Nope, the Farmer isn’t in the Dell…he/she/they are at my local Farmer’s Market.  I just love going to the market.  Nothing screams summer like a Farmer’s Market chock full of fresh produce with Vendor’s hawking everything from cut flowers to ice cream… yes… ice cream and if it wasn’t for it being 8:10 in the morning when I arrived, I would have had an ice cream cone.

But I already had breakfast and was busy scarfing down some very yummy free samples of Smoked Salmon Paté on crackers.  SO DEE-LISH…. and of course, I had to buy a small tub of the stuff….because of the guilt trip they lay on you.  Give you something free, next thing you know you’ve bought a tub.

My advice? only try free samples of stuff you like, because if you don’t like it and after they guilt-trip you into buying something horrid, it will then be relegated to the back of the bottom shelf in your fridge where it will morph into a science experiment.

My absolute favourite item at the market this year has to be the Tomatillos.  There is only one Vendor who grows them in the area and brings them to the market.  They even have a Manuel (or a Jesus (pronounced HEY-ZOOS) helping out, but  I didn’t get his name as he was too busy unloading the truck.  Hutchinson Farms brings Mexican Workers in every summer to harvest produce, his English was so-so, I could understand him as I speak Spanish, but with his accent, it was tough for the lady who was in charge to understand him.  She was trying to ask him to unload baskets of tomatoes from the truck onto a rolling shelf trolley….motioning with her hands like an Italian twirling a pizza dough….he finally got the gyst of what she was saying.. much to her relief.  I bought another 3L basket of Tomatillos and happily skipped off to find some corn.

Aw yes…. those fresh, golden ears of summer stacked row upon row.  Nothing can taste finer than a steaming hot ear of corn, slathered in butter and dashed with salt.  If you haven’t tried corn on the BBQ, you don’t know what your missing!  Just soak  un-husked ears in water for at least 2 hours, then grill for about 20 minutes.  Peel the husks off and enjoy….mmmm….lip-smacking good!

Peaches was my next item to hunt down.  I had made some Chipotle-Peach Jam and Peach Salsa last week, but my daughter wants some of the jam for herself so we are going to do another batch for her this weekend when they come up to the Homestead.  This jam has such a sunny, peach flavour, but then the smokiness from the Chipotles adds a totally different flavour level.  It makes your tastebuds sit up and take notice.  Awesome on a bagel, even better on top of cream cheese on a cracker….MMMMM….I know what is for lunch today.

There are so many sights, sounds, smells and flavours of a Farmer’s Market…..

From bushels of Roma Tomatoes sitting in neat rows to Green and Yellow Wax Beans piled high in their crates.

Red and Orange Beets along with little baskets of Red and Yellow Cherry Tomatoes.  So much yummy stuff to look at and purchase.

Once I arrived home with my loads of market goodies, I just had to dive into some more of that delicious Smoked Salmon Paté, topped with some slices of fresh from my garden Cherry Tomatoes and freshly chopped Parlsey.

Summer never tasted so good!

I hope you all get out and enjoy your local Farmer’s Market.  These good folks work long, hard hours bringing you the fresh goodness of locally grown food.  Make sure you take advantage of the bounty now before it’s gone for another year.