Opening Week at the Farmer's Market

Photo by Angela Tague

I've been waiting all winter. The farmer's market is open!

Day one was soggy and slow. But, a sunny second day brought out flocks of people and tons of fresh produce, plants for the garden and even a face-painting booth.

So, what's in season in May in the Midwest?

You'll find lots of fresh greens including kale, arugula and several varieties of lettuce. I also spied multiple vendors with green and purple asparagus. The rhubarb was plentiful and if you love kohlrabi, radishes and turnips, there were no shortages of root vegetables on the tables.

At my local market there are also several non-food vendors. Today I saw a face-painting booth, a musician singing, a wood crafter selling cutting boards, a local winery offering samples and a jewelry maker displaying one-of-a-kind necklaces. You never know what you'll find at the market!

Do you shop at a local farmer's market? Why or why not? Tell me in the comments below.

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

Is Rhubarb a Fruit or Vegetable?

Fresh rhubarb. Photo courtesy MorgueFile

While dicing some stalks of rhubarb, the hubby asked if the red chunks were vegetables or a fruit.

Well, heck. I had no idea.

I was preparing a rhubarb-strawberry crisp, so I immediately thought fruit. Who eats rhubarb without sweetening it?

After a little quick research, we found out rhubarb is technically a vegetable. The perennial was initially grown for medicinal purposes in the Far East, according to the University of Ohio Extension Office.

Rhubarb Nutrition Facts:  One cup of diced, raw rhubarb

• has just 26 calories
• provides 45% of your daily vitamin K needs which helps blood clot and reduces your chances of bone fractures
• is a source of omega-6 fatty acids which promote hair and skin growth and regulates your metabolism
• can be eaten raw, but is very sour
• the green leaves are poisonous and shouldn't be eaten

So, how do you like your rhubarb? I enjoy crisps, pies and sauces to top ice cream. And, since the farmer's market is plentiful with rhubarb this week, I'll be eating lots of it! Yum!

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

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The Farmer's Market is Open!

Freshly washed butter crunch lettuce. Photo by Angela Tague.

Have you ever shopped in a store where every display seemed to call your name?

Handcrafted beeswax lip balm? Yes, please!
Spinach speckled with local soil? Bring it on!
Glistening jars of crimson berry jams. Yum!

Our local farmer's market opened this morning, which means I can barely get this written between taking bites of my locally grown lunch. Heck, my editors are lucky the market isn't open all day, or I may have missed a few deadlines today!

Since it's early in the season, our local market was plentiful with fresh spring greens, radishes, rhubarb and asparagus.

But, the true find of the day was a head of butter crunch lettuce. The velvety texture, mild flavor and pale color truly means summer is just around the corner. Since this is one of the first lettuces of the season to grow in the midwest, it's always an early garden-season treat.

Is your farmer's market open for business? What local whole foods are you enjoying?

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living