Watermelon Fo Days!

Yes... I know it might be a little bizarre to dedicate an entire post to a watermelon, but this one deserves it! Its the huge 30 pound beauty I mentioned in my farmers market post. I got this baby for $10 which I thought was a great deal considering its size, plus its Local, Organic, and an Heirloom variety (Moon & Stars). 

The farmers working the stand and their families were all so kind and helpful, I learned their farm is in Southwest Michigan (Benton Harbor) but they come all the way to Illinois to share their amazing produce! These wonderful people are from Lake Breeze Organics please be sure to check out them out - here's the link to their website. 

If you are in the Benton Harbor or Chicago area you can become part of their CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) by purchasing a share in their yield. This means that each week, from early June to late September, you will get to pick up a box of fresh, organic produce that has just been harvested. Although the upfront cost is a bit expensive (Illinois residents pay $550 for a full share and $300 for a half share - these prices are a little cheaper if you're a Michigan resident since they don't have to transport it), it is ABSOLUTELY worth it when you consider what you get out of it and that it lasts for 4 months! I'm a little late for this year but I'll definitely take part in this next year. Wooo sorry that was a kind of a rant but I just wanted to get the word out there. 

Somebody's curious about this huge melon.... lol

Benny says, "Can I have a bite?"

day at the farmers market

Hola everybody! I went to the farmer's market this past weekend with my lovely mom and aunt and we hit the jack pot on some seriously FRESH and LOCAL goodies. Not to mention they were an amazing deal!

We got baby eggplant and green peppers 10 for $1 (YES, ONE DOLLAR) aka 10 cents a piece people. A beautiful, Organic 30 pound Moon and Stars heirloom watermelon for $10, the farmer gave me a discount for carrying the melon up to his register haha :) We also got 5 pounds of local, spray-free heirloom tomatoes for $10 (or $2/pound). I was so grateful to have gotten these when I saw the price of heirloom tomatoes at Whole Foods later that day - $6/pound at WF! Finally we picked up some shitaake mushrooms for $7, not a great deal but still nice to support local growers.

This just goes to show you that although some people think fresh produce is too expensive you can make it fit your budget if you know WHERE and WHEN to look. This means buying LOCAL and SEASONAL fruits and veggies as much as possible. Because when you buy something that was grown locally (within 200 miles or less of where you live) it will be fresher and most likely cheaper since the farmers don't have to pay as much to transport it. Buying produce in season is also very important in cutting costs and enhancing deliciousness!

I'm definitely no expert, but I found a ton of great resources - including the seasonality charts  - HERE on CUESA's website (stands for Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture) so make sure to check them out too! The charts on their website are specific to the greater Bay Area and may not be applicable to all regions, but are still a good guideline to help gain a basic understanding of what is in season when!

Warning: this post will be pretty much ALL pictures. But isn't that all we really care about when looking at blogs anyway...?

Tater Time :)

Beautiful, 30 pound baby! Organic Heirloom Moon and Stars Watermelon

Glad I got my tomatoes at the farmers market - these at Whole Foods were 3X the price! 

Eggplant Tan Lines :)