As the summer inches toward its end, we want to make the most out of our farmer’s markets (FM) and all the wonderful fresh stuff! It’s so colorful and perfect for healthy meal planning. As someone who has spent probably a minimum of 10-15 summers at our weekly summer market, I’ve experienced some things that are noticeably better, in terms of taste, texture, experience and value.

These are SO worth buying, that I usually get them every week.

• Onions and Garlic. We eat these A LOT. In our tacos, pasta, grilling packets, salads, soups….the list goes on. So we definitely notice the difference when using FM varieties. They are firmer, easier to peel and SO flavorful. 
• Tomatoes. Not everyone is a fan, but if you are, you know there is no comparison between fresh and store-bought. A home-grown tomato has a beautiful deep red color (unlike the paler kind in the stores), and softer flesh. And the taste. My dad grew his own for years, and we lived on tomato sandwiches with nothing but some mayo, all summer long. In addition to beefsteak varieties for sandwiches (try BLTs for sure), I buy some grape or cherry tomatoes as well. They are really sweet, and like onion and garlic, SO much easier to cut and work with because of the firmness. We love a nice bruschetta (see bread below) and salad for perfect summer meal. They are also great for making your own pasta sauces, salsas, gazpacho…yum.

• Peaches. There are some fruits that I don’t notice a huge difference- like apples and pears. But peaches straight from the market- there’s nothing like them. Like a lot of fresh things, they can start rotting more quickly, so leave a few out and refrigerate the rest. Plain for sure, but put them on yogurt or ice cream. Try grilling them with a little brown sugar!
• Corn. The sweetness cannot be over-rated. Cook in boiling water for ten minutes, or grill in foil for ten minutes per side. My dad grew corn too, so there’s a lot of nostalgia for me when eating it in the summers. I could make a whole meal out of a few pieces of corn on the cob and a tomato sandwich! We love our Mexican corn too- but no flavor is needed for FM corn- maybe just a little butter and salt.
• Celery. I use this quite a lot in salads- chicken and tuna to be specific. The crunchiness of fresh celery is amazing, and I can easily eat stalks of it with some onion or ranch dip.
• Bread.  If you don’t make your own (see my home-made versus store bought blog post), and your market has a baker- be sure to check it out. You have to get there early at our market because he’s super popular. You can imagine why, with varieties like garlic, walnut raisin, and even cheddar jalapeño! I pick up a baguette for bruschetta too 🙂 I’m going to write about different variations of gorgeous bruschettas in the near future!
• Flowers. It’s not that FM flowers last any longer, but the bouquets are just so natural and organic, unlike the cookie cutter bunches in the store- especially the grocery store, where you likely pick them up to save some time. Our market has bunches of gorgeous colorful zinnias, and the sunflowers are so cute, and only $5 a bunch (see the top of the post)! I get one each week to add a bit of color to my kitchen and help improve my mood. Anything you can do for yourself- do it! See my post on self-care for moms. We especially need it when the kids go back to school.

Although these are my favorites, there are no preservatives in anything you get at the FM, so everything is fresh and good for you. Our market has even added booths for grass fed beef, kielbasa and homemade honey.

Stock up and plan some healthy meals- for you and your partner and/or kids still at home!