Produce

OK, I'll admit it.  I am a total food snob.  I've been this way for years.  Even despite times of extreme financial scarcity, only the best would do.  If I had to choose a 5lb bag of so-so apples from some gigantic farm in Michigan for $4 or just 3lbs of organic, crisp, delicious pink lady apples from a grower in my state for $5 [or more], I'd pick the latter. 

That being said, moving here from a larer city where I had access to locally grown food was a bit daunting.  Not to be a snob---oh wait---but I was not excited about having to shop at Wal-Mart or Kroger.  I dislike Wal-Mart for several reasons.  Suffice it to say, I'm a Target girl.  I don't like Kroger because I think it's overpriced, and the one in our new town happens to be filthy.  I have had several issues with moldy/expired produce with this particular store and have hereafter vowed to never purchase produce there again.  Shew...
I should mention, however, that I'm growing to like getting used to Wal-Mart.  Believe it or not, but this Wal-Mart has a really good [and clean] produce section, and it's priced much better than the yucky stuff at Kroger.

But I digress.  Imagine my delight when at the end of our second week here, I stumbled upon a nice Amish woman who sells her produce twice a week in a parking lot not 5 minutes from our house.  Here is what I was able to get yesterday:

Generally I spend about $15 a week and get everything I need to meet our needs and even a little extra for the freezer.  For example, she sells 12 ears of orn for $3.50.  We eat about 4 a week and freeze the rest for winter.  It really makes me feel like the Proverbs 31 woman: She considers a field and buys it...[verse 16].
With this HOT weather, it really makes me look forward to eating spicy corn chowder on chilly autumn evenings. 

Look at these blackberries!  I'd really like to make this but we're doing a no-carb thing.  So I'll just put them in the freezer for another day when I can have a treat. 

Now let me talk to you about salmon.  Do you like it?  You should try it, even if you've had a bad experience in the past.  This is a gorgeous hunk of the stuff we got last week at Whole Foods.  I'll eat it any which way.  Last night we mixed 1/4 c mayo [made with Canola oil], the zest of 1 lemon, a few dashes of hot sauce, a teaspoon of crushed garlic and salt and pepper to taste.  I spread it all over the fish and baked it at 425 for about 20 minutes.

Well this is a lot of probably useless information but that's my post for today.  Happy Eating!