Thanks to Monica Eng at WBEZ for this terrific article on Chicago Farmers Markets. These tips for shopping are especially useful!! How to get the most out of your farmers market No matter what kind of farmers market you attend this summer, there are some universal tips that can help make the experience better. Take an initial spin around the market and get the lay of the land before buying. Bring your own bags, including some insulated bags with cold packs if you’re taking home perishables. Be open to new produce, but also shop with the week’s schedule in mind. If you’re going to be eating out much of the week, for example, those 10 bags of arugula could be a mistake. Give yourself a budget. Between snacks, pastries, produce, cheese and meat, you can easily drop $100 without knowing it. If you have limited cash, figure out who takes credit cards and then plot your purchases from there. Figure out your priorities--organic, never sprayed, local, biodynamic, pastured, grassfed, heirloom--and then ask questions of the farmers based on them. But keep in mind that, for example, organic tree fruit farming is nearly impossible in the Midwest due to the humidity and the pests. Many fine farmers, instead, use integrated pest management which requires only the most crucial pesticide applications. Ask farmers (or chefs doing demos) for suggestions on how best to prepare unfamiliar produce. If you’re making pies or sauces (or you’re just not fussy) ask to see the box of “seconds” or cheaper, imperfect produce that farmers didn’t feel was fit to display on the table. Farm fresh pastured chicken eggs sell out fast and require you to get to the market early. And if you find a farmer with healthy egg yolks the color of pumpkins, it means the chickens get to live and forage outdoors. Return to that farmer often. Bring lots of small bills. Farmers love exact change and it speeds up transactions. Bring old yogurt containers to protect delicate berries and other produce on the trip home. Clear off the counters and take out the bowls and colanders before you leave for the market. This may inspire you to wash, process (and even eat) your produce as soon as you come home. Produce loses nutrients within days of picking, so the sooner you can eat it, the better. If you’re trying to go green, ride your bike to the market. Studies show that your chosen mode of transportation plays a big role overall carbon footprint of your shopping experience. If you are going to make a big batch of sauce or pies, call your farmers before the market and ask them to bring the “seconds” to the next market for you. — Janine McLachlan. If you want to plan for future cooking projects ask farmers which crops are close to coming in, or more generally consult the city’s seasonality chart.
Posted on: Thu, 05 Jun 2014 20:59:25 +0000
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