It was my full intention to do a recipe from all the food I made over my vacation but I have to say, I got a bit side tracked when I went to the farmer’s market yesterday. I was surrounded by bright fuchsias and verdant greens, rosy reds and creamy whites. From the fabulously, fragrant flowers to the colourful radishes and beets, the market was a veritable cornucopia of sights and smells. The food stalls had their own aroma wafting through the air, enticing people to try their wares. We fought it as long as we could but in the end, we did succumb to the inviting aroma of the wood burning, brick oven pizza from Laudisio. Oh, it was good. Perfect, crispy crust, slightly charred, with just the right amount of sauce and melting, gooey cheese, topped with fresh basil.
Yesterday, I did pick up some beautiful produce and some fiery salsa made locally in Fort Collins. The salsa is hot but really quite good. I picked up some Easter egg radishes, gorgeous globes of colour and spiciness. They also had some young turnips in the most purest of white colour, curly and frilly kale, beautiful, yellow budded broccoli rabe and fresh, baby lettuce leaves. I also picked up some organic, Ethiopia Yirgacheffe coffee beans (I couldn’t resist, of course.)
One thing I head for when I go to the Boulder market is mushrooms. There is a stall there that sells the most amazing, exotic mushrooms. I’d like to say they are wild mushrooms, but they’re not really because they are cultivated. Regardless, they are gorgeous and incredibly delicious and they are varieties not easily found in a regular super market.
There is a great piece on farmers markets and the farmers who sell there. It is written by a fellow blogger Elizabeth Hartlaub at Small Farm Revolution blog and you can find her post here. She talks about the differences between shopping at a big grocery store and a local farmer, and also how important it is to support our local economy. Check out her post.
(NOTE: the Boulder Farmer’s Market pictures are courtesy of Ammara Ahmad and are her property ~Thanks~)