the farmer's market

Yesterday, I was in upstate NY for work. It's quite far, but such a scenic drive through the rolling hills of Hudson Valley. I was lucky enough to drive through the Catskills for my first time during the summer. I think this would be a fabulous place to visit when the foliage is peaking. I might just have to do that (and take some pictures, so you can see it too!). I noticed lots of farmer's markets and fruit stands throughout my travels - some with roadside signs "Fresh Corn" or "Fresh Garlic." I never saw that one before, "Fresh Garlic." I ended up stopping and picking up some snow peas, plums (they were so sweet, like candy!), green and yellow squash and what else, more cherries. There are so many positive things about the farmer's market. First, I like that I'm supporting local businesses, and in many cases, family owned businesses. Next, I like the fact that the carbon footprint of my food is many times smaller than that asparagus from New Zealand. When there is asparagus right here in New Jersey, I'm not sure why are we shipping it from halfway across the world! I was reading about calorie density and it seems to make a lot of sense. Eat foods that are low in calorie density (i.e. high in water content) and you'll feel fuller longer and can eat more. Just so happens that most fruits and vegetables are low in calorie density - so eat up! And lastly, there's nothing better than fruit and vegetables straight off the vine. This is the third time in almost as many days that I have stopped at a farmer's market for some fresh produce. And now I'm running low, so I may need to stop yet again. :)