Tag Archives: farmers market

A beastly return

25 Jun

The reasoning behind this name is two-fold. First, look who is back in my life full time:

SULLY! Sully Sully Sully! My little stinky furball! The world’s greatest pug zu!

Holy heck, does she need a haircut.

Anyway, the second reason is that the little monster and I made our first trip to the farmers market this year as a matching (or not) set. I’m still digging into the recesses of my closet (you don’t want to see that!) to find my camera, so I didn’t take any photos this time of the market itself, but expect them as soon as I get my crap together. Here’s our haul this time, though:

Clockwise from top left:

  • Fresh corn: $.50 each, or $2 for all four ears
  • Summer squashes: $3 for all four
  • Un-freaking-believable fresh Havarti from LOMAH Dairy: $9
  • A green bean/new potato bag: $5
  • Natchez blackberries: $4
  • TOTAL: $23

Yes, the Havarti was expensive, and no, I don’t plan to eat it, but one taste made me realize that the boy had to have it. It’s so, so, SO GOOD. Plus, the dairy doesn’t use antibiotics, lets the cows roam free, AND doesn’t sell off the retired milkers: they have their own pasture in which to roam and graze. How could I say no? They also sell pasteurized, non-homogenized milk by the gallon. I will have to see if the boy wants some of that next time.

My bag wasn’t as heavy as usual, but I was trying to be realistic. There are still things in the fridge we need to eat, so I didn’t want to go stopped myself from going crazy. Next week is another ball game, though. What were Sully’s thoughts on the whole experience?

She was a little tired. In fact, after three attempts to get in the car herself, I finally had to pick her up. Those fuzzy legs can only work so hard.

One final note: I want to send a huge HAPPY BIRTHDAY to another veg blogger in Tulsa, Ashley! Check her out if you haven’t yet.

A perfect morning

21 May

The day could not have started more divinely. But first let’s back up to yesterday.

It was rainy and thunderous here in Tulsa, with a lovely wall cloud above, always reassuring. My theatre partner in crime and I were meant to set up at the Blue Dome Arts Festival in support of the ShakeDown in T-Town Shakespeare Festival 2011 of which we are the planners. We decided not to brave the elements, however, so I had a free day. Instead of eating bonbons while watching Netflix streaming, I ran some errands and then cleaned — yes, me, cleaning — for about three hours . . . while watching Netflix streaming. The living room hasn’t looked so good since I moved in four months ago. As much as I despise tidying and sorting and all that jazz, I felt so accomplished when I was done that I’m considering doing more today. I’m a Pod Brigid.

Anyway, I actually got so wrapped up that I forgot to eat lunch. Crazy, isn’t it? By the time I realized the fact, it was nearly 4:00, so instead of choking down whatever random thing might be lurking in the fridge, I decided to wait until the boy got home from doing big-strong-man-ual labor. We had a bit of a rushed dinner, due to his evening rehearsal, but it was still nice. Then I dropped him off at said rehearsal and went shopping with my wonderful mother until it was time to retrieve him again. We ended the evening with Laura and this:

Delicious. Highly recommended. It has a full, smooth body, a delightful dryness, and none of the “grapiness” of lesser pinots.

I slept like a very happy baby last night, feeling content, accomplished and loved. When my alarm went off at 7:00, I was full of the same beautiful energy with which I had ended the night, so I decided to walk to the Cherry Street Farmers Market — about 3/4 of a mile away — instead of driving today. The weather app on my phone said it was 66° F, and the sky was cloudy but not rainy, so I threw on yesterday’s clothes (classy), set my Pandora app to Death Cab for Cutie’s “I Will Follow You into the Dark” (my theme for the rapture) playlist, and headed out. When I reached the east end of the market, I started with my usual small coffee from the Coffee House on Cherry Street (not pictured) and then made my way down and then back up. Here’s my haul:

Clockwise from top left:

  • Spinach: $3
  • Mung bean sprouts picked this morning: $4
  • Blue new potatoes: $5
  • Yellow squash: $3
  • Radishes: $2
  • Cilantro: $1
  • TOTAL: $18 (including the coffee, it came to an even $20)
I can’t wait to share recipes for where these delicious items are going!
On my way back, I saw a big, yellow sign that can only mean one thing in this town: a sale run by Estate Sales Plus. On a whim, I turned right and followed the road for a few blocks. It was truly breathtaking. The sky was starting to break a little, with a bit of blue and sun peeking through. The old neighborhood is lined with huge old trees — oaks, maples, elms. It was beautifully quiet. I got to admire the lovely old homes, with their brick facades, perfectly sized yards, gardens, wooden fences that rose to my waist, and all the charm midtown Tulsa has to offer. I wish my phone hadn’t been nearly dead or I would have been taking photos left and right. Ultimately, I decided I was too content looking at the neighborhood to go into the estate sale.

As I continued my walk, I saw a yard sale sign and couldn’t resist. It was in the Gillette Historic District, a neighborhood established by the oil boom in the 1920s. Some photos are here. If I hadn’t been on foot, I would have grabbed an excellent bookshelf for $20. Instead, I picked up the prop pictured with my market haul — a picnic basket for $1! One buck! Woo hoo! Check it out:

It’s in great condition, as you can see. (The dirt inside is from the new potatoes. Should be easy to clean.)
And the timing couldn’t be more perfect — I’m taking a picnic dinner to see my beloved’s play next weekend. How lovely. Now I must brainstorm with what delights to fill it.

I then made the short trip home. In total, I walked 2.5 miles and burned 160 calories in almost exactly an hour. It’s still overcast outside, but it’s going to be a beautiful day. I hope the same is true wherever you are!

For those with Netflix streaming, what is your favorite ridiculous thing to watch? I admit that I just finished Greek — yes, all of it — and am now on the third season of the British show Coupling. And do you ever stroll through other neighborhoods? I love to look at other people’s homes and dream about the day I buy my own.

A return to the market

7 May

Oh readers, I made you promises again on which I didn’t deliver. It’s the farmers market again, I said. I will certainly resume regular posting. Don’t worry!

Lies lies lies. You’ve heard them all before, of course, but that doesn’t make them any less unacceptable. Please, know that I’m sorry from the bottom of my little shriveled heart.

So today, I come bearing beauteous bounty:

I rose bright and early (i.e. 7 a.m.) to get my produce on, and I was not disappointed. Before you are (clockwise from top right):

  • mixed green lettuces ($3)
  • brown eggs for my man ($4.50)
  • arugula ($4)
  • sugar snap peas ($3)
  • green onions ($2)
  • Tidal School Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon ($16)
  • Hardesty Prairie Fire Cheese for my man ($5)
  • strawberries ($4)
  • unpictured: iced tea from the Coffee House on Cherry Street ($2.50)
For a grand total of: $44, or $28 if you subtract the wine. Not too shabby! What shall I do with all the beautiful things? Oh friends, it will involve salads and a hummus wrap. In fact, I can’t say anything else at the moment because it’s 8:30 a.m. and I want to eat my own arm, so telling you about the delightful meals I have planned might kill me. I will (I will!) post about them, though.
I did learn something tragic, though. Cute barista who always sells me my coffee and tea now sports a wedding ring. Oh, sigh. Our hidden forbidden love lives on. Single tear.
If we can get it together, I will have an extra-special farmers market post coming atcha soon. It’s only been in the works for a month, though, so don’t hold your breath.
What’s your favorite farmers market find? Mine will always be purple hull peas. I can’t wait until they return!

Even smaller bounty

27 Sep

Yesterday, I said goodbye to the Cherry Street Farmers Market for 2010. I shed a tear. Here’s what the entrance looked like at 7:30 a.m. that day:

And here’s a shot of some of the interior:

Since the season’s wrapping up, it’s not as packed as it had been. In the middle of the summer, there were tons of vendors and hungry shoppers packing 15th Street.

The real tragedy of the day, though, occurred before I even hit the market. On the way out the door, I reached into my purse to grab my debit card and ID so I could stop for some cash (and not get arrested for driving without a license). When I, with Sully in the back seat, stopped at Quik Trip to pull some money out of the ATM, I discovered that my “debit card” was actually my library card. I was in too big a hurry to go home, though, so I ended up with only the $5 I already had to spend. Here’s what I got:

Could have been worse. I asked myself what I would miss most and decided it was the fresh green beans. Expect to see them this week.

Goodbye, farmers market. I will miss you.

Small bounty

18 Sep

The withdrawals have started. My heart is pounding, though that could just be the coffee; my throat is scratchy, but that could be the allergies; and I have a sinking feeling in my stomach that can be attributed to nothing else. Yes, the Cherry Street Farmers Market will make its last appearance for the year on October 2. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to go that day, which means next Saturday will be my last trip until May. Pass me a tissue.

I took Sully again today, so I didn’t bike. I had little money to spend, and as a result my bounty was not as bountiful as you’ve seen here before:

Before you are (clockwise from top left) purple hull peas, 1 lb of sweet potatoes, 1/4 lb of maitake mushrooms, and a block of Prairie Fire cheese from Hardesty Cheese. The latter is for my taller half, one cheese-eating fiend. I tried a sample of it once before I bought it for him, and it is good — smooth white cheese with some serious bite.

The mushrooms are, as always, from Mushroom Planet. You have two more chances to buy from her, so get on it! I’m madly in love with the maitakes. They are unbelievable sauteed in a little olive oil. They are great in risotto, in miso soup, and by themselves.

Suddenly lots of folks have sweet potatoes for $2/lb. I couldn’t pass it up. And the purple hull peas are one of my favorite discoveries this year. Look out for a wonderful recipe featuring them this week.

Sully, the little craphead, loves the farmers market. She is a people dog, not overly fond of other canines, but she’ll tolerate them for the chance that humans will adore her. And they do. I must tell her breed between two and five times every time we go. I am asked very frequently if she’s a Brussels griffon. (For the record, she’s a pug zu, born of the star-crossed love between a pug and a shih tzu. Apparently some people breed them on purpose, but I gather mine was an accident — an adorable, stinky one.) The 20- or 30-minute jaunt around the market wipes her out, though, even when it isn’t blazingly hot. Here she is post-trip:

Isn’t it great that I got a dog that matched the carpets? Or, rather, chose a carpet that matched my dog. That’s what she looks like most hours of most days, to be fair. Want a dog that doesn’t chew chords, bite, require much exercise, bark, or mind being the only pet? Get a pug zu. Want a guard dog, a pet to take on runs, or something to eat your leftovers that aren’t entirely wheat bread or cream cheese or ketchup? Then you’re barking up the wrong breed.

Do you mourn the farmers market when it packs up for the year? What do you do to get fresh, local veggies throughout the fall?

Sullying my morning

4 Sep

Today is not off to a good start. I passed out early last night with a migraine, so I did manage to wake up almost on time without the aid of my alarm clock. However, once I was showered and dressed, things did not go according to plan. The dog woke up in a bad mood, apparently, and decided to be willful and not pee on the dewy grass. This, my friends, is why many people recommend having stupid dogs. Smart dogs may learn quicker, but one of the things they learn is to be a royal pain in your ass. For reference, this is the little craphead herself with her BFF the Grinch (explains so much about her):

Ten pounds of stinky, stubborn fury.

And here’s a picture of her being a creeper:

And here she is dressed in her native Ewok garb:

And here’s a video of her from this past winter’s snow storm:

Anyway, typically she accompanies me to the farmers market on Saturday mornings. It’s one of her favorite things, and one of mine, too. So I decided not to ride my bike this morning so I could take her along. Instead, she acted like the little female dog that she is and got herself in trouble. I do not hit my dog, but this is one of the mornings that I really, really wanted to. Instead, she got a “time out,” which is 30 minutes alone in the bathroom. That is, after she FINALLY peed. It took 15 minutes. Usually she’s done in less than five in the mornings.

Anyway, I left her behind, and by now it’s a few minutes after 8:00. I decided to speed through the market so I could still make my 9 a.m. yoga class, located about 20 minutes from my apartment. I’m doing well until I make my weekly stop at the Coffee House on Cherry Street‘s outside booth. He fills my cup a little less than halfway and realizes he’s out of coffee. So I go inside to have it filled up the rest of the way. The people in front of me are chatting up the barista, a local singer, so much that I wait 10 minutes just to get my joe topped off. This little exercise in patience — a virtue I do not have — makes me even crankier. I want to apologize to the staff at my favorite coffee place for my curtness. I know it wasn’t your fault.

So, long story short (too late), I don’t get home until 20 minutes before my class starts, which wasn’t enough time to unload my produce and get there at a respectful time. I don’t think it’s OK to be late to class. Sigh. I haven’t been to class in, gosh, more than a month. The Y branch was closed for two weeks due to electrical damage, and then, as soon as it reopened, I injured my arm. I think the universe may have been conspiring to keep me on arm rest for another week.

On the upside, I did get some great buys this morning.

Before you is just a sampling of each item since I didn’t want to dump everything out. I bought (from top row) summer squash (three of each color pictured), three medium-to-small yams, 1/4 pound of shiitake mushrooms, eggs for my taller half, and about a pound of green beans. Add to it $2 for my coffee (which includes tip), I spent $18.75 today. I would have liked more, but I’m on a budget.

It’s going to be an absolutely gorgeous day, so I’m hoping to do something outdoors with my amazing lover man. Maybe a walk on the trail? Or a trip to Woodward Park? Or borrowing a bicycle for him to pedal alongside me? We’ll see once the beast emerges.

Late Summer Farmers Market Salad

2 Sep

Every week, I make a lunch to bring for three of my four work days. The rules are that it must contain some kind of legume and at least one serving each of fruits and vegetables. The unofficial rule is that I should plan it around things I pick up from the farmers market. This week’s result was a surprising slam dunk. (Wait, is that sports terminology on my blog? I’m eternally sorry.) All of the veggies came from my friends at the Cherry Street Farmers Market.

Late Summer Farmers Market Salad

Serves 3.

Ingredients

  • ~1 pound of potatoes (the small red ones are ideal)
  • ~1 pound of green beans
  • 6 cups of arugula
  • 1 pint of cherry tomatoes
  • Half bunch of basil
  • Half bunch of chives
  • ~ 1/2 cup dressing of choice (what I did is below)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

The night before, scrub and chop up the green beans and new potatoes. I like the pieces pretty small so that they cook more quickly. If all you have is one very small steamer basket, steam one vegetable at a time until they are softened but al dente (or whatever firmness you prefer). Refrigerate overnight in one container.

When you’re ready to assemble your salad, reheat the potatoes and green beans. It took one minute for me to warm up 1/3 in the microwave. Meanwhile, wash the arugula and tear into bite-size pieces. Wash the cherry tomatoes and place atop the arugula either whole or cut in half. Wash the basil and chives and chop or tear half onto the salad. When the green beans and potatoes are warmed, pour them on top. Dollop on your dressing, and sprinkle on the rest of the herbs. Add salt and pepper to taste.

I usually concoct a sauce or dressing from scratch, but last night’s dinner (which I’ll share later this week) took a lot longer to cook than we hoped, so I was too tired. Instead, just before serving, I combined one tablespoon of tahini and two tablespoons of Newman’s Own Low Fat Sesame Ginger dressing, plus a little drizzle of water to thin it out. The result was surprisingly tasty and a great complement to the other salad flavors.

Obviously, this salad welcomes substitutions, and whatever dressing you choose will transform the flavor. The type of basil (or other fresh herb) will have a huge impact, too. I ended up with Thai basil, which worked really well with the sesame flavors. My favorite topping, however, remains a nice, spicy peanut sauce thinned out with a little rice vinegar. I hope to have occasion to share that recipe in the coming weeks.

Oh, and obviously this recipe contains no fruit, but I did have some store-bought watermelon on the side.

Family-size? That’s barely more than two servings, fools.

What’s your favorite late-summer produce? I’m pretty obsessed with the bags of green beans and red potatoes several of the farmers sell, and the local grapes are pretty incredible. Who knew Okie vines could produce such wonderful flavors?

Rollin’ on my homie

28 Aug

I’m an Oklahoma anomaly in many ways beyond my meat-shunning. One of them is my distaste for sports. Nearly every Okie has a favorite team of some kind, and even the mostly indifferent root for either the Sooners or the Cowboys (or occasionally the Golden Hurricane, but that makes even me giggle). I do not. I actively do not care. For the most part, I cannot stand watching sports. Somehow I hooked up with an amazing guy who also can’t stand them. He’s a former football player, and I once waved a pair of pom pons, but that’s an image for another time.

Despite this fact, between the ages of 4 and 17, I managed to participate in six different physical activities: gymnastics/acrobatics (briefly), swimming, soccer, cheerleading, dance (ballet, tap, jazz), and basketball (yes, I’m 5’3″). In that time, I did all the normal kid things, too, including bike riding, trampolining, and being a spaz. Upon entering college and engaging fully in dorm life, my desire for movement of any kind dissipated. Sure, I made some half-assed attempts at working out, but mostly, I studied, ate, and played Set with my fellow nerdy/awesome friends. I gained and I lost weight intermittently, and I still managed to graduate at a healthy size.

Now as a 20-something, health has become a major interest of mine. I read lots of books on it, constantly try to eat well, and enjoy the weight loss that has accompanied my almost squeaky-clean lifestyle. My one sticky area, however, remains fitness. I thrive on routine, but building one is proving difficult. Knowing my own limitations, I try to surround myself with a large of variety of fitness opportunities. I take the stairs up to and down from my fourth-floor (windowless, cavelike, meat locker) office; I try to make a weekly yoga class; once or twice a week, I slip into the gym.

As part of this routine-less routine, earlier this summer, I bought a bike from the Saturday Flea Market. His name is Marcello:

Isn’t he a sexy beast? Born in 1966, he made all my vintage-bicycle dreams come true. And at $75, it was meant to be. I couldn’t wait to ride him around all the time. I even bought some accessories:

Helmet, bell, basket, and mirror (that came with him). Check out the decidedly non-vintage spinny bell:

My Oklahomie readers know where this ambitious story is going. We had a brutal winter by our standards this year (including snow in March, what?!), so that meant the summer needed to compensate by melting our skin for two months. Marcello and I got very little one-one-one time (mostly me on him, though I won’t deny the reciprocity) before the sun took up residence in my town. We had nearly a month of above-100 temperatures and the brutal Great Plains humidity that accompanied it. Marcello sat sadly, lonely, in the spare room/office/craft space/general storage area.

I woke yesterday to discover a gorgeous 75 degrees outside, so I dusted off my blue baby and went on the longest ride of my adult life: roughly 3.5 miles. It felt great! It felt awesome! I sweated and smiled and mostly ignored the pain in my rear end. In fact, I got so ambitious as to declare that I would ride him all the way to the Cherry Street Farmers Market — my Saturday morning destination — today. It’s about a 6-mile trip there and back. I figured if I could pedal 3.5 miles yesterday in one shot, I could certainly do 3, take a break, and then do another 3. So what if I’d never done it before? Never even ridden with anything more than my keyring in the basket? I was up to the challenge.

And you know what? I did it. I did it. I can’t freaking believe it. I may have walked the last four blocks of the trip out (the hills on 15th will kill you, especially if your bike has only one speed), but I didn’t break down and call a cab as I feared/prepared for. The reward: 172 calories burned, +10,000 confidence points, and a bag of tasty, local produce. Here’s the spread:

In a basket.

On my self-healing cutting mat. Yum.

Grapes (more in the bag – for my mom), basil, chives.

(Blurry) arugula.

(Blurry) new potatoes and green beans (my favorites).

(Slightly less blurry) cherry tomatoes.

I will share what I make with the goodies soon.

How did I feel after my accomplishment?

Sweaty, mostly, and proud — but not prideful. Would you like further proof that I have no actual pride or dignity? This is what a helmet does to unwashed, super-fine hair, bobby pins be damned:

SEX-AY. You’re welcome.

And in case you’re interested, I had my Nano on shuffle, so this was my ridin’ dirty play list:

  • Train — “Free”
  • The Rolling Stones — “I Just Want to See His Face”
  • Vampire Weekend — “Horchata”
  • Ben Folds Five — “Brick”
  • Fiona Apple — “Get Him Back”
  • Taylor Swift — “You’re Not Sorry”
  • David Bowie — “Young Americans”
  • Busta Rhymes feat. Rampage — “Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check”
  • Iron & Wine — “Sodom, South Georgia”
  • Portishead — “Mysterons”
  • Peter Gabriel — “Secret World”
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