What items have we found in the garden?  Sugar snap peas!  Nicely modeled as a moustache!

Our first harvest of green beans.

Basil, baby.  I can’t get enough pesto.

Chard.  A very nutritional leafy green.

Ehh…what’s up doc?

Tomato blight has hit Indiana hard.  Our little cherry toms are feeling the effects.

Jalapeno peppers.  Salsa makin’, here I come!

How ’bout them apples?!  Coming this fall.

Hope your garden is blooming too!!

LocalHarvest outlines the basics…”a farmer offers a certain number of ‘shares’ to the public. Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be included. Interested consumers purchase a share (aka a ‘membership’ or a ‘subscription’) and in return receive a box (bag, basket) of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season.”

Cool stuff, huh?!  We think so.  You can read up on more of the benefits here.

We’re a member of LIFE Farm for the extended growing season April-October!  We’ve received three shares so far, mostly consisting of leafy greens, some herbs, radishes and things we’ve never tried previously like pea shoots and yukina savoy.  We sauteed the pea shoots in olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper — they were surprisingly really tasty.  We’ve not yet cooked up yukina savoy.  It’s a good thing we’re open to new foods!  And you should probably like surprises (as I really do.  well, to clarify, it’s the good surprises I really like, so don’t bring any bad surprises on me ok?).  You receive what’s fresh and ready to harvest.  That’s the best.  And it all comes from within 60 miles of home, so that’s even better!!

If you’re interested, look to your local farmers market for vendors offering memberships.  Or, check on LocalHarvest to find them.

Here’s a photo of our second week’s share, a bounty of spinach, arugula, mixed greens, swiss chard, radishes.  Cherry tomatoes made an appearance last week!

Great atmosphere, great service and flavor that is INTENSE!  The food was really wonderful.  The lunch special allows you a soup and spring roll, both fabulous.  I had the Red Curry Chicken.  Kurto ate Chicken Pad Thai.  Mouthwatering!!!

What a delight…we loved it, and we’ll do it again!

We’ve discovered local, well-grown food right here in the heart of our state.  And right in the middle of an Indiana winter! Incredible.  We can’t wait for Spring to appear (we’ve joined a CSA this year for the first time, and early harvest is due in late April!), but for now we are enjoying the fruits of Indiana farmers who are sharing their goods weekly at the Indy Winter Farmers Market in Downtown Indianapolis. It makes us anxious for Saturday mornings (you can grab breakfast at the market), and it makes creating meals even more exciting.  On our last visit we shared a rum raisin pastry from Rene’s Bakery (holy yum!) and devoured crepes stuffed with local apples, ham, white cheddar and maple syrup.  There are other wonderful ready-to-savor items too — fresh squeezed juices, breakfast sandwiches and lots of taste-testing.  The market is gaining in popularity; they are constantly setting attendance records…the last I’ve seen hit about 1,400!  So go early, go hungry, and go with an open mind to pick up some great foods to nourish you and your family throughout the week.  What follows is a sample of the foods we’ve enjoyed:

9th and Park is where you’ll find it

Sage Sausage and Apple Hash — market sausage and potatoes; apples from Indianapolis’ Adrian Orchard

Sausage and cheddar stuffed bread inspired by Emeril (local sausage).

Local free-range, pastured eggs…

Scrambled for a good start to the day!

These market Shitake mushrooms were delicious and fancied up an otherwise boring bowl of ramen noodles.

Bison burger!  Grass-fed, free range.  And the lettuce is from the market too!

Wild alaskan salmon (while not local) is available at market.  We paired it with butternut squash and sauteed spinach, both fresh from local growers!

Here are my iPhone photos from the Saturday we enjoyed breakfast at the market:

This is not farmers market related, but since we’re on the subject of food, I’ll share!  Today we celebrated National Pancake Day (some reports showed it as Feb 16, but we’ll go with IHOP on this one) with this stack of goodness – carrot cake pancakes!

Maybe this made you hungry, and hopefully it urged you to visit the local market where you’ll be supporting Indiana growers, getting really fresh food and enjoying it without the junk that harms us.  Happy eating!

February pick:  Brunch @ Taste Cafe, 5164 N. College Avenue, Indpls, IN

Our eats:  Coffee (J); Cafe Mocha (K); Southwest Burrito w/ Chorizo (split); Pommes Frites w/ Basil Aioli (split)

This Broad Ripple gem did not disappoint.  It really made our day, plus we had some awesome company.  Big props to the pommes frites and the man behind the counter that convinced us these must be ordered.  Future cravings are certain to follow.  The burrito was superb, the whipped avocado still makes our mouths tingle with joy.