Farmers' markets are popping up all across the country, and for people who can't grow gardens, this is the best opportunity to get the best produce in town. Plus, it's an opportunity to meet the people who are growing the goods.
There's nothing like the sights and sounds of shopping at the farmers' market. Where else can you get good bargains on rows upon rows of freshly picked produce? And better yet--you can find out from the grower the best way to prepare it. Most of the growers have one thing in common--they're all family-run operations passed on from one generation to the next.
Bonnie Dehn is the fourth generation in charge of her small family farm. As a kid, she grew up at the farmers' market and has some great advice for customers. She recommends asking a grower three important questions:
1. Where is your farm located?
2. How much fertilizer and pesticides do you use? If it's a conventional farm and they use only the amount that's prescribed by law, it's probably pretty safe.
3. Are you an organic grower? Certification is important to some people.
Organic potatoes have a flavor unmatched by anything else. As far as picking out the perfect produce, it all depends on when and how you're going to use it. Bonnie has a few pointers:
When you're looking for a carrot, you want something that's really, really firm to touch--not something that wiggles. Green beans should be slender, without bumps. When you choose a zucchini, choose a size that's appropriate for the dish you're planning to prepare. Look for a tomato that's going to be as ripe as you want it, when you want it. Look for a tomato that's nice and firm to touch. And if you have to lay them out on a brown paper bag in a shady area to ripen overnight, so be it. Sweet corn is also a very popular vegetable at the farmer's market. John Sunvold grows several varieties on his farm. One type is called Seneca Brave, a sugar-enhanced variety. It has a sugar content of 30-35 percent. It's a bi-color kernel--both white and yellow kernels, and it's tender. 
)
