17 Farmers Market Must Buys in June

To All Farmers Market Newbies

May through November you sure will find me at the farmers market every Saturday. Farmers’ market is an affordable way to eat pesticide free and organic (mostly uncertified) produce. Despite growing up in Ukraine on seasonal produce, eating clean since 2011 and blogging about health for almost 4 years, I discovered farmers market (5 minute drive from my house) only last year…Huh?! I guess it was only when we decided to eat organic on a budget (after all research I have done since my mom had a tumour). Before then I thought “Why bother if I can get everything at one grocery store?!”.

So, it is never too late, my friends, to start eating local real food and support your local farmers. And PLEASE…there are no silly questions to ask a farmer. I still do and do it quite confidently. Nobody will think you are a dumb-dumb. A farmer will be only happy to tell you all he/she knows about his “fruits of labour”. You might even find some stories too long.

Last Saturday I woke up early and went for a run at the dykes. Alex slept in and kids behaved. After a lazy breakfast outside we all headed to the farmers market. I assure you I prefer to go alone because what kids like grocery shopping?! Duh. But I needed Alex as a photographer. Kids came along by default.

17 Farmers Market Must Buys in June

Farmers Market Tips and Tricks

Honestly, there are no special tricks and tips for farmers market shopping. It is not a Black Friday.

When going to the farmers market I always make sure to have cash (I spend about $60-70), reusable bags (I am an environment recycling nazi) and kind of an idea what I am cooking next week. However, reality of farmers market is I show up there and grab what I feel like and what is in season. So, no shopping list for me. But up to you. I cook with what I have on hand most of the time.

I do not bargain with farmers. Farmers work hard for their money.

17 Farmers Market Must Buys in June

It is a good idea to learn what produce is in season. Just so you know.

17 Farmers Market Must Buys in June

About Organic and No Spray

Before I show you what I got on Saturday, I want to tell you the most important piece of information about farmers market – get to know your farmer! It is my second year and I know what kale hasn’t been sprayed and what eggs are from free run chickens eating worms running around the garden. Just ask questions whether farmer sprays produce with anything or feeds grain to chickens. Usually farmers are very honest about it. Depending on the season’s weather and type of produce you will hear different answers. Some spray, some do not spray at all, some spray with organic fertilizer, some use egg shells etc.

I can guarantee you will not find certified organic produce at the farmers market. That label costs over $200,000! So, just ask. To me, farmers market produce is good enough. Maybe even better than certified organic apples that travelled from Chile.

17 Farmers Market Must Buys in June

#1. Radish

Zesty vegetable that is perfect for dipping in sweet potato hummus, lunch boxes, ground chicken tacos and Greek yogurt potato salad. Oddly enough my 9 year old loves radish which is bizarre to me because it is spicy. I will take it.

17 Farmers Market Must Buys in June

#2. Garlic Scapes

Garlic scapes are new to me this year. I love produce discoveries. Farmers cut off garlic stems from garlic plants to keep more nutrients in the garlic bulb itself. So, think green onion – white and green part. Scapes are green part and garlic that matures later in summer/fall is the white part.

Farmer I bought garlic scapes from said she just chops them and adds to a salad. Another Russian lady we met said she sautés them with tomato paste. Very traditional Slavic cooking method. Note raw garlic scapes are zesty a bit, less intense than garlic itself. We sautéed them and added to a salad. Very mild and tasty. I am sure full of nutrients too.

17 Farmers Market Must Buys in June

#3. No Spray Strawberries

Strawberries top the Dirty Dozen list. Conventional strawberries have been found to contain up to 30 chemicals on their delicate skin that do not come off during washing. I buy only organic, no spray or no chemical strawberries. Whatever farmer calls them.:) I always ask.

We love strawberries best raw. I can’t bring myself to cook them. Maybe only in healthy almond cake once in a while and even then they are raw. I do not feel a need to add more sugar to my strawberries and body when strawberries are already sweet enough.

17 Farmers Market Must Buys in June

#4. Lettuce

This week I bought green and Romaine lettuce for salads for throw everything together kind of salad, like chickpea salad with avocado or simple lettuce salad.

17 Farmers Market Must Buys in June

#5. Baby Zucchini

In June, zucchini you see at the farmers market are greenhouse grown. Local though.

17 Farmers Market Must Buys in June

#6. Hanging Flower Baskets

I bought mine at Costco in April (couldn’t wait) but good to know farmers markets carry them too.

17 Farmers Market Must Buys in June

#7. Eggs and Cheese

Know your farmer applies right here the best. I know this girl’s mom because our boys were in the same class. Then they moved to an acreage and now she farms. She honestly told me how her chickens are raised and I am happy to eat real free run eggs. I occasionally buy cheese they sell from local grass fed cows. Uncertified organic but it doesn’t get better than this.

17 Farmers Market Must Buys in June

#8. Organic Bread

This loaf of rye bread from A Bread Affair is the closest it can get to childhood. Our loaves were round, hot from the oven, crusty on the outside and soft inside. To me this is what I know bread to be like. Not sliced in plastic bags. I buy every weekend! And I eat some, of course!

17 Farmers Market Must Buys in June

#9. Young Carrots

As a kid, grandma would always pull out a young carrot from the garden, scrape it, wash it and give it to us with the greens attached. We pretended to be bunnies. I do the same for my kids. They love it!

17 Farmers Market Must Buys in June

#10. Baby Dill

Dill…how can I skip dill?! A Ukrainian meal without dill and garlic is like Mexican without cilantro and lime.

Recipes with dill: dill coleslaw, 2 day garlic dill pickles, lemon dill shrimp.

17 Farmers Market Must Buys in June

#11. Green Onions

We add green onions to salads and soups. Green onions (especially the white part) are rich in flavonoids that support immune system and may help prevent cancer. Eating raw is the best. I even add a small amount to kids’ smoothies. In Ukraine, it was popular to take a sprig and dip it in salt. And eat, maybe with a lot of rye bread and Ukrainian borscht. I am sure no one was kissing after that or who knows…Sometimes a shot of vodka was involved if there was an occasion or maybe not…

17 Farmers Market Must Buys in June
17 Farmers Market Must Buys in June

#12. Local Raw Honey

I love raw and unpasteurized honey. If I can get local I go for it. Sometimes, I grab one at Costco but local is better.

A few weeks ago I bought fireweed honey which is a champagne of all honeys. So, I kept asking this guy and tasting different honey and ended up buying this jar of alfalfa honey for $16. Grown without sprays. It is very light in taste. Amazing!!! Who needs stevia?! Raw honey is extremely good for us – all minerals, nutrients and it can even help cure allergies (local honey only).

Recipes with honey: honey garlic salmon, healthy honey mustard dressing, healthy almond cakehoney garlic sauteed butternut squash, apple oatmeal bars.

17 Farmers Market Must Buys in June

#13. Kale

My favourite kale is dinosaur kale and for some reason I have a hard time growing it in my garden. I don’t get very upset because I pay only $2.50 for this bunch. I now planted some curly kale and it is growing no problem.

We use kale in green smoothie recipe, sweet kale salad recipe and spaghetti squash quiche. I don’t think I have to sell you on kale.

17 Farmers Market Must Buys in June
17 Farmers Market Must Buys in June

#14. Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi not “kholorabi”.:) Anyways, kohlrabi was another produce discovery of 2016 for me. It tastes like a core of a cabbage. They are definitely related. In Ukraine, we ate a lot of cabbage – lazy cabbage rollshealthy coleslaw, pan fried cabbage with apples and sauerkraut. After mom or grandma were done with shredding cabbage, kids usually got the core to snack on. Kohlrabi tastes exactly the same. I made a salad with kohlrabi and watermelon and it was to die for.

17 Farmers Market Must Buys in June

#15. Fragrant Tomatoes

OK, I could buy 15 tomatoes at a time at the farmers market. Beefsteak, heirloom and roma are my favourites. Have you ever smelled real local tomatoes? They smell! Very good! In summer, I just love to slice them and sprinkle with salt and pepper. That is it. Of course, they are green house grown in June but still so much better than any store bought.

17 Farmers Market Must Buys in June

And of course, blah-blah-blah. Talking to people about food is another awesome part about going to the farmers market…when I go by myself. Honestly, at this point things started to spiral downwards – me deciding what to buy, Alex taking photos of me, kids grabbing bread from my bag, someone telling me their scapes recipe, another person selling me life insurance…What the heck is going on?! Just let me buy my food! So, I like to go by myself LOL.

17 Farmers Market Must Buys in June

#16. Sweet Bell Peppers

I buy sweet bell peppers year round because they are perfect for school snacks and add a ton of flavour to meat without extra calories => baked chicken with peppers, stuffed pepper casserole, ground chicken stuffed peppers.

17 Farmers Market Must Buys in June
17 Farmers Market Must Buys in June

#17. Ukrainian Treats

A farmers market with Ukrainians in mind.

17 Farmers Market Must Buys in June

Orange bun for orange hair boy. It was lunch time and kids couldn’t say “no” to a sweet bun for lunch. I stayed away because I was planning to eat some rye bread, drink some wine and taste test my vanilla ice cream later in a day. Moderation and balance is key.

17 Farmers Market Must Buys in June

Extra

17 Farmers Market Must Buys in June

By the time we were done it was almost 2PM. Very hot. We chilled under umbrellas and kids played in a play zone. There is also free cold water. I didn’t mention but there is a whole other section of the market we missed – personal care items, handmade items and sweet stuff. I am mostly interested in food because other stuff I have plenty or don’t need to have.

17 Farmers Market Must Buys in June

I clearly need to hit the beach more. I am so pale OMG. I should work less. Soon – July and August.

What is farmers market like in your town? What do you buy in June? Do you go to farmers market at all?

I encourage you to Google “farmers market your town” right now and visit ASAP. Let me know once you do. Would love to hear your thoughts. Also check out my farmers market haul in August.

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About Olena

Welcome! I grew up in Ukraine watching my grandma cook with simple ingredients. I have spent the last 11 years making it my mission to help you cook quick and easy meals for your family!

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Comments

  1. All three of my boys like radishes…ages 11,6,3. It’s interesting to hear that other kids like them too because it is unusual! We grew our own this year and my in-laws grow them every summer so we’re very well stoked on radishes. I love farmers markets! This post was a good reminder to go more often.

    1. Must be the Ukrainian blood thing. 😛 I have never seen a kid who likes radishes. You must be making lots of egg and radish salads.:)

  2. I love going to the Farmers Market and seeing all of the seasonal produce. I’ve gotten into a routine of shopping once per week but it’s a goal of mine to start going to the Farmers Market more often. And I agree, I would never barter with the farmers. They bust their butts and they deserve every last penny!

    1. To work with mother nature is very tricky. Especially if you are not spraying. One year it is a drought, next year a butterfly invasion. Ugh.

  3. I Love buying many of the same things are you at Farmer’s Markets! Especially the honey. So yummy. And no, I don’t really bargain either….but I grew up working on a Farm. Not even that big on a farm because I’m a county gal. When I finally gave up the job, went to college, the farmer told me what he made on hi “little farm” Over $300,000 a summer!!!!! And he said, Laura, I will be thinking of you on my second story balcony when I’m chucking ice from my drink into the pool below in Hawaii all winter” He totally mocked me out because I was so clueless as to what they actually made!! Good for them though, they worked hard but so did I!!!!

    1. I have been trying to grow my tiny garden for 3 years in a row now and man it is hard work! After that I have a whole new level of appreciation and respect for farmers LOL.

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