This Week at the Durham Farmers' Market Wednesday Market

School is back in session, summer vacation time is over, but don't worry, the Durham Farmers' Market is still here for you! I know that lots of Durhamites see their schedules change and their obligations increase around the beginning of September. So, if you are overwhelmed with a new semester of classes, new soccer practice schedules, or training new student interns or employees, be good to yourself and take the time to eat healthy, nourishing, local foods.

Remember, healthy, local meals don't have to be s.l.o.w. There are plenty of ways to cook up fast meals with what you can find at the farmers market. Here are a few things that I have figured out that make is easier to cook meals using seasonal ingredients.

1. Plan ahead. When you have a few minutes on your day off, look through your cookbooks or look online and pick out a few recipes that you like or look good.

2. Make lists. Make lists of the dishes you want to cook. Then make lists of the ingredients that you need and divide those lists up between the different places you need to go to get the ingredients. Make a farmers' market list (check out the Availability List below for help), a grocery store list, an ethnic store list, etc.

3. Use recipes that some prep can be done ahead of time. Chop up all of the vegetables that you will need for the week one evening. Or, make two meals at once and put tomorrow's in the fridge. Below is a great recipe that do most of the preparation ahead of time.

4. Don't be afraid to use the crockpot. It is your friend. Then dinner is ready when you get home!

5. Have a couple of standby easy recipes. When I'm beat, I make veggie fajitas. Chop up vegetables, saute with spices, and put on a tortilla with cheese. Or breakfast for dinner (eggs, sausage and toast) can be a filling, fast meal made using all local ingredients!

With a little planning, some thoughtful grocery shopping, and standby recipes, you, too, can eat local and healthy meals even when life is at its most hectic.

For your planning purposes... The Wednesday Market will be OPEN THROUGH OCTOBER 9th. The Saturday Market is OPEN YEAR ROUND, though the hours will shorten starting in December.

THIS WEEK AT MARKET:
Greens are slowly returning! You'll find some braising mix, arugula and malabar spinach today. Its a new color to add to the reds, yellows, purples and oranges of summertime veggies.

See you at the market!
Erin Kauffman
Market Manager
Follow the Market on Facebook and Twitter

Available Wednesday! 
Fruits: GRAPES - Scuppernong, Figs, Apples, Cantaloupe, Peaches, Watermelon
Vegetables: BRAISING MIX, EDAMAME, Arugula, Beans, Beets, Butternut Squash, Butter Beans, Cherry Tomatoes, Corn, Cucumbers, Delicata Squash, Eggplant, Garlic, Green Onions, Herbs (Cilantro, Basil), Leeks, Malabar Spinach, Onions, Okra, Peppers - Sweet and Hot, Potatoes, Pea Shoots, Purple Hull Peas, Pumpkins, Salad Mix, Shiitake Mushrooms, Summer Squash, Tomatoes, Tomatillos, Zucchini
Meats: Beef, Chicken, Duck, Goat/Chevon, Pork
Eggs: Chicken and Duck  Eggs
Flowers: Celosia, Gomphrena, Tuberrose, Lisiasnthus,  Dahlia, Gladiolus, and mixed Bouquets
Specialty Items:  RAW HONEY!, Tempeh, Mustards, Flour, Yellow & White Cornmeal, Grits,  Goat and Cow Milk Cheeses, Baked Goods - Breads, Pastries, & Pies, Preserves, Gluten Free Baked Goods, Fermented Items, Nut Butters, Pasta, Herbal Teas, Herbal Salves,
Crafts:  Wood Crafts, Pottery, Goats Milk Soaps