Why hello Spring, and what have you brought us?
Purple snow peas?
Kohlrabi?
Succulent strawberries?
I guess I’ll find out when I visit the Hermosa Beach farmer’s market today. I’m excited to buy dried persimmons so that I can incorporate them into my smoothie, along with fresh mint and kale. I also wouldn’t mind picking out some multi-colored carrots…the more radiant the carrots, the more appetizing they look, wouldn’t you agree? We got to feast on french fries last night during our second Cleanse Program get-together, only they weren’t made out of starchy potatoes, but carrots and parsnips. So simple, so delicious, I could eat them by the batch-full!
Pegs and Megs also had some great tips to share about prolonging the life of our farmer’s market fare. Firstly, don’t think about washing your produce until you actually need to use it. And secondly, in order to make your loot really last, all you need to do is loosely wrap some paper towels around them before sticking them back into their original bags. This will help extend the life of your asparagus, arugula, you name it!
I’ll leave you with a tip of my own…
Shopping for food is honestly one of my favorite activities to do. It brings me joy to walk down the aisles, whether they be lit with fluorescent lights or perched under the sun. However, in my experience, you never want to keep your list too tight or too loose. What I mean to say is that if you hold too tightly to your shopping list, you lose the fun of being inspired by what’s in season and what attracts you. On the other hand, if you hold on too loosely, your brain will start to fill up with a million different recipe ideas and you’ll start to feel anxious about what you should take home and what you should avoid. Your best bet is to approach the market already knowing a couple items that you want (like persimmons, mint, and kale for me) as well as a general idea of what kind of meal you intend to prepare at home. If you are in the mood for a salad with protein, you know that you have to shop for your base (lettuce), your protein (meat or legumes), and leave some wiggle room for the rest (citrus? brussels sprouts? avocado?).
If you add creativity to the everyday, never will a dull moment come your way. Not bad for rhyming on the spot 😉
Happy shopping!
Katrina