Food Rules: The Edible Experiment, Week Five

Journal Entry
Week Five
October 1, 2010

Rule 15 “Get out of the Supermarket whenever you can”

So about two weeks ago, I had a dear friend of mine over to my house for coffee and to chit-chat (you know, like girls like to do). During the course of our conversation, she mentioned to me how she had really been wanting to visit some of the great Farmer’s Markets that we have here on the Northshore. I was like “OH MY GOSH YES! Because you see…” And then I proceeded to blurt out to her this huge gush of Michael Pollan Food Rules excitement and how one of the “projects” that I had chosen to do was to visit a Farmer’s Market! (I was simply bursting at the seams with excitement… poor girl must’ve not expected such an … energetic… reaction, haha)
Well, here in Covington we’re blessed to have one –may I say – AWESOME Local Farmer’s Market that meets every Saturday, rain or shine, from 9 – 1 pm, never fails. I had had the opportunity to spend some time at this Farmer’s Market about a year ago, where they had numerous local vendors selling everything from fresh eggs to organic vegetables to local milk and cheese, to herbs, free-range chicken, goats meat, grass-fed beef, homemade salsa, fresh baked goods, and local plants. (Ok so I was actually there doing Community Service… but hey, it was a way better option than picking up trash on the side of the road, washing Fire Trucks, or paying for a $250 speeding ticket, right?) My job was to serve tea and coffee at the little tea/coffee stand and I had the pleasure of standing right in the middle of all the action, conversing with all the market visitors, listening to a live band play some folk music, and perusing all of the vendor’s booths, all while enjoying a beautiful day outside “serving my Community.” :)
I suggested to my friend Rachel that we plan a day in early October where the weather would be simply gorgeous and a little cooler, and that we meet early in the morning and go to the Farmer’s Market. She was all in, and also suggested that we visit the local Market in Abita while we were at it (which neither of us had been to, and to which idea I happily complied). So last Saturday, we met at about 10:00 at the Market, which was simply teeming with happy activity! There was a lady holding a chicken and selling fresh eggs, a beekeeper selling local honey, complete with a little glass/wooden case of BEES, (lol!) fresh herbs, fresh Salsa, freshly squeezed orange juice (literally squeezed right before your eyes), samples of gluten-free and homemade baked goods, pure fruit popsicles with no added sugars, homemade goat cheese, fresh whole grain breads for sale, fresh seafood, homemade natural dressings, spice blends, natural soaps, lotions, and oils, my goodness the list goes on! There was a band playing music, too, which just added to the aura of the day! It was so exciting, it really was. There was something about being out in the open, fresh air, and sampling all of these healthy alternatives to normal “supermarket fare” that was simply invigorating! We came across this one little stand that was selling spices with “no salt added.” I have always been a fan of no-salt added spices, but they are hard to come by since that is an easy and cheap way for manufacturers to add flavor. But this lady had blended many spices together without salt to create a “Moroccan Blend,” a “Greek Blend,” an “All & Sundry Blend,” …I can’t even remember the rest. But they looked and sounded delicious and cost MUCH less than your average bottle of spice would cost at the supermarket… these were a mere $2.50! (This is something you could probably do yourself, just blend up a bunch of spices and sell them, but who actually does that? No one. Except for this creative lady :) ) I had to get one. I opted for the “All & Sundry” considering that I thought it would be good on chicken, fish, in gumbo, beans, etc. I also thought it sounded good because she had included sun-dried tomatoes in it (which I simply love). I haven’t tried it yet, but will let you know how it goes when I get to rule 63!
Anyway, needless to say, my morning experience at the local Farmer’s Market was fabulous, and when shared with a friend, it was all the more fun! We headed out to the Abita Farmer’s Market but didn’t quite make it that far, another friend called us to meet for lunch… which we did… at a new, all natural and organic café here in Covington!!! What an experience… details to come very soon! Until then, you guys, seriously: GO TO A FARMER’S MARKET! A GOOD ONE. YOU WILL BE SO SURPRISED AND DELIGHTED WITH THE TREASURES YOU FIND THERE! And be sure to share your findings with the rest of us so we can live vicariously through your experience!! :) (Or hey, let me know if you’d like to check out the market over here… it’s great and really easy to get to… makes for a lovely drive one morning away from the city, too!)