Farmer's Market — by Guest Mom Leah

One of my favorite activities with my kids is going to the Farmer’s Market on Thursdays. We are lucky enough to live in the Bay Area and have access to a large variety of fresh organic foods grown locally — fruits, vegetables and herbs, all ripe and ready to eat. It’s a great place for kids to learn where their food comes from and they love getting a chance to meet the people who actually grow it.



We have a little routine that we always look forward to. First the bouncy house and puppet show…then we walk through the aisles, eat samples, buy our food, eat samples, listen to the music, eat more samples…you get the idea. Admittedly, much of my time is spent explaining why one doesn’t take a bite and then put it back, or why people might not appreciate a balloon in their face or my yelling, “where is your sister?” All in all, even if we leave with only a bag of apples, it’s one of my most treasured times I spend with my kids.



In an ideal world, we take the food we bought that day and make something together. This isn’t always realistic…but every once and a while, time permitting, it happens. I think of the Farmer’s Market and the meals we create as a social time to nourish not only the body but also the relationships of family, friends and community — but of course if you ask my kids, their favorite part is the bouncy house. Here are two seasonal favorites for the family that we made this month:

Butternut Squash & Apple Soup
Pear, Apple & Cranberry Crisp

To find a market near you, visit localharvest.org or www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets.