Skip the Grocery Store - Head to the Farmer's Market!
Food & Drink | 08.30.10 | by Matt Harrington
Why would anyone wake up early on Saturday? Isn’t that the day we all sleep in and try to recover from the grueling workweek? If there is one day I look forward to waking up early, it’s Saturday. Why? The farmers market. The South of the James Market (Forest Hill Park) has been my grocery store all summer long and has inspired me to spend more time enjoying the cooking process. There’s nothing I love more than fresh tomatoes and basil, and each Saturday I pick up a week’s supply. Right now, I have Tupperware containers lining my freezer with homemade tomato sauce – each ingredient from a local farmer and bought at the South of the James Market. Peaches and watermelon – I have lived on those this summer. I’ve had a fresh, locally grown peach every day for the month and a half, and I always make sure there is some watermelon in arm’s reach. I like to buy a big one and cut it up into cubes for a midday snack every day of the week. I’ve bought beautiful steaks and fresh sausages, which I grill up along side local green peppers and onions. A fresh loaf of bread or honey-glazed rolls made by local bakers can also be found on my counter. A basket of green beans. Potatoes. A pint of blueberries. Blackberries. Raspberries. CHOCOLATE. And the eggplant parmesan I made last week? Oh. My. Goodness. One of the best things about the market, though, is Nate’s Taco Truck. Every week, I try to get a breakfast taco – when the line isn’t too long. Nate read more