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Tips For The Farmer's Market

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Carrie Vitt is an author, mother, and blogger of the organic cooking blog, Delicously Organic. Her journey cooking with organic, unprocessed foods allowed her family of four to overcome severe asthma, eczema, IBS and migraines, all without drugs—just good, natural, real food. Delciously Organic is an excellent resource for seasonal recipes using ingredients direct from the earth. A favorite place to source these ingredients and support local business is the farmer's market. We've asked Carrie to share her top five tips when visiting the market this summer.

Cherries and Blueberries - Small

The Farmer’s Market is a great place to shop for organic, local foods. Here are my top tips for shopping at the market.

  • Bring a cart or cooler with wheels. Shopping at the market can sometimes involve carrying around heavy bags of produce. An insulated cooler with wheels makes shopping a breeze.
  • Bring your own reusable bags. Some vendors will have plastic bags for you to use, but it’s best to bring your own reusable bags. My favorite bags are the Cotton Drawstring Bags from Olive and Manna.
  • Get a lay of the land before making your first purchase. Take time to walk the entire perimeter of the market the first time you visit. See which farmers are offering organic vs. conventional and compare prices.
  • Go early or go late. The early and late hours at the market are the best times to stroll and shop without dealing with large crowds. And, during the last 30 minutes farmers are more willing to drop their prices.
  • Bring small bills and change. Purchases will be easier if you have smaller bills and change.
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    Farmers Market Collage

    Roast Chicken is my “I don’t want to cook” meal. It’s fast and requires very little hands-on preparation. I butterfly it, brush it with ghee, add some onions and another vegetable or two, season with salt and pepper, put it in the oven and walk away. About one hour later I have a beautiful chicken with roasted vegetables.

    Butterflied-Chicken-Small-768x1024

    Butterflied Roast Chicken with Red Onions

    This is a variation of a recipe from my cookbook, Deliciously Organic. Other vegetables that you can use are: zucchini, cauliflower, squash, bell pepper, etc.

    Serves 4-6

    For the Chicken:

    1 (4-5 pound) chicken, butterflied

    4 tablespoonsghee, at room temperature

    2-3 tablespoons fresh thyme

    1 1/2 teaspoons Celtic sea salt, divided

    1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

    For the Onions:

    2 large red onions, cut into wedges

    1 tablespoon ghee, melted

    Directions:

    Preheat oven to 450°F and adjust oven rack to medium position. Pat chicken with a dry cloth to make sure the skin is dry. Stir together softened ghee (clarified butter), thyme, and 1 teaspoon sea salt in a small bowl. Gently lift the skin and rub herbed butter under the skin of breasts, thighs, and legs. Season the entire chicken generously with sea salt and pepper. Place chicken in roasting pan. Toss red onion wedges, melted ghee, remaining 1⁄2 teaspoon of sea salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Pour onions around chicken in roasting pan. Roast chicken for 30 minutes and then rotate pan 180 degrees. Continue to roast, about 25 minutes, until crisp and golden brown, and when a thermometer reaches 160°F when inserted in the thickest part of the breast. Remove from the oven and before serving, let the chicken rest for about 15 minutes to allow juices to redistribute. Photo credit: Helene Dujardin – Used with Permission.


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