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The weather was beautiful market morning. July, absolutely, but low humidity and relatively cool temps. We (me and daughters) got there around 8am (opening hour) and had a lovely and productive stroll. I love this time of year! We were having some guests for dinner (picnic) so I was really looking for some exciting stuff and wasn't disappointed.
Of course we bought mushrooms, tomatoes, corn, beans, zucchini.
I have been shopping at my local (Collingswood, NJ) farmer's market for ten years. For as long as it's been in existence. During the months that the market is open (May through November) I do nearly all of my food shopping there. Because I do that much shopping there I have had to come up with a way of being able to carry everything I buy. I do go back to the car (or send a daughter) when we simply have too much to carry. Remember...corn is heavy, tomatoes are delicate...one cannot simply dump everything into one bag or cart.
Dear husband's favorite dessert is coffee ice cream with hot fudge sauce. All of the hot fudge sauces I've tried to buy have either too much sugar or high fructose corn syrup. We don't eat high fructose corn syrup!
Thirty years ago when we were just newlyweds I discovered the easiest and best recipe for hot fudge sauce. When I dug it out for a Father's Day treat for husband I realized that the carbs in it were low as long as I used the finest quality chocolate...and why wouldn't I use that?
There is nothing quite like fresh New Jersey sweet white corn. When it's fresh picked you can actually eat it raw. Now I know some of you are wondering how corn fits into a low carb diet. Fresh corn, when cooked properly does not turn super starchy. That having been said. I limit my corn eating for fresh New Jersey corn.
It was a beautiful morning for the market. The crowds are learning to respect the opening hour and shopping was a lot easier. Youngest daughter was at a seminar in Chicago and oldest daughter was getting ready to go to NYC to see her first Broadway Show (a birthday present from her boyfriend!) so...I was planning on the trip myself. For years I shopped alone and I was fine. Now I always have company and that is fine too. This week dear husband joined me. He had on his trusty market logo baseball hat. And he pulled my wagon!
Younger daughter, Kate, and I went to the farmer's market early again this week. It used to be that if we got to the market between 8am and 8:30am we were shopping with the bulk buyers. Restaurant owners, me, a few other shoppers who clearly are what are now called locavores. Now...this year...we try to get to the market by 7:55am just to be able to park and it's already crowded. This week we pulled up and parked at 7:55AM. The first thing we did was to return some flower pots to a nice elderly gentleman who sells his son's herbs and flowers.
There is another recipe post on this blog for asparagus done in the oven in a new way. Try it out if you haven't already. It's easy and delicious!
My oldest daughter is dating a nice young man. His name is Dave. Dave lives alone and so, by necessity, has had to learn to cook for himself. He seems to enjoy cooking and cooks for others as well.
Dave is Chinese by birth and cooks a lot of food in his wok. However, he has a neat trick for cooking asparagus.
I waited all winter for NJ Fresh vegetables. And my local farmer's market (Collingswood Farmer's Market) has really come through...as they always do. We had over 70 inches of snow this past winter and a very wet early spring. Because of that many of the fruit and vegetable crops are coming in and leaving earlier.
One of the first fresh vegetables farmer's bring to the market here in New Jersey is fresh asparagus. There are thick and thin varieties. We like both. I used them differently. This week was the last week for asparagus. So, because it was the last week, I bought three bunches. Now, as you no doubt know, asparagus dries out and gets limp. Yuck. Our local supermarkets display fresh asparagus with the bottom stems in water. So, I figured, if they can do it, so can I.
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