Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Farmer's Market Wednesday

Did any of you try to see the Leonid Meteor shower this week?  I thought I saw some but it's hard to tell with my eyes...lol.  I went to the Farmer's Market today and each week it gets bigger with more vendors....LOVE!!!  I bought a peck of beans to blanch and freeze tomorrow.

Some itsy bitsy cherry tomatoes..actually they're the normal size.  I've only had one from my plant so far...I got a late start planting.
Some wildflower honey...........
A melon...Arkansas is pretty famous for it's melons...around here anyway.  Probably loves the sandy soil.
Farm fresh eggs that I found out I will be able to get from right here in town all year long! Hallelujah!
I got more eggplant, a light green zuchini and a couple summer squash.  The eggs are just peeled hard boiled that I sat there after rinsing.  I've found organic eggs are harder to peel and I read somewhere how to make it easier but dang if I can remember what it was.  Refrigerate before peeling?  Does anyone know? 
I'm making egg salad for supper and this is from my celery plant.  Remember I planted it last year?  Just take the bottom of your celery that you buy at the store when you're done and plant it in a pot and you have celery whenever you need it.  It is thinner than the big stalks but it's plenty for me and has a great flavor.  It's easier for salads as I don't have to splice it down the middle like I do when the stalks are so big.
I put it outside for the summer and it's doing great.  This is a picture after I cut what I needed.   You might need more than one plant depending on how many are in your family and how much you use celery.
My tomatoes are late but then so was I in planting them.
When my daughter came down she brought me some great Iowa sweet corn and rhubarb from her garden.  We blanched and cut the corn off the cob and froze a bunch and then I chopped and froze rhubarb.  I freeze amounts based on the recipes I use them for usually; like my Mediterranean Salad which gets 2 ears of corn off the cob and my rhubarb cake which gets 1 1/2 cups of rhubarb. 
 My daughter taught me a trick when she was here.....she single bags all the corn and uses a drinking straw to suck the air out of the corner and then seals it completely (we used the zip lock type bags) and then each one is labeled with the date, amount and what it is.  When they're all done (I like to double bag to prevent any freezer burn) she puts all the smaller bags into one big zip lock (gallon size) and then not only is it double bagged but all your corn is together and all your rhubarb or whatever.  Who said you can't teach an old dog new tricks?
The larder is filling up and I'm like a squirrel collecting nuts.  I have this feeling that we are going to have an early Fall and Winter.  I've already seen a few sassafras leaves turning and they are one of the first to show signs of Fall.  
I hope you are having a good week and Happy Trails!








8 comments:

  1. Wow all that lovely fresh food! That's a great tip about the celery. I never would have realised you could that. I don't buy celery very often as I'm not a big fan but the thinner stalks would suit me better. Definitely going to try this. Nice tip from your daughter too. As I'm such a rubbish cook, my sons are always teaching me new ways of doing things! They really love cooking not like me! X

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  2. You got lots of great things at the market. Didn't know about he meteor shower. Hard to see stars around here because of all the city lights. Great idea for storing things in the freezer. I'm not that organized. Green beans boiled with new potatoes is one of my favorite dishes -- my family likes it, too. Have a great day. Tammy

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  3. I put baking soda in the boiling water of my eggs. I can peek them better if ice is put in the bowl while they're cooling and the frig. I don't go to the farmer's market. It's either on the weekend when I'm busy or a weekday and parking is hard. I have to shop in the morning and be stress free. I love your tips about the corn. Cutting corn off the cob has a much better taste than frozen, packaged corn.

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  4. How nice to find such great produce at your farmers market!!!
    Our first farmers market was last Sat. and it's a new thing, so it was pretty un-organized. I think it will get better as time goes on.

    So nice to be filling up your freezer!! I've just about rotated out my older frozen stuff, then I plan on filling it with fresh stuff this Fall.

    I have to agree with you... I feel we might just be in for an early Fall and long winter.....


    Have a good day.

    Kerin

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  5. Loved seeing all your farm fresh food from the farmer's market, and the practical tips from your daughter for freezing foods. You will be well set up for winter at this rate.
    Happy weekend.
    Helen xox

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  6. Love your collection of fresh produce from the market. It's nice to stash some in the freezer for winter.
    Great tips from your kitchen!

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  7. Your produce looks great! I do the same thing with sweet corn and raspberries...freeze individual servings, makes it easier! I also do that with my vegetable soup and my baked beans.It works great for me, I double bag too! What no projects this week?:)

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