Farmers Markets

When in France, I love the weekly markets. You would know this, if you have followed this blog for anytime, as I have posted numerous entries, with gushing praise for the Sunday market in St. Antonin. My French friends do not always understand my enthusiasm. I am often asked, "Don't you have the same thing where you live?". My immediate answer is "NO". The French market is such a deep-rooted part of French life & culture, that, no, Americans do not have that same cultural connection.

That being said, my next response is always, "Yes, we do!". In my neighborhood we have a wonderful small local farmers market that sets up shop every Thursday afternoon from May- early Nov. Unfortunately they did not make it to the Thanksgiving weekend this year, but their are other larger farmers markets open this week in the Boston area.

I took these photos a few weeks back of our charming little market, when we were still having warmer weather. We were eating fresh corn right into the end of October, so good, so sweet. Now with the buy organic & buy local movements in full swing in this country, more & more Americans are seeking out their local farmers markets. Although agreeably, the produce is decidedly more expensive than supermarkets, the quality & taste can not be compared.

Here is something that might be unique to our local market, live lobsters. This lobsterman brings his days catch along with his wife's homemade relishes & jellies to sell. Farmers markets across the country are special in this way. Not only marvelous fresh produce but all manner of other local products of exceptional quality. Cheeses, baked goods, preserves, our market even hosts a dairy, that still delivers milk in glass bottles, who comes just to give out samples of their rich, creamy, plain or ,yum, my favorite, chocolate milk.

So for all of my French friends that might read this, yes, we do, & here it is, our market.

And for all of my American readers, where ever you may be, remember to support your local farmers markets, buy organic when you can, shop locally & have a very happy, healthy Thanksgiving!