Earlier this month, I celebrated one of my favorite holidays – the beginning of farmers market season!  What with the rising prices of oil and gas, and the popularity of books like Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and The Omnivore’s Dilemma, plenty of people are thinking more about buying local and organic.  That being said, sometimes farmers’ markets can be a daunting place, especially for newbie visitors.  There are sometimes strange fruits and vegetables, crowds of people you might not know, and masses of dogs and children. 

How do you navigate the market?  And how can you be sure you’re buying something you want?  In this article, I’ll take you on a guided tour through market day with some simple lessons about market etiquette and include questions you can pose to farmers to make sure you’re getting what you want.
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Becki Walker writes about farmers market manners on Fridays and crafts recipes. We're running a recipe a day until May 22nd.

I consider myself a somewhat philosophical person, as do, I imagine, a goodly number of people who read this blog.  Chewing over questions in our brains is a good exercise for our mental mastication muscles, but I’ve taken the teeth out of one question: for the purposes of this blog, the chicken comes after the egg. Yesterday we ventured into the shelled world, today we’ll focus on our feathered friends. More...

Becki Walker writes about farmers market manners and crafts recipes. Search our database for a farmers market near you, and leave your review.

As we scavenge our cupboards and refrigerators in search of the next great meal, we often overlook some of the more common ingredients in our pantries.  We pass over these foodstuffs because they seem less glamorous than other treats lurking in our kitchens, but that doesn’t make them any less tasty. With a little creativity, you can create a classy meal out of nearly anything, including today's special ingredient: eggs. Pickled, frozen, aged, and sauteed. More...

This post is dedicated to a green with what seems to be multiple personality disorder. Today, we examine endive, or rather chicory. Or frisee. Or grumolo. Or succory. Or escarole. Or witloof.

Endive/chicory/etc. is botanically referred to as Cichorium endivia.  However, within that species, there are a number of varietals – including radicchio, untarelle, and Belgian endive. The two main varieties of endive we eat in the US are broad-leaved (escarole) and curly-leaved (frisee, which is also a technique for wilting leaves in oil). We usually eat only the leaves of the plant, but if you travel to Louisiana, you’re bound to see chicory coffee. This coffee doesn’t have lettuce leaves in it – it contains ground Cichorium root. Do yourself a favor and drink a cup or two with a beignet – it’s delicious. More...

Becki Walker writes about food and crafts recipes. In this Fridays series, she examines the culture of farmers markets.

Nearly everyone’s heard (probably over and over again) that one of the best ways to lower your carbon footprint and love the planet is to eat less meat, especially red meat.  Eating less meat’s better for your health, too – when you’ve removed meat from your plate, there’s more room for foods lower in fat and calories, like fruits and vegetables.  But what if, even after trying to be the best environmentalist ever, you’ve still got a craving for something fleshy? More...

Farmers markets connect Twin Cities’ residents with local farmers. See the list in our book for a market in your area. You can also check out Minnesota Grown’s online directory for over 600 local food vendors. Community supported agriculture (CSA) provides another option for farm-fresh food. To find local CSA options providing produce, dairy, eggs and meat visit the Land Stewardship Project. Finally, check out the Eat Well Guide for online listings of producers and retailers of sustainably-raised food. More...