Farmer's Market: What do you get?

Eggs, fruit and veg, apple juice, cheese (in moderation!), fish, meat... I do try to resist the bread and cakes but buy them for the kids.

The best things at our farmer's market, depending on the time of year are free range eggs, turkey, venison, seafood, soft fruits (strawberries, raspberries etc) and goat's cheese. Also a lovely man on the local organic co-operative stall who will give you recipe tips for all the obscure veg he sells!

I go to our local farmer's market almost every weekend. Fresh, locally grown peppers, tomatoes, green beans, broccoli...yum! I get whatever looks good and is in season. I've also gotten very nice cut flowers, seasonal plants, herbs and spices. I go with a friend so even if I don't find anything, I've still enjoyed an early morning walk and some laughs.

We try to get whatever is in season...I'm going to miss my cherry tomatoes! Ours will end mid-November! Right now I am stocking up on squash, greens, carrots, beets, apples and sweet potatoes! I also like to get my honey there we get bread, pasta, granola, dog bones and maple syrup there on occasion! I love it because what I spend on fruits and veggies at the farmers market would cost me double or even triple at the grocery store!

We get 95% of our eggs and meat from a local farmer and we order from him through the farmer's market. Otherwise, I get what's in season. Last week I got potatoes, acorn squash, and kale.

Every type of squash I can find! I also tend to buy anything I can't recognize. This has led to discoveries like dragonfruit, starfruit, tanniers, chayotes, ostrich & emu eggs, turban squash and even coagulated pig's blood.

I'm actually going to our Farmers Market (Buffalo) for the first time this Saturday! I'm really excited! I just hope it's not too expensive!

I plan meals with my husband, then I go off to the farmer's market and get everything on the list that I can from there, then go to grocer for the rest.

I get everything that looks good. You can freeze a lot (like avocados and tomatoes).

Ours is tiny, so I try to buy at least a little something from every table. It varies substantially, but this weekend I got honey, sourdough bread, tomatoes (LOTS, mostly heirloom), beet greens, garlic, zucchini, carrots, and purslane. I had never had purslane before, which is one of my favorite parts of the farmer's market - getting unusual ingredients.

Ours just ended for the summer, September 30th (small town, so we don't have a year-round market). I like to get big, fresh butter tarts from the "butter tart lady". She also makes some great breads, and always has a line-up. On Canada Day, she says she sold 1000 butter tarts... and I believe her! The woman fills several of those wide, low rubbermaid-type containers (like the ones designed to store under a bed) with these butter tarts. I'm thankful that she'll be back for 3 weekends prior to Christmas, for the smaller winter market. It would only make economic sense for her to make her butter tarts (which are even more popular as a Christmas goody) available during that time. She told me that she can take advance orders for a dozen or two, for people after a bunch of them.

I also get lettuce, squash (I have a couple of the Red October variety, waiting to be used), organic honey, apple cider, probiotic low-sugar soda from the SodaWorks gal (she has interesting, subtle flavours, sweetened with apple and pear juice. 500 ml is only about 60 calories, and because it's probiotic... it recarbonates itself more if you twist the cap closed again and keep it in the fridge for awhile). I also sometimes get fudge from the local fudge makers, homemade perogies from the Ukrainian family whose business is nothing but, and various scented goodies from the essential oils girl.