Bright Flavors Come Fresh From The Farmers Market

MISSOURI - Meander through a farmers market, and you may notice your thoughts about fruits and vegetables evolving. Garlic scapes, 30 varieties of apples, white peaches, salmon-colored raspberries, 14 varieties of beans, six varieties of corn. ... Over the course of the growing season, you'll see these and more.
When you buy directly from farmers, what you won't find is out-of-season produce -- no apples in early May, no asparagus in October. Storage and shipping innovations have made most of what we eat seem seasonless, but when you buy locally grown fruits and vegetables, you'll taste the difference.
"So many people are used to opening up a cookbook, looking at a pretty picture and deciding to create a meal without really thinking about whether or not the ingredients are in season at that time," says Peggy Knickerbocker, co-author of "The San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market Cookbook." Her book is a comprehensive guide to choosing, storing and preparing fruits and vegetables based on their seasonal availability.
When shoppers buy from the farmer, they know the food is at its peak, says Julie Ridlon, director of the Clayton Farmers Market.
"The produce is picked when it has the highest sugar content," usually not more than a few days before it is brought to the market, she says. "When you come to shop, it will be ripe."
Some markets include produce vendors, who buy from middlemen. Soulard Market fits that description. Market master Sandra Zak suggests walking around to explore what's being offered and at what prices. This strategy will give you time to decide what to buy, as well as give you a feel for the market's personality.
"The market is a great place to people-watch," Zak says. "Soulard, in particular, is one of the oldest and largest places in the region where people of every ethnicity, socioeconomic group and religion gather together to feed their families good, wholesome food."
That kind of community is vital, Knickerbocker says, and difficult to find.
"We don't have town squares anymore, and most of us are so busy in this day and age that we don't stop to catch up and spend time with others equally interested in eating well and supporting local agriculture," she says.
Ridlon agrees that visiting a farmers market is a sensory experience.
"It's about smells, sounds, sight, feel and taste," she says. "When you come to the market, everything is alive."
Even those who run the markets can be amazed by the wealth of local produce.
"There are things I saw at the market last year that I've never seen before, things like pineapple tomatillos and countless varieties of squash in all shapes and sizes," says Julia Feder, market master of the Central West End's Green Market.
"We've easily got 20 different varieties of peppers, many of which most people have probably never seen before," she says. "The grocery store only offers the basics, but at the market it's all about variety. Trying something new and different each week is truly a joy."
When in doubt about the produce on display, just ask a farmer.
"The person selling you the produce is the best expert you can get," Feder says. "I encourage people to get to know the farmers and ask them tons of questions. They want you to be as satisfied as possible with their products."
from St. Louis Today