Fresh From The Farmers' Market

I ate strawberries! Today! Really yummy, local ones from our farmers’ market! Me and my kid polished off a whole pint! I have a tummy ache!

But, ahh, it was worth it. Sweet, sweet strawberries. To me, strawberries are the fruit of summer. Last summer, heavily pregnant, I could not get enough of the little beasts. On their own, in my yogurt, on my cereal, topping my ice cream, in my salad – I was going through something like a bushel a week, and the belly could not get enough. This year, I will go a little easier on the berries, but not yet. For now, I will welcome the onset of summer with stained fingertips and a tummy full of strawberry goodness.

Soon though, there will be other local, lovely fruits and veg hollering that summer is finally here. Just one of the reasons that I love the farmers’ market is that every week is like a new treasure chest being opened. Foods that I’ve forgotten about over the long, bastard winter reappear and remind me of their existence, inspiring menus and pleasing palates. Rhubarb! Sweet corn! Heirloom tomatoes! Fiddleheads! What the hell’s a fiddlehead!

If there is a local farmers’ market that you can check out, I urge you to do so. The colours of the produce alone can inspire even the most trepidatious of cooks, and things will just get better as the summer rolls along. Truly, the bounty seems endless. If only the summer could be too.

Southern Ontario (And Many Other Parts) Guide to The Growing Season (Peak Availability)

June – Some Apples, Asparagus, Cucumbers, Peas, Peppers, Radishes, Rhubarb, Spinach, Strawberries, Tomatoes (Greenhouse)

July – Some Apples, Apricots, Beans, Beets, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cherries, Cucumbers, Lettuce, Onions, Peas, Some Peaches, Peppers, Some Plums, Radishes, Spinach, Strawberries, Zucchini

August – Some Apples, Apricots, Asian Greens, Beans, Beets, Blueberries, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Corn, Currants, Eggplant, Garlic, Gooseberries, Green Onions, Leeks, Lettuce, Muskmelon, Some Peaches, Pears, Some Plums, Rapini, Tomatoes (field) Watermelon

*SoundBITE*
Fiddleheads are not actually vegetables, but the edible tops of ostrich ferns. These unfurled fronds are at their peak when still tightly curled, and taste kind of like an okra/asparagus/broccoli cross. They are easily foraged in the wild, but if you’re not sure what you’re looking for, leave it to the experts and find them in-store now. Fiddleheads are iron-rich, and a great source of vitamin A and C.

Comments

I'm eating sub-par California strawberries even as I read this! I can't wait to get some local berries. I have raspberries in our yard and I'm jonesin' for them, too!

[Assertagirl]

I'm eating sub-par California strawberries even as I read this! I can't wait to get some local berries. I have raspberries in our yard and I'm jonesin' for them, too!

[kittenpie]

Loooove strawberries... And Pumpkinpie has gotten really into blackberries for some reason. But right now, I'm all about apricots.

[nomotherearth]

Some of my favourite foods are Summer Specials (Corn on the Cob, Strawberries, Asparagus, Peaches, fresh tomatoes). No wonder I gain weight in winter. Damn winter..