Rediscover Summer Fun

"Vacation - an interlude from one's customary duties, a rest, a holiday. Enjoy!"

Enjoying the Summer Harvest - Delicious!

Visiting the farmer's market has been a part of my life since I was a little girl. Today, it is a regular part of my Saturday mornings. Ours starts at 8:00 am. The early birds get the freshest vegetables and the best fruit. As well, the German baker has all of his rye breads, buns, and pretzels out on display. He has a pumpkin seed loaf that is my favorite! Mmmmmm. Check out the fresh green peppers and sweet white onions.

Unfortunately, I got to the Farmer's Market too late in the day to harvest the best foods (and the best photos - next time). I was after fresh peppers, small cucumbers so my husband could make dill pickles (he likes to can), squash, and my new favorite: citrus cauliflower. So, I headed of to one of the local farmers who operates a small store on his property. Jackpot!

I walked out of there with SIX bags of fresh fruit and vegetables for just $27.00. All of them local, all of them picked that morning. Does it get any better than that?

So what did I buy? I didn't show it all in the picture. Here we go... 10 pounds of small cucumbers, three citrus cauliflowers (my new favorite), one purple cauliflower, one acorn squash, one butternut squash (I have a great soup recipe for this), three ivory peppers (these pale yellow peppers are delicious raw), two purple peppers, one black pepper, one red pepper, one orange pepper, and one green pepper. Four zuchinni (two yellow, two green), three huge cucumbers (29 cents each), two red onions, one Walla Walla onion, two heads of garlic, one eggplant (does anyone know how to cook these things?), and finally one MYSTERY VEGETABLE. The tomatoes and fresh parsley came from my small garden.

Looking for some color to add to your salad or fresh veggie platter? Look at the rainbow of colors in the sweet pepper family. Yellow, ivory, orange, red, green, purple, and black. The yellow, ivory, and purple peppers are especially sweet. We slice one up and eat it like fruit.

And if you thought cauliflower only came in white, think again. White, yellow, green, and purple are only a few of the choices now available. My new favorite is the citrus cauliflower. This orange-yellow beauty is delicous steamed with melted cheese. I bought extra so that I could freeze some for the winter. We haven't tried the purple cauliflower yet. I'll let you know how it tastes.

This week try to find your way to a local Farmer's Market. If you can't find one, then head to your local grocery store. Now, select a vegetable or fruit that you have never tried before. Do a search online to find out how to cook and/or serve it. Who knows, maybe you will find a new way to bring new "green food" to your table. Enjoy! - Cindy

Take care of you and enjoy the summer harvest!

Cindy