Saturday mornings are when the whole family gets a slow start for the day. It’s finally the weekend YAY! Which means no rush hour traffic to beat, no lunches to be packed. Which also means an extra hour to cozy up and extra extra time sipping my morning chai with the family huddled around the kitchen island. And the best part-getting out to our nearby farmers market with our tote bags and coin purse.
There’s nothing better than handpicking what you’re going to eat that week, knowing it was plucked from the farm the day before. It’s a great way to connect with the farmers who make your food taste more delicious. They work so hard transporting the groceries, setting up the tents in the early hours, arranging the display of their harvest, only to take apart everything in a matter of hours.
There are booths for eggs, honey, freshly squeezed juice, corn on the cob and flowers and vendors selling street food including our family favorite – Naan that’s baked right there in a tandoor, Indian curries, tacos, bread, pastries and more. If I’m hungry I take bites of the sample fruits or munch on some sample popcorns. Usually, there’s live music and it’s always great to support the local artists.
Sometimes when I stroll these booths I’m transported to my home town in Kerala where I used to shop often with my dad. The shop owners there use analog weighing scales to weigh the produce, have an uncanny ability to do all the math in their head, will never hand you a printed receipt. In fact, they just let you know the final amount and my dad hands out cash and leaves happily with his bag of groceries.
Do you visit your local farmers’ market? What’s the best part you love?