: Chicken Pot Pie

Thursday: Chicken Quesadillas with Swiss and kale

Friday: Steak Dinner with Green Beans and Baked Potatoes

Saturday: Garlic Chicken thighs

Sunday: Hamburgers

So what does 90 dollars get you? I’m glad you asked. (Note: if you are going to try this at home, you may want to bring a friend to help you carry it all.) Here is my spread.

Produce: $29.75 for kale, potatoes, green beans, onions, corn on the cob, tomatoes, and fresh spices

 

 

Dairy: $10. 25 for .40 Oz of butter, a dozen eggs, and .74 Oz of Swiss.

 

 

Meat: This was 50 dollars, a big chunk of my budget. The whole chicken was about 5 pounds, and was 20 dollars. I also had chicken thighs, stew meat and NY Strip steak. All of it was fresh and local.

 

 

Best Deal: Fresh spices. They were 3 dollars for a Ziplock sandwich bag full of oregano, basil, rosemary, fennel and you can mix and match. half a Ziplock bag of basil costs 3 dollars at the store, and these were full of so much more flavor. A little goes a long way. Bonus point for being able to dry it, giving it a very long shelf life.

Worst Deal: Nothing I bought was a bad deal, but I do think the prices for fruit are way too high.

Best indulgence: The chocolate, oh yes, the chocolate. It is expensive, but it makes you feel European eating high quality chocolate and taking it as seriously as fine wine or cheese. If you have 20 bucks on you, and want to do something fun, buy a sampler and host a chocolate tasting with your friends. I did this for my mom's birthday and it was a hit.

Tips: The market is ideal around 8:00, especially if you want choices for a week's worth of food. You will avoid the crowds, and all of the vendors are stocked. If you come at 10 or later, it will be a completely different scene. There are crowds of people, and you may not get enough meat or specific produce. However, there is usually music, or popsicle stands, or people around to hand you flyers for things that are happening around town. So, if you are just looking to get some fresh peaches, you may want to come later. The shops are also open then, so it is good for killing an afternoon. Serious shoppers should come as early as they can.

Most importantly, have fun and support your local businesses!