The Fruits Of Going Down To The Farmers Market

Over the bridge we went and past the stadium, watch out for those mega screens they distract driving...but hey largest screens in the NFL...Jacksonville's claim to fame. On to the farmers market to shop until we dropped. I've now made the trip twice (I've been before maybe annually or less) sense posting my goal to plan and cook better meals for my family, all while saving a buck or two.

Saving money on food these days seems like an impossible feat.  Yeah it's pretty much impossible especially if you love bacon.  

The first trip was just the hubby and I.  It was like a "date" Saturday morning. We actually got to hold hands as we walked!  We had a great time strolling though the stands which all pretty much offered the same fare with slightly different prices.  We walked on until we were offered a sample of Jerk Jelly.  Yummylisous! A plus to this concoction is that it versatile and can be used on meat and veggies.  I enjoy supporting peoples "cabin kitchens" but I think I will be making this combination of molasses, honey, peppers and spices in my own kitchen because I can make it for less then half the cost of the $8 we paid.  

From there we hit the "mother load" a stand with boxes of Bistro Salad kits $6 a box which contained six salad kits! This was going to be perfect for the first week of school.  Of course the kids didn't really want them but they served as easy lunches for Matt and I. The only down fall to these kits was the odor (an unappetizing stinky feet smell) when we first peeled the packages open. I think this smell was the preservatives. 

The next booth we came to the guy was ready to sell.  We made out with a bundle of fruits and veggies for a very good price.  

And so our first meandering though the farmers market was pretty great. 

Our second trip included the kids.  This was also fun.  They really enjoyed the sights of so many different kinds of fruits and veggies. The weather was like a smoldering broiler room which kept our trip short.  I really wanted to get some good peaches, but hurried out because the kids were hot. The thing that four kids do when they are hot is hang on each other just to ensure no one is cooler then another, apparently.  Oh, and whine a plenty.  There wasn't any cheese available so we had to leave.

Over all we still made out okay returning home with a pretty good bundle for less the $30.  I got two avocado's for $1.  However they were ripe, one being "eat this moment" ripe. The ripe avocado went well with the salsa we bought. The salsa and fresh made chips were a bit of a splurge.  Yet again I like to support the local "cabin kitchen"... I'm a sucker. The guy was so happy to give the kids samples (heaps) of chips and salsa. However like the jerk jelly I will be aiming to make my own salsa.  We also bought some cactus pears to try.  

After these two trips I have concluded there will be a learning curve to actually making the extra stop in the grocery routine worth it. Lesson one is to keep walking until a vendor starts making offers, this is the way to get a deal. The second lesson is that it can be tempting to over buy. Spoilage is lurking as the produce is not kept in a nice cool building.  I lost one tomato from trip two the very next day.  In this sense the odds have to be ever in your favor when buying produce that maybe ripe but cheep.  I also lost half a bag of stir fry mix because I couldn't figure out how to use it with the other things I was cooking.  If I would have had my act together I could have  made it into a soup...but alas who really wants soup in August. It is also helpful to have the fridge/freezer and kitchen ready for prep and packing up of items as soon as I arrive home. On the second trip I took a tote bag...so helpful.  

The meal I made with the stir fry mix was lovely. I prepared it with a little wok oil and used the jerk jelly on some pork chops.  The kids enjoyed plums, pineapple, and bananas in their lunches. My most favorite "fruit" of the market is the smoothies I've made in the mornings. After the kids had their fill of strawberries on day one I sliced and froze the rest of them as they were pretty ripe. When assembling the smoothie I just thew into the blender the strawberries, some banana and blueberries (frozen from a u-pick it farm expedition earlier in the summer) yogurt, juice and or milk.  The results are so delirious, better than that place that claims to be king of smoothies. Each child is very happy with this cool breakfast treat.  It makes the early morning rush just a bit brighter.  

Well I certainly have some learning to do as some of the results were serendipitous and others were fuzzy with unwelcome mold, I think I will continue the venture down to the farmers market each week... or perhaps more.   

Presently I have an eggplant I need to figure out what to do with.