I Love Being a Locavore!!!

On Sunday, Sarah, Ethan, and I once again made our way to the Headhouse Farmer’s Market on 2nd and Lombard in Philly. While I know I should be spreading the wealth and visiting different spots, something about Headhouse draws us back.
Perhaps it’s the cornucopia of vendors and choices. I always start at Blooming Glen Farm. Besides the fact that they are the first vendor on the right, they always have a huge selection of fruit that looks like it should be on the cover of Local Food Monthly. If only there was such a periodical! Maybe if this blog takes off…I digress. Blooming Glen supplied me with a couple of huge heirloom tomatoes which ended up on the grill later that evening. A little olive oil, a little salt and pepper, and a little basil – roasted on the barbeque. They were very tasty but I could have cooked them a bit longer. Good thing I will be buying more next week!
We also visited Ben Wenk and the gals at Three Springs Fruit Farm out of Aspers, Pennsylvania. These folks use IPM to control their pests which is great for you AND the environment. See, helping ourselves and the environment doesn’t have to be mutually exclusive! Ok, off of the soapbox…At Three Springs, I was introduced to the Italian Cucumber Melon which, if I would have been smart enough to bring my camera, you would be seeing here. They were a bit smaller in length than a regular cucumber but were fleshier and definitely sweeter. I know this because they adorned that night’s dinner salad as well as the rest of the vegetables from the day’s bounty. Before we departed from Three Springs we picked up yellow peaches as well. The family has been eating those all week. They are especially good peeled in oatmeal, believe it or not. We also blended a couple up for Ethan – they make terrific baby food!
When visiting Headhouse, we always make an obligatory stop at Natural Meadows Farms out of Mount Pleasant Mills, Pennsylvania. We picked up four pounds of pastured, ground meat which always makes the best burgers (sorry to my vegetarian friends). We made the first two pounds last night for my in-laws and after eating it, my mother-in-law said something that, as a burgeoning locavore, almost brought tears to my eyes – the taste was familiar to her and after trying to place it she said – “This is how food used to taste”. What a response!!! It validates everything I have been trying to do in regards to integrating local food into my family’s lives. It’s not just lip service! There is a difference between the Industrial Feedlot and the clover filled meadow! AWESOME!!!
Well, I think that is enough exclamation points for one post. Please, if you are visiting farmers’ markets, let us at The Philly Food Feed know. We want to hear all about your experiences. And if you haven’t yet, C’mon already. What are you waiting for?