The Best Things To Buy At The Farmers Market
Brandon and I joke that we’re really 65 years old mentally. We prefer earlier bedtimes and often opt for early mornings by preference. One of our favorite Saturday morning activities is to head down to the Pearl Brewery Farmers Market in San Antonio. Armed with reusable bags and a cup of hot tea or coffee, we’ll spend an hour or so perusing the different stands, seeing what is in season.
It’s easy to get carried away and think that you suddenly need a pantry full of fresh vegetables or homemade jam, as well as all the natural beauty products they offer like hand made soap or lip balm. We’ve learned from experience and narrowed it down to the top five items that we’d consider the best things to buy at the farmers market.
1. Fresh Flowers
Without a doubt, my favorite thing to buy at the farmers market is fresh flowers. There’s always a variety of what’s offered, usually dependent upon the season. Although this is probably the most frivolous item on our list, it’s the one that brings me the most joy. I love finding flowers that aren’t always offered at the grocery store and enjoy creating arrangements the minute we get home.
2. Unique, Specialty Items
Every market is different from city to city and state to state. I know that our San Antonio market has homemade salsas that are fabulous, or specialty items that you may not be able to purchase in other cities. These unique items work well for gifts and often serve as a great reminder about your city. Pick up a few jars of peach preserves and use them as housewarming gifts for any new neighbors, or stock up on goat’s milk soap if that’s something that your area is known for. Either way, I like these unique items for a little taste of home and to utilize them as gifts for company.
3. Local Honey
Brandon and I suffer terribly from seasonal allergies. A few years ago, I’d heard that local honey can help and quickly picked up a bottle. While I’m not cured, I definitely think it makes a small difference. Plus, who doesn’t like having a bottle of delicious organic honey to drizzle on top of toast or a warmed brie cheese?
4. Homemade Pasta
We actually discovered this one during our time at the Vail Farmers Market in Colorado. Brandon stumbled upon a booth selling homemade pasta, made with whole wheat and other ingredients like sweet potato, or infused with rosemary and lemon extract. We bought two packages and were pleased to discover that the same concept was done at our own local market. We repurchased back at home and love creating a delicious, homemade Italian meal with this awesome pasta! It can’t be found in any of our grocery stores so we justify the $6 price tag based off the outstanding quality.
5. A Few Seasonal Vegetables
Finally, you can’t leave a farmers market without a few fresh veggies. During the winter, we like to purchase sweet potatoes, root vegetables, and fun things like acorn squash. Summer months give a wider variety with fresh tomatoes, zucchini, peaches, and more. Most vegetables are reasonably priced but it helps to have a few meals in mind when shopping so that you aren’t just randomly buying.
On Katherine: Similar pink sweater, similar blush pink scarf, jeans, ballet flats, beret, crossbody bag (customized)
On Brandon: Brooks Brothers shirt, Banana Republic pants, Saucedo shoes
