<p>I am thinking about going this morning. There use to be one on Wed afternoon just down the street from my house. I would go weekly but it was a small market and has ceased operating. Sat AM is the huge downtown market. Whenever I make the effort I am happy that I did. I love the colors and seeing all the beautiful fresh fruits and vegetables. Our farmers market has local produce but I don’t find the prices to be any bargain.</p>
<p>Yes, and I subscribe to a CSA as well. What is seasonal and how much you pay will vary with what part of the country you are in, who your market attracts, and how big it is. You should google the one in Ferry Plaza, San Francisco. </p>
<p>For us right now its cherries, straw berries, early stone fruit, and just started to get tomatoes, zucchinis and peppers.</p>
<p>well since in comparison to last year when I had so many tomatoes I could have stocked little Italy,- I am going to have to go to the farmers market if I want homegrown.</p>
<p>Every Friday through the summer there’s Farmer’s Market on the green in front of my pet shop. My store is a Friend of the Market and we sponsor one of the vendors – which happens to be from my home town an hour away that I am friendly with.</p>
<p>I hear some complaints about the pricing … but never about the quality. This week – corn is in the market! There’s always good stuff … but they sometimes sell out fast.</p>
<p>two or three times a week. This morning we picked up fresh raspberries, blueberries and ollieberries (a kind of blackberry), lettuce, tomatoes, basil, cukes, peaches and cherries. </p>
<p>I’ll be making a fresh fruit crisp for tomorrow’s party and we will have a pasta with basil and tomatoes tonight along with a salad. DD is making homemade bread for dinner tonight as we speak.</p>
<p>We have many farm stands/markets around here, so yes! Love getting berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries) from farm stands. They’re always so much better than those from the store.</p>
<p>Our market is open on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Usually, I go on Tuesday and then either Friday or Saturday. The prices are much better than in the grocery store. Today I bought eggplant, red pepper, fennel bulb, 6 ears of corn, tomatoes, cantaloupe, blueberries (new jersey - not local, but the best). I also went to the salad stand and had a 6.50 salad made that was large enough for two - it was out of this world. Added some blueberries to it when I came home. Boy do I love summer.</p>
<p>The mood is just so GOOD at the farmer’s market. The colors, the people, the choices - I just love the whole feel. A great change from a “store”.</p>
<p>Abasket - I agree completely. It would be a great research project. People make eye contact, chit-chat, and become acquaintances over time. I think of how energizing it is, particularly to people who don’t have as much social contact, i.e, the elderly or someone who works out of their home (me!).</p>
<p>And may I have a sprig of your cilantro - I should have bought some basil or cilantro for my grilled eggplant/red pepper panini!</p>
<p>Just came home. Strawberries, peaches for a cobbler tomorrow, beets, yukon gold potatoes, corn and a small amount of cherries. I just finished off the cherries in one sitting. Lots of apricots at the market today. I have to make an effort to not buy too much.</p>
<p>Just made a delicious cilantro cream sauce/dip to have with our fresh salsa and stir fried chicken/onion/zucchini mixture! It looks, tastes and smells delicious!</p>
<p>(a bunch of cilantro goes a LONG way - so yes, I’m happy to share!)</p>
<p>Our local farmer’s market is along the marina. We were there last Sunday w/ my MIL. She’s from a very hot, desert community so she loved it. I tried strawberry tomatoes for the first time. Delicious! And the corn was so yummy! Tomorrow, there will be a Fourth of July Parade in the same area so we’ll be going again!</p>
<p>I go to my local farmers’ market nearly every Sunday. There’s also a seasonal one that runs from May-Sept in my town. The produce is excellent - in fact I’ve given up trying to grow tomatoes in my little garden because the heirloom tomatoes at the market are to die for. Last winter I tried out lots of new recipes for greens (kale, chard, spinach) and squashes (butternut, acorn, delicata, kabocha). </p>
<p>Bargains? Ehhh, not so much. At best the prices are comparable to grocery stores; at worst the produce is very pricey. But everything is either certified organic or no-spray, which means no worries about eating pesticides. The taste, freshness and quality is worth the extra cost to me, especially for strawberries, peaches, apricots and nectarines. </p>
<p>Shopping throughout the year brings a new appreciation for food that is best when it’s in season.</p>