Farmers’ markets are a pleasure that we just cannot deny ourselves. It feels wonderful to know that we are eating healthy and supporting the local economy. The farmer’s market in Encinitas is a colorful display of organic fruits and vegetables just beckoning us to “come taste and take me home”, which we do and always walk away spending more than we had intended.
I am always on the hunt for nutritional finds and it was to be the jujube fruit on this trip. Also called the Chinese date, it is a small fruit with red skin, whose inside is similar to an apple. It tastes best when dried; is an excellent source of vitamin C; and has long been considered a sleep aid according to Chinese alternative medicine. A bag of them finds their way into my cart.
Being a great lover of artisanal cheeses, farmers’ markets are a great place to find these local delicacies. Spring Hill Cheese, in Sonoma County, provided some creamy, pungent samples of their cheddar. What sets them apart is their certified organic designation; use of Jersey cows instead of Holstein, producing richer, higher nutritional cheeses; and creation of “truly raw” cheeses, never bringing the milk over 100º during the cheese making process. This cheddar will pair perfectly with a spinach quinoa salad recipe that we love. My taste buds are already singing!
Terry and I have become hooked on Lära Bars, discovered some time ago while searching for healthy hiking snacks. When I stumbled upon recipes for homemade Lära Bars, I was in heaven. They are unbaked treats that come in many, many flavors, with typically only 4 or 5 ingredients, allowing for a quick sweet-tooth fix. The sweetener base is dates instead of other processed sugars, and ground nuts instead of white or wheat flours. Finding dates at the farmer’s market, I knew what I would be whipping up later in the day.
Here are a few of our favorites:
- Key Lime Pie
- Chocolate Coconut Chew (aka Chocolate Coconut Macaroon)
- Jðcolat Chocolate (aka Hot Fudge Brownie)
NOTE: I use twice the amount of lime juice as called for and unsweetened organic coconut. I also just roll the batter into bite-size balls, place in a container, and pop into the frig. Quick, tasty little decadent treats!
I am already looking forward to next weekend and new discoveries.
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Paint Your Landscape 
Oh, for my own kitchen! I have subscribed to the website you provided and will save all of these recipes and this blog, so I can try these when I am able to use a kitchen again. The trip to the farmers’ market looks like fun, too. Thank you for your great posts.
You will love these little snacks. They are so easy. Just throw all the ingredients into a food processor and hit the button.
Thanks for the info on the bars! Might have to try those. We love Farmer’s Market’s too…been indulging ourselves at the Hillcrest Farmers Market near downtown these past few weeks… LOTS of choice!
Nina
We might have to check out the Hillcrest Farmers’ Market sometime as well. I think you might enjoy the Lara Bars, particularly if you want to be really lazy and not bother with any cooking time.
Thanks for the recipe. Will have to give that a try. Souds and looks like you are really enjoying this time of your life. I am so happy you were able to move on. Maybe we should be thankful for a certain person. Know it didn’t seem that way at the time but….. now….. 🙂
We are having a wonderful time, experiencing places that we talked about visiting but never sure if we would ever get there. Who knows, someday we may find a place that we just don’t want to leave, but for now, this nomadic lifestyle seems to suit us. We would love to see your neck of the woods. That is high on our bucket list. Take care and hi to Chris for us.
I’d never heard of Larabars but we may have to give one of those recipes a try. That farmer’s mraket looks awesome.
The farmer’s market was great and if you like chocolate, or lemon bars, or key lime pie, I think you will love these little treats.
Thanks for the link-love! Hope you are having a great day!
Amy Layne