The Farmers Market. $45 spent on perhaps 12 items, including 2 different tomato purchases. And cheese curds, which we are now squeaking our way through at a State Street café, along with a second dose of coffee... and today's first dose of WiFi.
July 25, 2009
Reason for the late start to blogging this morning.
The Farmers Market. $45 spent on perhaps 12 items, including 2 different tomato purchases. And cheese curds, which we are now squeaking our way through at a State Street café, along with a second dose of coffee... and today's first dose of WiFi.
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22 comments:
Farmers' markets prove that food isn't a commodity.
You’ve got curds and you’re squeaking your whey?
Watch out for spiders!!!
Is it testing time from the Summertime Salad posting last week. Bon Appetit! Those tomatos are whoppers.
It is nice to be able to get fresh fruit and produce. It is a shame those of the great white north have such a limited time to enjoy. In Virginia beach, we have a permanent farmer's market open all year, although Dec. to Mar. the pickins are slim. I grow my own tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. The cucumbers peter out in August, but teh peppers and tomatoes go until Thanksgiving or later depending on the first frost. One year I made it until Dec. 23.
Good produce certainly isn't cheap here either. The only place it is really cheap that I have seen is in roadside stands in the California central valleys, since they have such an incredible bounty of fruits and vegetables.
Tomatoes are reasonably priced here in USDA Zone 6b. They are also astonishingly delicious as well as convenient. I should add that mid to late summer is the time of year when bacon achieves its highest purpose.
I just harvested my first tomato this season, a big giant "Mortgage Lifter." I would have had two Cherokee Purples last week, but I lost those early fruit to flower blossom rot. Too bad because Cherokee Purples are excellent. But the vines are doing fine and more Purples are on their way.
The Mortgage Lifter was excellent. I made tomato salad with ripe Romas and sweet Italian onions and basil (and some kosher salt, fresh ground pepper and olive oil), but served the Mortgage Lifter seperate with just a sprinkling of kosher salt because it was so good. I have a lot of green tomatos of several different heirloom varieties that will start coming in shortly.
I did a post a while back because I was shocked that Glenn Reynolds would spend $280 on an iPod hook-up. Now here you come with 12 items at a farmer's market - including tomatoes! - that would embarrass me.
Man, you guys sure know how to blow money,...
BTW, in the old days, I woulda thought White Folks sure know how to blow money.
Here's a question: Do you guys ever spend money on actually trying to accomplish things? Or is it all about the acquisition of shit for shit's sake? I mean, as an artist, I'm always trying to save money to buy materials - music equipment, mostly - to create something that'll affect the larger culture in a positive manner. $280 iPod hook-ups, and $45 on fresh tomatoes, seem like a tremendous waste when there's so much we should, and could, be doing.
Don't get me wrong (I don't hate the rich) but when I see this kind of waste - pretty much waved in my face - and, especially, when I see most politicians can get millions, for essentially doing nothing but planning on how to rip us off for more, it can make me wonder if this country's ever going to get back on track.
It all just strikes me as misplaced priorities, I guess.
I like farmers markets, although a truck farm stand opened down the street that is just selling produce at lower prices than the supermarkets even. Most of their produce is shipped in but they do buy local during the season and to pay half the supermarket rate and a quarter of the organic farmer's market rate is too tempting for most purchases. They have just awesome prices on water, Tuscan, and Honey Dew mellons.
I think the term "organic" is way overrated in itself (the quality difference between organic and regular produce is marginal at best), but I am willing to pay more (organic prices) for truly local produce I cannot grow myself. Becuase getting fruits and veggies the same day from the field is just amazing.
$45 for 12 items. Depends on what quantity the 12 items were.
By the way, I tried red sweet corn the other day. It looked a bit like Indian Corn, but it was sweet and tasty. It was just as sweet as good yellow or bi color (I never liked white sweet corn). The red turns rusty brown when you cook it though.
What I do need to go get is some Saturn peaches. Those are just amazing, like candy really.
Ah, squeaky cheese. You need to be from Wisconsin to appreciate it fully.
Best way to enjoy it is with sips of brandy, which somehow increases the squeakiness.
One eats cheese curds?
I'm from the city. I thought cheese came in blocks wrapped in plastic.
traditionalguy said...
"Is it testing time from the Summertime Salad posting last week"
Yes, tradguy, it is. And we cannot recommend highly enough the following combination:
2. Mix wedges of tomatoes and peaches, add slivers of red onion, a few red-pepper flakes and cilantro. Dress with olive oil and lime or lemon juice. Astonishing.
This just in, direct from the mouth of the Althouse babe herself:
"We need to get another peach."
I'm thinking one from, say, the great state of Georgia.
Cheese curds do squeak when eaten. Did you get white, yellow, or a mixture?
Y'all can brag about your tomatoes, but in Madison, they glow!
I'm surprised a salad of tomatoes and peaches and onions doesn't spontaneously combust. Or compost.
Crack...There you go again with a John The Baptist impersonation. You should keep in mind that our stomachs are sometimes one of our gods when you wonder about our spending habits. What's your take on Skip Gates and his Harvard gig? I see no connection to cults, unless you see Harvard itself as a quasi-cult.
Gracias Meade, we will try your salad dish tomorrow.
Crack Emcee, firstly buying tomatoes at a farmer's market does not equate to buying electronics; it's apple and oranges. One must eat, one does not need an iPod.
Buying from the farmer's market also supports independent, sustainable farms and producers. Most tomatoes sold in the supermarkets and wholesale markets come from Mexico. The largest grower of table tomatoes sold in the US is owned by a billionaire Mexican oligarch.
So just where is our money better spent? Where is the better good? Paying a premium for fresh, organic tomatoes grown by John & Susie Dokes on a family farm, or contributing to the billionaire's next Sikorsky?
Many sellers at farmer's markets are also part of the "slow food" organic movement that not only provides organic foodstuffs, but more importantly; preserves heritage plants/seeds and animal species such as chickens, goats and cattle.
The world's commercial seed stocks are being genetically narrowed to a point that we are flirting with global disaster.
Althouse and hundreds of thousands of us who frequent farmer's markets, farm stands and U-pick orchards are supporting what could be mankind's salvation and nothing is better for your health than fresh food.
Meade, I spooned the Summertime Salad over charcoal grilled snapper in a freshly made corn tortilla. Divoon.
TG,
I wrote about Obama.
BJM,
Your environmentalism is from wrong-headed moralistic scammers trying to gain businesses for themselves. Mexican tomatoes are cheaper and I like billionaires. Organics are no healthier, so manipulation is the issue.
Organic is cultish (food fascism). There's no "chickens, goats and cattle" I'm concerned for. It's a lie (next you'll say don't eat fries for the potato famine). Unfortunately, for people like you, everything is "flirting with global disaster." You need to grow a couple. You have an over-riding, and very weird, desire to control - and not yourself - and too much time.
While you're discriminating, computers find answers to problems and were built on Coke, pizza, and burning resources. You're backwards - and being a chump: we're off to Mars, not "back to the land." Zero-gravity eating pills - not the kitchen. I've got better things to do.
Stop listening to know-nothings and criminals.
Adopt The Macho Response.
Crack Emcee, the only possible response is; eat shit and die.
Gee, thanks, and here's my answer to that.
But, honestly, there is another reaction you could've tried, like "Wow, Crack, I never considered that all these people, oozing such false compassion could actually not have my best interests at heart. Or, maybe, they're all fools - as I've been - and should rededicate myself to trying to listen to common sense more often. I mean, not everyone who talks gruff at me has to be a bad person. As a matter of fact, as this subject proves, it's those who are cooing how enlightened and compassionate you are that are the biggest con men roaming the planet today.
Food for thought - from The Macho Response.
Also there's this:
“Human expansion into the solar system must be accepted as the key goal. Otherwise, manned spaceflight is pointless.”
Nothing about sitting around a kitchen for hours having this conversation:
"Is that cilantro?" "Cilantro?" "I looove cilantro?" "Yea, it's cilantro."
Welcome to the future, man!!!
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