Summer's bounty at the farmers' market

One of the greatest blessings of living in California is that quality produce is available all year round. I shop regularly at farmers' markets because they have the freshest produce, offer organic or pesticide-free produce at a fraction of the prices at upscale grocery stores such as Whole Foods Market, and it's just fun checking out different vendors and tasting their produce! I go to the Belmont Farmers' Market most often since it's open throughout the year and closest to where I live. Many vendors recognize me and they are happy to dole out advice on what produce they have is best. I am glad that I can do my part to support these farmers and the "Eat Local" movement, as I firmly believe buying and eating local is good for our health as well as the environment. This slideshow from the Buy Fresh, Buy Local education campaign gives a good overview of why this is so.

As it's now officially summer, all sorts of summer fruits and vegetables are starting to appear in farmers' markets. I first saw strawberries back in April, then cherries, apricots, peaches, plums, nectarines, raspberries, and mangoes gradually filled up the farmers' stalls. Not as eye-catching as their fruit counterparts, tomatoes, eggplants, green beans, summer squash, and other summer vegetables new to the scene are quietly competing for the shoppers' attention. While I like all fruits, my favorites are plums and white peaches - their luscious and juicy flesh can make me forget whatever is troubling me at the moment. Eating a ripe peach can be messy when its juice spills all over the place, but in a somewhat perverse way, this is what makes eating it so satisfying. I look forward to seeing watermelons, cantaloupes, etc. in the months ahead.

Apricots are all the rage at the market now

Eggplant galore!

Today I bought some organic raspberries, olalliberries (like black raspberries), and strawberries at the farmers' market. They were all ripe at their peak and their fragrance kept me on a high as I toted them back home. I crushed the raspberries and olalliberries a bit and paired them with Haagen-Dazs's new Vanilla Honey Bee ice cream. I normally don't buy Haagen-Dazs because its products often contain high-fructose corn syrup and other artificial ingredients, but I'm glad to find that the Vanilla Honey Bee flavor is just made of simple ingredients I can understand. The slightly tart taste of the berries accentuated the delicate honey flavor of the ice cream, and the combination was VERY delicious. It's the perfect summer treat!

Farmer stall where I bought my berries today

Surprisingly good Vanilla Honey Bee ice cream from Haagen-Dazs