Fresh From the Garden

We have a little garden... kind of. I have a little plot of dirt that has been overtaken by weeds. I had little vegetable plants, but we've had no water, so most of them are pretty brown and dead. We should have a few tomatoes and some zucchini soon! We even had a couple of green beans, which my girls ate straight off the plant. Like any plant I touch, my garden as a whole died. That's ok though. There is still a great way for us to get yummy, garden fresh fruits and veggies.

We visited the farmer's market in town on Tuesday, and I was pleasantly surprised by the variety our little stands had to offer. We walked up to the first stand and left with two cucumbers, a basket of tomatoes, and a zucchini. The next had lots of yummy corn, so we grabbed a dozen ears. Then there were some eggplants, which I've never tried before, so we we bought one of those. It's the white kind, which I was told is best fried like a green tomato. Maybe we'll do purple next time. Kaylee, of course, couldn't leave without also having a small basket of peaches, so we got those too (even though they were really close to the same price as the store, if not a bit over.) We did skip the egg stand, but that's because we already have plenty of those at home.

For about $12, Kaylee and I walked away with a bunch of veggies and a little fruit that would have cost a lot more in the store, and we supported local families. The fruit and vegetables from these stands are, by far, better quality than I can get in a store, and my family agrees. By the end of the day, the girls had finished off all the peaches. By the end of the next day, all the tomatoes. I had the cucumbers dipped in ranch for snacks, and the rest will be made with dinner the rest of the week.

Next time you're about to drive by that little stand on the side of the road or the sign directing you to a farmer's market, slow down. Stop and support your local farmers, your health, and your wallet.