The Summer weather has pretty much hit south Louisiana the past couple of weeks. Hot weather and pool days are great, but fresh seasonal produce is even better. My favorite Saturday morning ritual includes a cup of coffee and a trip to the local Farmer’s Market. This is the most colorful time of year with squash of all varieties, eggplants, leafy greens, multicolored peppers, and much more. Local produce is picked at its peak ripeness – you’ll often be purchasing items harvested within the previous 24 hours. These fruits and vegetables provide the most vitamins and minerals along with the best flavor. All of the picture perfect produce available makes it easy to eat more fruits and veggies. Here are a few quick tips to navigating your local Farmer’s Market:
- Shop early for the best selection; shop late for the best deals
- Bring your own bag to support substantial produce purchases
- Have small bills ready to pay
- Go in with a plan or recipes in mind, but still try one new item each time
- Talk to the Farmers – they have great knowledge of how to prepare and love hearing with you do with their produce
For Baton Rouge, The Red Stick Farmer’s Market is available year round Thursdays 8:00am-12:00pm at Pennington Biomedical Research Center 6400 Perkins Road. And Saturdays 8:00am-12:00pm at Main Street Market at 5th and Main Streets. Other seasonal markets are available throughout the year, check out their website at: http://breada.org/.
