Farmer's Market Finds- 3/31/2010

The fabulous ladies I'm playing this round of the Game with have reminded me how lucky I am to live in an area with multiple year-round farmer's markets. I will be the first to admit that I don't take advantage of this nearly as much as I should. But, as with most things in my life, that's gotten a bit better since I've been playing the game. I make more of an effort to go to the farmer's market, even if it's only to get my chocolate regelach on my day off.

There's a great farmer's market on Wednesdays and if I can get myself pulled together and out the door during the workday, I am always much happier for adding some healthy and happy food and flowers into my life.

Yesterday I left the farmer's market with just a small bundle:

Beautiful and happy pink ranunculus

I think this is one of my favorite flowers. I love how slowly and completely they bloom and how long they last in this vibrant state.

Lilacs! I love lilacs. I miss a few things about living on the east coast and one of them is the lilac bushes by far. Our house at 22 Winter Street had a few lilac bushes on the property and I loved how wonderful they smelled and how pretty the trees looked once the flowers came out. Unfortunately, I haven't spotted lilac bushes here in Los Angeles, so last year when I saw them at a farmer's market, I was overjoyed! And now I'm always on the lookout for them. Here's the little bunch I picked up yesterday

I found out that you're supposed to smash the bottom of the stems/branches with a hammer to make sure the lilacs drink a lot of water- apparently they drink a lot of water. I love looking at them- it's bringing back happy memories of living in New Hampshire and my parent's house.

And finally, I picked up some kale (thank you for the recipe suggestions Joy, Tif & Carla), a bag of lettuce, blueberries and some of the sweetest yummiest strawberries ever.


The fabulous ladies I'm playing with are scattered all over the country. Bad weather plagues some of them throughout the year making a farmer's market a difficult thing to pull off. And here I am in such a fabulous part of the country and I can't find the time to make it to the farmer's market at least once a week when I have four happening within a few miles of me a week?

I can and will do better and will be happy to share my farmer's market finds!