Eating local is so important. Why? Most food (especially baked goods, meats and produce) has traveled from a few hundred miles to over 1000 miles to reach your table, and was cooked or picked or packaged at least a week or two prior, perhaps longer. Fresh food just tastes better, doesn't need artificial preservatives and generally retains more of its nutritional value. The bakers at the farmers markets bake the day before (or even the morning of) the market. The growers pick their produce the day or two before the market. The farmers collect their eggs in the days just before the market. Obviously, some foods take longer to make, such as aged cheese and honey, and some are canned and packaged like preserves, sauces or salsa. And some are even frozen, such as meats. But, if you're buying a processed or frozen local food, read the label and ask the producer to be sure that they are NOT using any artificial preservatives, colors or additives. Many don't. Not only is local food generally healthier, the reduction in travel and time is important in terms of supporting and building our LOCAL economies. Local is considered within 100 miles. Imagine if everything you bought went back to support the families who lived within 100 miles of you?? It's so important to build our own local economies, support our own communities and put our money back into feeding and supporting the producer and farm families that live near us. And while buying local at the bigger grocery stores helps too, producers make the most money for their families when they sell at smaller markets. It cuts out the middle man. Almost every small town in this area has its own Farmers Market, and I imagine it is the same in most parts of the country. Go out and shop at your own local Farmers Market on Saturday mornings or the day when it's being held. The more you support your own market, the more amazing vendors will be able to support themselves by having a booth there. And you'll get delicious, healthier and more nutritious food while making a difference by fueling the local economy and funneling money back into your own community.
This summer you'll be able to find Tequila Dale's at the Apex Farmers Market where Val is the President and co-manager and Dave is serving on the board. We'll also be at the Holly Springs Farmers Market, as well. In addition, as always, we plan on doing several other local events, such as the First Sunday events in Pittsboro (held the first Sunday of each month), the Got To Be NC Festival at the NC State Fairgrounds in May and more. Keep an eye on our blog for upcoming local events!
So, here was one of our Market Meals for this weekend. This is from the Apex Farmers Market. We purchased delicious (and I mean, DELICIOUS) bratwurst from Little River Eco Farms, all natural German Mustard from Natural Choice, and rainbow chard (greens) from Harland's Creek Farm. We added buns, sauerkraut and some homemade French Fries. And a delicious freshly baked Brownie for dessert. At the Apex Farmers Market, you can get perfect, gooey traditional brownies from Desserts By Shirley and delicious Gluten Free Brownies from Moonflour Bakery.

We soak our brats in beer and sauerkraut for a couple hours, then boil until cooked. Finish it up on the grill to bring out that delicious flavor and add a little texture. Top with German mustard and kraut. We love Natural Choice's German mustard for a few reasons. #1, it's local. By local, we mean they live less than a mile from us. #2, it's all natural and they use organic ingredients when they're able. #3, it's SUPER low in salt, which is great since we get enough salt in our diets. AMAZING Meal!!
For the rainbow chard, just clean and cut the stems from the greens. Slice the stems up thinly and chop the greens. Sautee the stems in olive oil with a few cloves of minced garlic until softer (about 5 minutes). Add the greens, a pinch of salt and cook until desired texture. I cooked them down completely. Add the juice of half a lime or lemon and serve.
The home cooked French Fries are some of our kids' favorites. Just peel new/red potatoes and cut into thin fries. Toss in olive oil and a bit of salt (we use sea salt or Himalayan salt for less salt and more flavor). Then roast on 425 for about 15 minutes, or until cooked. I usually turn them once during cooking.