Farmers' Market Finds

Today I took all three kids to the Market Square Farmers Market and was very pleased with my purchases. Sometimes all the booths can be overwhelming and you feel paralyzed, "What should I buy?" Ultimately it comes down to what you like and what you're willing to try.

For veggies, I picked up some unique looking summer squash ($2.75/lb), tomatoes ($3/lb) that I plan to dehydrate to make sun dried tomatoes, and swiss chard ($2/bunch) he suggested I saute with garlic. Tonight's dinner was beef stew, and a fresh french baguette ($5) was the perfect addition.

Since Gabrielle at Couponing in Critical Times had raved about the goat cheese (yep, ran into her at the market), I picked up 5 oz of the italian herb variety ($6) from Kira's Kids Dairy. Kira is a goat who's had 29 kids. Larry Banks milks the goats and his wife Kimberly makes the cheese. The cheese is melt-in-your-mouth and can be used on sandwiches instead of mayo, on baguettes, on pizza, or in a variety of recipes.

I had also never tried Cruze Dairy Farm products until ice cream samples were presented to my sons. They gobbled them down quickly, knowing chocolate before noon was a rare treat indeed. "Mmmmmm" was all they could say. We also sampled some of their milk, and I decided on a half gallon of chocolate and a half gallon of whole (for Brooke). Together they were $5 but SO worth it. Bobby commented on the chocolate milk at dinner, "It takes like the ice cream, just melted." Yes, it did! Since we go through 3-4 gallons of milk a week in our home, I'm not ready to pay their prices for all our milk, but sometimes you've just gotta splurge for good health's sake.

I guess that's why I shop the farmers' markets at all. I know the prices are more than I could get at Kroger, but my couponing allows me the luxury of spending more here. I'm willing to pay more for A. local, B. fresher, C. tastier D. healthier. Personally, I seek out the stands that are "Certified Naturally Grown" (a certification similar to organic). We have no local organic farmers because of the money involved in becoming certified organic, but I commend those who make sustainable choices in farming.

Some of my favorites are the Colvin Family Farm, Mountain Meadows Farm, Organicism Farms, and Bob Due's Terraced Gardens Farm. I'm considering joining one of their CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) programs. You pay $20 - $30 a week and get a variety of the freshest fruits and vegetables that farm produces. I saw one woman picking up her box, and I was impressed.

At the end of the market, I had spent $31. But Bobby's response for "Why do we shop at the farmer's market?" was priceless. "Because they sell healthy food. After all, they're farmers!" Ahh, something is sinking in. ;-)

Please continue to check out the farmers markets around town through Thanksgiving (I think). There is one every day but Monday and Sunday I believe. And if there's a UT home game, go early to get a parking space!

Which markets do you frequent? What are your favorite items to pick up at the markets?

My Southern Roots are Showing

If you're a true GRITS (Girl Raised in the South), you know all about the delicacies: fried okra and fried green tomatoes. There's even a book called, The Goodness of Fried Okra. But in case you missed learning the fine art of frying from your mother, I'd like to share a few tips. (Thanks, Mom!)

First of all, let me clear up a common misconception about Southern cooking. Though we like fried food, most of us do not eat it every day or every other day or even every week. We know it's not a healthy way to eat our vegetables, but it's a seasonal luxury that's worth repeating at least twice a month during summer.

Secondly, if you only need one excuse to grow tomatoes and okra, it should be that you get to enjoy it fried fresh. I realize "fried" and "fresh" seem like oxymorons, but the best fried vegetables are straight from the garden. I've been thankful that my neighbor Mitzi has been sharing some of her okra since our plants are a bit behind this year. I look forward to returning the favor when her plants begin to fade off. If you don't have a garden or friends who garden, check out one of our many weekly farmers' markets. I've seen both okra and green tomatoes there.

Preparing both is quite simple. Wash, slice, and coat in corn meal by shaking it in a bag. I sprinkle a little fresh cracked pepper in as well. For cooking, I use vegetable oil in my cast iron skillet. You don't have a cast iron skillet? How can you be Southern and not own a cast iron skillet?! Go get one! The 10 inch skillet is an ideal size.

Fill your pan with at least half an inch of oil and heat 'til a flick of water makes a popping sound. DO NOT ADD THE VEGETABLES UNTIL THE OIL IS REALLY HOT. Hot oil is the key to "searing" the vegetables in a way and ensures the vegetables don't soak up excess oil and become soggy. I use the setting just under the hottest so that they don't burn.

Do not pour a lot in at once; they should be placed in a single layer and not touching each other. Frying is not a process you can walk away from. Watch and turn quickly as they reach a golden brown. Make sure you use a metal slotted spoon unless you want to see how plastic spoons melt. Been there; done that.

Remove them with the spoon onto a plate covered in paper towels. I blot them quickly and crack more fresh pepper on top before getting the next batch into the oil. Most people will only cook what they can eat at a meal. Call me crazy, but I actually like leftover fried veggies. I'll even eat them cold. But they do taste best if you eat them hot out of the oil. Since you haven't cooked any meat, you can compost the paper towels used to drain the oil. Once cool, I pour the used cooking oil into an old jar.

So how about you? Do you like fried okra and green tomatoes? What's your secret?

Living off the Land

Coming from a long line of farmers, I suppose it's in my blood to want to live off the land. Cotton has sustained generations of my family for 150 years; now I'm happy to get a few fresh vegetables to call my own. Maybe that's what drives my new friend and fellow Knoxville blogger Mamabelle to raise her own chickens for eggs. I'd have to check our neighborhood by-laws, but I'm pretty sure "no livestock" is in there somewhere. So for now, I'll stick with reaping the bounty of our small garden.

Take tonight's dinner: To celebrate the incredibly fresh taste of snow peas right off the vine, we ate a few raw as snacks and then steamed the rest slightly for a vegetable and pasta medley. I started by cooking a pound of pasta I got for $1. I then sauteed green onions from the farmers' market; mushrooms, red peppers, and garlic on sale at Kroger this past week; and a few organic carrots. I then added the rest of the chicken breast from the whole chicken I bought for $1.04/lb on manager's special at Kroger and those amazing snow peas I previously mentioned. I added 1/2 cup of parsley growing in our herb garden and a few tablespoons of Classico alfredo sauce I got for a great price when those Classiso coupons were going around in May. When the food is fresh, it's best not to lose it in too many spices or sauces. The result was fresh, healthy, and delicious.

This is far from "living off the land" but I stress that even one ingredient that's fresh can make an entire dish phenomenal. If you're intimidated by growing your own, though you shouldn't be with such guidance from Gabe at Couponing in Critical Times, then consider visiting a farmers' market this week. You'll be glad you did.

New Dirty Dozen

Here's the dilemma: do I buy what's healthier or do I save money? I get it. There's some resistance out there to spending the extra money on organic because most of us don't want to be suckers. What if organic isn't all that special and we're throwing our money away?

I, for one, do NOT feel this way. I've read enough to know the herbicides, pesticides, antibiotics, and growth hormones used in much of mass produced, conventional farming is horrendous. However, I'm not an organic purist. My first choice is to buy locally farmed, non-certified organic foods at our wonderful farmers' markets. Most are responsible farmers and want to produce food they would serve to their families. If you really want a label, look for "certified naturally grown." I hear 4 or 5 of them are at the Market Square farmers' market weekly.

That said, there are other vegetables and fruits I want to buy that can't be grown locally or aren't always in season. That's where I start trying to decide which foods are most important to me to buy organic.

The best place to start is the New Dirty Dozen: 12 Foods to Eat Organic. By choosing organic for these foods, you can reduce the amount of pesticides you ingest by 80%! The list has been around for 15 years, but it changes somewhat from year to year. Here's the list for 2010:

1. Celery: I'm stunned to read that 64 pesticides were detected on celery. Who knew there were 64 pesticides they could use?! I haven't bought organic before, but I'll be looking for that now.

2. Peaches: Peaches didn't fare much better with 62 pesticides. Having grown up with a peach tree, I've seen how quickly they turn from ripe to rotten. I'm thankful we now have two peach trees in the backyard. I'll let you know about July how they taste and how I preserve them.

3. Strawberries: I know it's hard to pay sometimes twice the price for organic vs conventional strawberries, but I think that's money well spent. However, if you're willing to pick them yourself, now is the perfect time to pick your own. We went to Rutherford's Strawberries in Maryville 5/7/10 and the plants are dripping with berries! Look for a post on that soon. Rutherford's is not organic but they use minimal pesticides and the cost is just $1.25 / pound.

4. Apples: Since scrubbing apples doesn't remove all chemical residue and many of the nutrients are in the skin, this is a good food to go organic. Head to Earthfare for these. They've had deals for free apples in the past and most recently they were 3 pounds for $5--a reasonable price. If they have them at Kroger, look for bags in bulk.

5. Blueberries: This is one of those "super foods" loaded with antioxidants, but they can be very expensive. I have found a coupon from Driscoll's before to use at Kroger. Consider buying them frozen to put in smoothies. Cascadian Farm often has coupons; paired with a sale, they're a good buy. We planted blueberry and blackberry bushes this year; I'm just hoping we get them before the birds do.

6. Nectarines: Since I never buy nectarines, I can cross this one off my list. If you're looking for alternatives, consider mangoes and papaya.

7. Bell Peppers: Now I admit I rarely look for organic when buying peppers, but maybe I'll start. I have read that red peppers have loads more nutrition than green (that may explain why they cost three times as much); so if you see a deal on red, get those.

8. Spinach: This is a fairly easy vegetable to buy organic. Last week I bought organic spinach at Sam's Club for $3.97 / pound. Most grocery chains carry organic spinach and often put it on sale. Or I saw a few people selling locally grown spinach at the farmers' market.

9. Kale: Again, I rarely buy kale but I'm trying to muster the courage to try it. Safer alternatives are broccoli and asparagus. I bought beautiful broccoli and asparagus at the farmers' market on Thursday.

10. Cherries: I was surprised to learn that one survey found three times the number of pesticides on U.S. grown cherries than those imported. Good thing I rarely buy them.

11. Potatoes: When I read this article, what struck me was that most potato farmers would never eat the potatoes they grow (which require so many pesticides). They usually plant a separate plot without all the treatments for themselves. That's why I buy our organic potatoes at Earthfare. They have had specials for free potatoes and most recently a 5 pound bag of red cost $6 and russet cost $4.

12. Grapes: They warn imported grapes can be much more contaminated than local alternatives. I'll be trying to buy American grapes from now on. Keep that in mind for wine as well.

Other fruits and vegetables to consider buying organic when possible are leafy greens, carrots, pears, and tomatoes. The article also discusses the importance of buying organic meat and milk. Here are my two cents on those.

Meat: This one is tough for me because organic meat is so much more expensive. However, we've begun buying 1/4 of a cow from a former colleague of my husband's. He does it as a hobby and is experimenting with grass-fed beef. Yes, I have to store a lot of meat in my freezer at once, but the price works out to much cheaper than anything in the store, and we know he uses minimal antibiotics. There are several local resources you might consider; start at the farmers' market or contact Hannah at Frugally Farming Family.

After reading about The Seven Foods Experts Won't Eat, we stopped buying farm-raised salmon. A few weeks back I found wild salmon on sale at Kroger and stocked up. I'll let you know when I see that again.

I admit I haven't researched local pork or chicken. If you have suggestions for where I can find affordable meat locally, please leave a comment.

Milk: Again, this one is tough to do financially for us for the sheer volume of milk we buy a week: 2-3 gallons. Maybe I'm fooling myself, but at least I feel better that the milk we buy states: "Our farmers pledge not to teat their cows with rbST."

Finally, the good news. Here is the list of the Clean 15: foods that don't need to be organic. These fruit and vegetables typically have a protective skin you don't eat: onions, avocados, corn, pineapple, mangoes, asparagus, sweet peas, kiwi, cabbage, eggplant, papaya, watermelon, broccoli, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes.

Where do you stand on organic vs conventional?

Local Dirt

If individuals or small restaurants really want to buy and support locally grown food in Knoxville, I think the systems already in place are pretty good. There are lots of farmer's markets from Oak Ridge to East Knoxville, on various days throughout the week. I'm not yet keyed in to this community like I want, but I'm already on a few email distribution lists from farmers that tell me what they're growing and how the crops look. All you have to do is show up to farmers markets and ask.

However, what if you're passionate about wanting to get local foods into larger establishments--like hospitals, schools, or churches? Do current food distributors tap into the local angle?

NPR had a good piece on this morning. Click here and then the "Listen Now" button. The gist is that a website called Local Dirt is hoping to connect those interested in buying and selling locally. When I did a search for local farms near Knoxville, 7 popped up within 100 miles and the closest on their list was 59 miles away. We know there are closer farms. I suppose they just need to get on the site if they're interested.

So if you have established relationships with either local farmers wanting to branch out or local institutions wanting to buy locally, encourage them to check this out.

And if you're still not sure where to find a farmer's market, check out Coupon Katie's list here and Couponing in Critical Time's tips here.

Do you go to farmer's markets? What are your favorites?

Top 8 for Earthfest

Call me a crunchy chic, call me an earthy geek, but I had a GREAT time at Earthfest yesterday. If you missed it, too bad, but Oak Ridge is having its Earth Day next Saturday, April 24, 11am-3pm. Many of the same vendors will be there with the addition of lots more based in Oak Ridge. Check it out!

Due to our busy schedule, I actually went to Earthfest twice: once with the kids and once without. Here are the Top 8 Reasons I'm glad I went:

• Kids Tent: They had several eco-friendly crafts which Bobby loved. I'll be repeating some of these for them during the summer. They turned toilet paper rolls into bugs, made art with seeds and glue, and painted their own canvas bag with vegetables. Bobby painted his initials with a carrot, stamped shapes with potatoes, and made interesting effects with broccoli and artichokes.

• Thank you, Earthfare, for that $10 off $30 purchase coupon. I'll probably be using mine on 4/22 to get one of your free reusable bags along with organic apples, potatoes, and strawberries--on sale for $3--zowie! (Kroger had organic strawberries for $6.25 last week).

• All the major solar installers in Knoxville were there. In no particular order: EETN, Green Earth Solar, and Sustainable Future. If you own a business and are interested in solar, this is a particularly good time to pursue that technology. A system could pay for itself within 5-7 years!

• Alcoa was selling their very sturdy recycling bins for $5 each (a great value). Since we've loved the one we got last year, we picked up another one. Tip: If you don't yet recycle, start with aluminum and steel. I'll be posting about the many reasons why in the future.

• The Green Living Tent was filled with expert farmers. I learned there is not a single certified organic farmer in all of Tennessee, largely because of the expense and red tape involved. However, dedicated farmers to sustainable farming practices have created a comparable certification: Certified Naturally Grown. There are 15 CNG farms within 100 miles of Knoxville and 5 or 6 of them--including Organicism Farms and Colvin Family Farm--regularly sell at our farmers' markets. Look for them on your next visit.

• Farmer's Market tip: Off the record, some of the farmers I spoke with preferred the Market Square Farmer's Market to the others. Starting May 1, I'll probably be making that part of my routine: Saturdays 9am - 2pm, Wednesdays 11am - 2pm. We're also partial to the New Harvest Market because the kids can play on the playground and splash pad during the summer.

• I stopped to chat with the police in charge of the medication disposal program. I learned that they dispose of them through incineration. In a special giant oven with enormous heat, an entire batch of unwanted medication is evaporated within 30 seconds. Cool! This program is important to keep powerful medicines out of our water supply. So NEVER throw away extra antibiotics. Take them to the police department downtown instead.

• Finally, I was SO EXCITED to learn there is now a way to recycle styrofoam--what I call "the scourge of the earth." I bought a massive plastic bag from the Knoxville Recycling Coalition for $5. Once I fill that with as much styrofoam as I can fit, I drop it off at their Bearden location, take my bag home and fill it up again as many times as I need--no additional costs. With special machines, they compress an entire bag into a dense block you can hold. They in turn sell this to a company that uses it in their products. I encourage you to buy a bag to do the same. I'm going to offer to accept styrofoam for my entire neighborhood. Think about all the electronics, kids' toys, etc. that are shipped with styrofoam that now will never see landfill! Gives me the warm and fuzzies just thinking about it! ;-)