I’ve been reading a lot about how to make the most of local farmers’ markets around the blogosphere. (Simple Organic posted this informative article here.) So, well, I thought, since we are blessed with a wonderful market near our home, I’d jump on that band wagon and offer up my own tips to maybe help others make the most of their local outdoor market, or perhaps, even entice a someone out there to make their first trip. (By the way to find a market near you, Local Harvest’s website has great links. Also check out your municipal government website. My market is organized by the county.) So without further adieu:

Browse first then buy

Take a tour around the market. See who has what that week. Anything look at its ripe peek? Anything look particularly enticing? Compare prices. Compare selection. Refer to your shopping list and decide how you are going to allocate your budget. (I usually subtract $6 off the top of our weekly budget for fresh wheat bread which is a treat for the kids, and, well, a half-eaten, gift for our in-laws. So as not to cross-contaminate my gluten-free kitchen you know.)

Use your senses

You have eyes, ears, fingers, a nose, and a mouth so use them! Taste samples and compare flavors. Feel the texture and firmness of different vegetable varieties. Notice the sweet and pungent smells of herbs and fresh produce. Listen to the voices and the outdoor ambiance of a farmers’ market. It is really so different than grocery carts clanging and sales announcements on a loud speaker. And use your sight to soak in the brilliant colors heaped on tables and in bins. It is visual excitement that will most certainly invite your appetite. Begin to really explore your food, its origins, and notice the beauty of a fresh air market.

Bring an open mind

Maybe there are veggies you haven’t tried or don’t prefer. Step off and take a chance. Grab a bunch, or pick up a few, and bring them home. Search your favorite Internet recipe site for a new dish and you may just find a new love.

Join me as a write my new summer series Delicious Discovered. I plan to post each week a new recipe using a more unusual ingredient. Or just one we don’t typically eat. Last week was an exploration in preparing ramps, a wild leek that grows locally. I made gluten-free ramp and buttermilk biscuits and posted the recipe here.

Take your own containers

Bring your own reusable produce bags and use fewer plastic baggies and save your farmer some money. Also bring your own berry containers to trade-in and egg cartons for those farm-fresh eggs. Just store these extras in your reusable grocery tote for a quick grab the next time you head to the market.

Ask questions

Even though you are shopping at a farmers’ market doesn’t mean everything available is locally produced and is organic. Ask where they grow their crops, are they resellers of certain products, are they certified organic or use organic growing practices? Also ask questions to learn more about their wares! Ask what is new that week, or about how to best way to cook up that new veggie you decided to try!

Say “thank you”

When I am still fast asleep, my favorite grower wakes up at 4 AM the day he comes to sell at our market. I thank him every week for his hard work and dedication to growing wonderful produce. Without which, I wouldn’t be able to enjoy fresh kale, spring onions, and asparagus at my dinner table. Other ways you can express your appreciation is to visit the farm and volunteer your help for a day. Or join the farm CSA to buy a share in their small farm business, or go do some picking work yourself.  Many farms hold festivals and events for customers who come to visit their farm operations. (For a listing of farms near you, visit www.pickyourown.org.)

There are really so many ways to take full advantage of summers bounty and connect with the amazing folks who work to produce the foods we serve at our dinner tables. What is the way you love to celebrate your farmers’ market?