When the Farmers Hand You Lemons...

I am always looking to eat the tastiest food and in my search I have found my local farmers markets. To my joy I've had some of the best of the best produce and foods I could ask for. As I continued to make my purchases week to week there was a slow revelation that local food is truly seasonal, you can't always get any type of food you want. I had to change the way I ate, making my culinary purchases first then forming my meals around what I could get that week. This was a beneficial thing! I found myself looking forward to perfect green beans, waiting the year over for succulent cherry tomatoes, dreaming of when "those limes" would be back, and on and on. My meals haven't suffered they have been elevated. My goal is to share my experiences with amazing food, supporting the awesome people I have met along the way, and encouraging you to find, experience, and support the local artisans in your community.

As convenient as it might be to go to your local chain grocery store and pick out the generic produce or other ingredients, the truth is you are cheating yourself. While it is certainly possible to create delicious meals with grocery store ingredients, there is no comparison with the quality, taste, and freshness you can find from your local farms.

With the renewed focus on healthy eating that has come about in the last few years, farmer's markets have never been more accessible. This leaves most Americans with a wonderful bounty of naturally grown, seasonal ingredients at their fingertips, provided they are willing to sacrifice a slight amount of convenience and habit in order to truly enjoy the fullness of flavor that the natural world provides.

Better yet, you can eat these delicious foods while also benefiting the local farmers and small businesses in your community. Many markets feature not only farmers who sell what they grow themselves, but also bakers, meat sellers, fish mongers, apiarists, and more, all providing high quality, fresh products.

The aim of this particular series of blog posts is to demonstrate how you can go to your local farmer's market and use your creativity to construct delicious, wonderful dishes.  Even if you aren't sure how to cook with or prepare something, take the challenge and buy it. With a few web searches you can expand your culinary knowledge and brighten up your weekly meals by inserting these ingredients into a familiar dish or making something completely new to add to your table.

Here's a simple tasting of what's to come. A scrumptious and romantic dessert that requires no cooking and minimal prep: Strawberries and Chocolate Milk. 

Excepting perhaps watermelon, no fruit is as synonymous with summer as the sweet and juicy strawberry. Just a bite conjurers memories of balmy summer evenings out on the deck, watching fireflies and enjoying mom's strawberry shortcake. I got mine from the Promenade Certified Farmers Market in Temecula, California. These artisans meet every Wednesday so if you live near there, I would highly recommend visiting. My favorite lunch breaks are spent perusing their fare.

What pairs better with strawberries than chocolate? And perhaps just as vital as finding your favorite local farmer's is finding your local dairies to keep yourself stocked with the highest quality eggs, milk, butter, cheese, and ice cream. One of the best in my area is called DeJong's dairy in Wildomar, CA, they sell fresh dairy milk both regular and chocolate, and I am afraid that unless you live close you'll have to settle for the second best chocolate milk in the world at your own local dairy. DeJong's chocolate milk is heavenly, it's like drinking the end of a chocolate milkshake, so creamy and smooth it's perfect. (It is also my post run recovery beverage of choice.)

What better way to enjoy a romantic dessert than by watching a romantic movie? Many consider 1942's Casablanca as the peak of classic Hollywood movie romance, so if you haven't seen it, while enjoying your chocolate milk and berries would be a good time to. Already seen it and had your fill? 1946's Notorious is a beautiful, tempestuous romance at the heart of a gripping thriller that will be sure to leave you satisfied as you enjoy your dessert.
Fresh chocolate milk from your local dairy and red ripe strawberries from the farmer's market is a perfect, sweet and refreshing summer dessert that doesn't leave you desperately planning your next trip to the gym. - Z