Dirty Veggies, Part 7

Okay. Here are my thoughts. Get ready.

The whole point of me going to the farmer's market each week, in addition to getting ridiculously good veggies, is to support local farmers, right? And if I end up going to the supermarket to supplement my produce because I didn't buy enough at the farmer's market...well, aren't I just giving into The Man? I might as well hand out dollar bills at Walmart!

This is how I am justifying this week's overexpenditure.

Which I actually think is totally valid logic. In fact, I'm thinking it's so logically, I might increase my weekly budget to $15! Gasps! If I'm using the farmer's market as my primary source of produce, shouldn't I be able to spend a little bit more to supplement?

I can see you nodding your head through the screen.

I thought you would agree.

This week's roundup:

2 cucumbers - $.50

1 bunch carrots - $1.75

1 head green leaf lettuce - $1.50

1 gigantic head of collard greens - $2.00

1 white eggplant - $1.35

6 peaches - $2.25

2 beautiful heirloom tomatoes - $3.05 (my splurge)

Total: $12.40....only $2.40 over-budget

Dirty Veggies, Part 1

With reusable, eco-friendly bags in hand and a $10 budget, I make my way to the White Plains Farmer's Market each Wednesday. Have I mentioned my recent obsession with the farmer's market?

Oh, I haven't...well then.

I'm soooo in love with my farmer's market. In fact, I'm so smitten that I've decided that you need to be too! With that, I'm going to be posting a weekly installment of all my fresh veg buys as a way of maybe convincing you to go and check out your local market too!

This week's rundown:

1 bunch fresh carrots - $1.75

1 bunch radishes - $1

1 bunch cilantro - $1.50 (so fragrant)

1 bunch parsley - $1

1 head green leaf lettuce - $1.25

5 vine-ripened tomatoes - $3.75 (my splurge)

garlic scape - $.60

Total: $10.85....just $.85 over budget, not too shabby. 

At one point or another, all those veggies will be in my salad...and then in my belly! I have something wonderfully delicious in store for you with the cilantro and parsley.

Aren't you excited?!

End of Summer....

One of my favorite things about summer is the tomatoes! I love fresh, ripe garden tomatoes! Sometimes, I'll just slice them up and eat with a little bit of salt. So good! I'm always sad at the end of the summer, not only because I won't see the sun again until May, but because I know tomato season is soon tapped out. 

When it's the season for it, I like making fresh plum tomato sauce, using actual real tomatoes! It's a little more time consuming then using canned tomatoes, but oh so good. I have fantasies of eventually jarring some up and giving them as gifts for the holidays. If it wasn't for the overwhelming fear of giving my friends and families a wicked case of Botulism.

Homemade Tomato Sauce

Ingredients
2 lbs ripe plum tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 handful fresh basil
salt and pepper
olive oil

Method
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While waiting for the water to boil, cut a small "x" on the bottoms of each tomato.
2. When water is at a boil, drop a few tomatoes at a time into the pot. Let the tomatoes boil for 1 - 2 minutes depending on the size of the tomato. Then drop boiled tomato into a cold water bath. This is help you peel the tomatoes' skins. If you don't mind the skins, then you can skip this step and just diced the tomatoes with their skins on. You will also diced the skinned tomatoes.
3. Heat up onions, garlic, and oregano in olive oil. When onions and garlic start to brown, add your diced tomatoes. Salt and pepper.
4. Bring your tomatoes to a simmer. Let the sauce simmer for an hour to an hour and half. Add the fresh basil.