Springtime Farmer's Market

It is that time of year again at least in Lane County, Oregon. It is Springtime and open season at Lane County Farmer's Market. I was so excited to meander around the Farmer's Market and check out every booth to see what was in season. I found lots of organic salad greens, braising greens, root vegetables, herbs, squash, hazelnuts, colorful plants, vegetable starts, organic meat and poultry and farm fresh eggs.

I also came across a booth that sold locally grown wheat, lentils, beans, wheat berries, teff and more. The Mill is called Camas Country Mill and is owned by The Hunton Family in Alvadore Oregon, near Fern Ridge Resevoir. We got to talking and I shared with them that I had just made my Wheat berry Waldorf Salad. Both Tom and Sue were inspired and want me to send my recipe to them so that they can try it and possibly share the recipe with others.

After scouring the market I selected fresh local baby spinach, salad greens, chives, bok choy, mild radishes, red leaf lettuce and collard broccolini. I also purchased some of Camas Country's stone ground hard red wheat flour, garbanzo bean flour and an Ethiopian grain called brown Teff grain. I am looking forward to making some fresh homemade rustic bread.

I was also looking for Golden (yellow) Beets, but had no such luck. (I want to remake the Roasted Beet, Apple and Fennel Salad that I had at Adam's Sustainable Table on our food crawl). I did talk to one of the vendors that was selling plants and veggie starts and asked if she had the starts to Golden Beets. No such luck either, but she told me to check out Down to Earth or Market of Choice as she delivers to them too.

So I headed on over to Down to Earth and they had two six pack containers. So I will grow my own Golden Beets. I also picked up five blueberry bushes too, to plant in the backyard. The kids will love picking blueberries for their cereal every morning.

Oh... the bounties of Spring and the anticipation of Summer that is not so far off. Looking forward to my trips to the Farmer's Market.