Local Farmers’ Markets March 8, 2010

Nothing makes me more happy than a good farmers’ market. I love them and I am glad that they are popping up all over. To me, it’s about more than just the great produce. The total experience is really the true joy. I love meeting the farmers and learning about their practices. I enjoy hearing about how little their produce traveled and smelling the strong fragrance of fresh produce. My husband teases me about how much I love farmers’ market. At the end of the day though, we both can tell a huge taste difference.

I have been wanting to put together a list for my readers of the local farmers’ markets for a long time. Because there are so many, I knew I would forget some. I just found a great website that lists many of the major ones. My favorite is the Riverside Arts Market in downtown Jacksonville. My second favorite market is the one in Nocatee which meets the third Saturday of the month.

If you have not visited a market yet, you must go!! They are really fun and I promise you won’t be disappointed by the food. I’m heading to the Riverside Market this weekend after the River Run. Hope to see you there!

One word of caution: there are several produce distributors at the markets, meaning they don’t grow the food themselves. They just sell it. So if you are looking for locally grown, make sure you ask about the farm and where the produce comes from.

http://www.eatwellguide.org/search/results/page/1   – This should be results for Jacksonville area. You can also search anywhere in the country.

Preserving Nutrients in Produce November 5, 2007

Prepping your own produce at home can be intimidating. Many of the nutrients found in fresh produce are water-soluble and can be lost in the cooking process. Here are a few points to follow to ensure your fruits and veggies keep as many nutrients as possible.

1. Store produce in the fridge (except tomatoes and bananas). The enzymes that breakdown produce are most active at room temperatures. Chilling produce will help to slow down spoiling. Cooked veggies can last about one week in the fridge.

2. If you cut, puree, or cook a piece of fresh produce, store in an airtight container to prevent nutrient breakdown from air.

3. Some fresh vegetables can loose up to half of their nutrient content during washing, boiling or canning. This is because produce contains many water-soluble nutrients (B vitamins, vitamin C, anti-oxidants, minerals). Wash produce quickly and vigorously, but do not soak it. Serving vegetables in their cooking liquid helps to keep some of those nutrients. If you are pureeing the cooked vegetable, use some of the cooking liquid to moisten the puree. 

Steaming is one of the best ways to prepare cooked veggies to retain the most nutrients. Stir-frying veggies in a small amount of oil also increases nutrient preservation. The microwave is a quick, healthy way to cook veggies. Simply put prepped veggies in a microwave safe bowl, drizzle with water, and cover with plastic wrap. Heat at 30 second intervals till you reached your desired tenderness.

Don’t forget that frozen produce can be just as good as fresh fruit. Frozen produce is picked at their peak of ripeness and flash frozen immediately. This helps preserve its nutrient profile. Buying frozen produce is also a great way to enjoy items that are out of season.