Last Saturday, I went down to my local Farmers Market to buy some fresh corn to make my Burst of Color Corn Sauté. As I walked around, I saw some incredible fruits & vegetables. Farmers’ Markets bring you the best in locally grown food and drink, direct from the producers. At a Farmers Market all produce being sold must have been grown, reared, caught, brewed, pickled, baked, or processed within a 100 mile radius of the location of the market. And usually the producer, or someone directly involved with the production of the product, sells the produce themselves.
The intention of a Farmers Market is to allow smaller local producers an outlet direct to the public enabling them to become less reliant on wholesalers and supermarkets. Most Farmers’ Markets are held every Saturday morning at from 8 am to 2 pm.
The use of town center locations allows easy access to all the markets. The average number of producers attending a Farmers Market is around 40 – 45 vendors. This large number of producers ensures that there is huge ranges of produce to taste, try, and buy and helps the shopper to have a true shopping alternative to a supermarket.
All the producers are usually keen to talk about their produce and many offer the chance to sample before you buy. Farmers’ Markets offer numerous benefits to consumers:
> Farmers Markets provide consumers with the opportunity to connect with producers, learn about their produce and their passion
> Fresh food markets offer consumers information on where their food has come from and how far it has traveled
> Farmers Markets build local agri-business opportunities for regional and visiting producers to sell their fresh produce
When I returned home, here is the results of my trip to my local Farmers Market:
Burst of Color Corn Sauté
This colorful dish can be served cold or warm!
Ingredients:
Pam cooking spray
2 cups fresh corn off the cob kernels
1 cup green & red bell peppers, ½ cup each
4 scallions, sliced diagonally in ½-inch pieces
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped or 1 Tbsp dried
8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved and seeded
½ teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
¼ teaspoon hot pepper sauce (optional)
Spray a non-stick skillet with cooking spray and heat to medium. Add corn, peppers and onions. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer vegetables to a bowl and stir in parsley and tomatoes.
Combine sugar, vinegar, mustard, basil, mayonnaise and pepper sauce in a small bowl; whisk together. Pour over corn mixture and toss well.
Serves 6
Bon appetite!
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Douglas Moran
Smithery
Patie
Love Grandma
Rolling
Alan Nothnagle
Salon.com
Comments
Man, you do love your Pam, don't you? :-)
Damned good looking recipe. Think this one's a keeper.
Pam… thanks. My style of cooking is always easy & using the best ingredients one can find. As for a farmers market in your area, check out your local weekly paper. I am sure there most be a good Amish Market near your home.
... with the right amount of Pam Cooking Spray it is delicious!
A-H-P… thanks - presentation, color and taste are ingredients that please the palate.
Jeanette… thanks for stopping by – farmers markets are always a great source for homegrown quality produce.
COS – thanks – bet the family had a marvelous time picking blueberries and I know you will turn them into some incredible dessert.
Hazel… as long as I can remember this market in Augusta has been operating. But never as an organic… just good quality farm grown. During the summer months, it is open daily, but only on Saturday does it draw numerous farmers from around the surrounding area.
LOL... Cristiona
I lived in CT for about 20 odd years and like you, I never saw an orange grove… but did get some juicy oranges at the local markets. I guess organizers look the other way.