One of the ironies of life is that everywhere I lived in New York City, I was within walking distance of an awesome Farmers Market, but now that I live closer to actual farmers, the Farmers Markets are few and far between. Most of the Phoenix area Farmers Markets are also seasonal, closing down completely for the summer months. I was thrilled, therefore, that my new home is within easy reach of a Farmers Market that was open yesterday despite the heat.
The market is located at the Citadelle Plaza in Glendale, a few miles east of my house, and it's open every Wednesday from 5 to 9 pm. This week the booths included bakers, a beekeeper with about 20 different types of honey, organic greengrocers, a vendor of frozen wild-caught Alaskan seafood, and a rancher selling free-range local beef and lamb. I bought locally-pressed olive oil infused with basil, beautiful organic tomatoes, and a fresh loaf of bread containing figs, walnuts, and goat cheese. My sister bought a pear and blue cheese loaf, and some gorgeous round red Comice pears from the same grower who had provided them to the baker. Great stuff.
Today I had a big lunch, so for dinner I sliced one of the tomatoes and drizzled it with the olive oil, cracked black pepper, and sea salt. I followed that with a bowl of Imagine Sweet Pea soup garnished with carmelized onions, a chunk of the bread, and a glass of red wine. Absolutely fabulous. Next trip I'm thinking of springing for some of the homemade pasta and a few baby eggplant. I have this recipe for pasta with eggplant, lamb, and goat cheese...
"Farmers markets are green shoots coming out of the gun. They represent hope and they need to be cultivated." ~Jerry Brown
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