A Trip to the Farmers Market…
Saturday Morning - 7:00 AM. Something about a farmers' market makes me want to get up early (amazing, I know), grab all of the cash I can find (I never have cash), and a Starbucks and head over to see beauty in every direction.
Putting on my wide-brimmed hat I carry my Trader Joe’s reusable bag that is tattered and shreds thin (I swear if there is a good looking rolling bag that the really serious people take to the market, I will purchase that next). I’m ready to start my journey.
Golden Rule – never buy on the first lap.
- Scope everything out.
- Check out the presentation of the goods sold
- Say hi to the vendors
Never buy on the first lap, scope everything out. Check out the presentation of the goods sold, say hi to the people who have been up for hours prepping for the sale, start to dream about all of the things you need to make those favorite recipes or those new ones on your Pinterest board that you have printed out. Soak it all in and make a mental list.
Lap/Round #2: Buy the best items at each “shop” or “station”. Carefully handpick the produce (slam your coffee now, your hands are going to get full!). Purchase all of your needs and make sure to leave enough money for that bouquet of seasonal flowers.
Now it’s time to… burn the candles and use the china. I come home with my gathering, start to clean and prep the items so I can make a delicious recipe or two. If I don’t get to them right away, I may clean them all and let them dry for a while, then put them in containers waiting for the perfect pairing later in the week.
XO,
Renae
Here's one of my favorite recipes:
Golden/Red Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese and Balsamic
Ingredients
- 3 medium-size beets tops removed and washed
- Olive oil for drizzling
- kosher salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- Dressing
- 1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 c. toasted walnuts garnish
- 4 ounces crumbled goat cheese garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Place the beets on a baking sheet lined with foil and drizzle the olive oil and salt and pepper on top. Wrap the beets individually in the foil to form pouches.
- Roast in the oven for 60-75 minutes depending on their size.
- Allow to cool to room temperature and peel the skin off of each beet.
- Cut beets into large dice.
- Make the Dressing – Combine all the ingredients in a mason jar. Close the lid and shake for about 1 minute.
- Pour the dressing over the warm beets and toss. Garnish with goat cheese and walnuts.