Farmer's Markets, CSAs, and Yippies

It's the off-season and I only have so much training to talk about. So...in the last couple of years, farmer's markets and community supported agriculture (CSA) have become quite mainstream, partly due to increased demand by us yippies (the product of cross pollination of a yuppie and a hippie); and yes, I am one. I didn't coin this term, I stole it from Simon Whitfield. I hope this trend continues to grow. If you are new to the scene, here are some things that I've learned:

• There's such a thing as yellow watermelon and it's damn tasty!

• You might want to subscribe to a weekly veggie box from a CSA farm. I've been splitting a box with two co-workers for the past year from Riverdog Farm. It's a great way to try new veggies and fruits. Two weeks ago, I tried acorn squash for the first time. Some brown sugar, maple syrup, butter, and a dash of salt, and man it was so tasty that it was a dessert.

• There is just something about really fresh food, like heirloom tomatoes (with basil, fresh mozzarella, olive oil and balsamic vinegar), that make the simplest of preparation tastes so damn good.

• Read this article to make sure the vendor at your farmer's market is truly organic: Scammers at the Farmer's Market.

• I finally found sturdy, biodegradable plastic bags that don't dissolve: Trellis Earth Products.