ErinSlick

Rick and I went to the Community Farmer’s Market near the Fairfax Courthouse today. First time this season. Of course we bought too much. We do this every year. We’re so excited to see real produce, grown on a real farm, we go bananas. I bought beets, peaches, plums, baby eggplants, yellow cherry tomatoes and black raspberries. He bought red tomatoes, honey, sourdough bread, coffee cake, brownies, pumpkin bread and white tea. (Ask me which one of us is more concerned with health and weight.. go ahead ask.) When we got home, I made us toast, tea, tomatoes, olives and feta for breakfast. The black raspberries were so sweet, I just smooshed them into my toast for ad hoc jam. It was delicious.

I have high standards for a farmer’s market. I lived in Madison and the Dane County Farmers Market consistently gets rated as the best in the country. I can attest that it is. I miss it. I like the Community Market in Fairfax. It’s very small and manageable. And the vendors sell homemade or homegrown treats.

It’s no secret that around here, most of the vendors at area farmer’s markets just buy their produce in bulk from a warehouse. It’s very likely the same stuff you’d get at Giant. I think this is fraud. Their stuff may be cheaper, but it never smells like dirt. And they sell stuff that is clearly out of season. Which to me is the dead giveaway.

But if you look hard enough, you’ll find actual farm-fresh fruits and vegetables at local markets. I know for a fact that at least three of the vendors at the Community Farmer’s Market represent actual farms. And I love that. After all, if tomatoes don’t smell like the sun and the vine and the beets don’t have a little dirt on them, what’s the point?