This year, I'm doing more home cooking than I ever have on our annual vacation. I try to make it fun for myself, planning ahead what I want to make and organizing the recipes (which was pretty easy considering I wanted to give a whole bunch of Lindsay Nixon's recipes a try). And I try to make it enjoyable for the people that I'm with, feeding them good healthy food that they have never tried before.
Last winter I saw signs on the side of the road for a Marco Island Farmer's Market. We didn't go, but the image of those signs really stuck out in my brain. So this trip, it made it onto my "must do" list. When you eat a lot of fruits and veggies, farmer's markets can become a regular and welcome part of your life.
This market did not disappoint: plenty of vendors, a wide open space and a nice variety of products.
There were greens I had never heard of; Kumasuna and Mizuna mixed in with the Swiss Chard, Collard Greens, Dandelion Greens, Broccoli Raab and Mustard Greens.
Along with the standard Plant-weak fare. These were shocking.
Bananas at the farmer's market? Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore!
Strawberries in December? Hold onto your seat belts!
Gorgeous, red, plump tomatoes everywhere, but not an apple in sight. And all of the produce was much less expensive than anything I could get at my Farmer's Market in Cleveland.
Beautiful bags of homemade pasta in a variety of flavors and grains.
I took home a fettuccine made of emmer, a whole grain that I am not familiar with,
but looking forward to trying . . .
and some seriously great oat bars made with dried fruit and nuts. The Nut Man said they were less than 75 calories per bar, which is very low for a bar like this. I think I'd like the recipe!
Have you done anything fun, new or experimental this week? Are you working or are you chillaxing in your pjs?
Check back tomorrow for the winner of the giveaway and again on Friday for HGK's best recipes of 2011 post!
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