It’s no secret that I LOVE a good farmers market.
And well, if you haven’t been to Atlanta to witness the sheer awesomeness that is the Dekalb Farmers Market, then you are surely missing out and…this post is probably going to make you green with envy!
Having been once before, I thought I’d be able to handle myself when Laura and I went this past weekend, but I’ll be damned if I wasn’t sweating ten minutes after walking through the door. I just can’t help but get overwhelmed by the floor to almost ceiling shelves of grains and dried goods, fruits and veggies, meat and fish, bread and wine and cheese and ohmygodIthinkmyheartisgoingtoexplode! 😯
So how about I show you my loot the small amount of items I DID manage to walk out with?
Organic cocoa nibs, Turkish carob powder, organic cornmeal, coconut curry cashews (haven’t tried these yet, but Laura told me they’re amazing!), coffee and chocolate extracts, and chocolate-covered popped amaranth (because I’m tired of drooling over Sarah’s!)
A HUGE bag of cashews (oh yes, there is more butter-making in my future!), dried pineapple, roasted salted soybeans x 2, sunflower seeds x 2, and organic dried banana chips x 2…can you tell I plan on making trail mix? 😉
Honey nut rice cakes…I definitely should have bought more of these, but I couldn’t help but run walk away from the WALL of them after deliberating for 10 minutes over whether I should get the honey nut or the cinnamon toast! Lol
Lemon, apple, walnut & raisin bread that I could smell through the bag so yeah, I HAD to have it and proof that sampling works: once I tried a bite of this multigrain artisan bread, I hunted it down in the bakery section! It’s like a sweet honey wheat…so soft and so delicious!
A few new-to-me varieties of apples (names of which are eluding me at the moment), purple sweet potatoes x 3, purple potatoes x 4, a five-pound bag of carrots, and just a few FOURTEEN persimmons! Ha!
Look Meghan, CHEEEEEEEEEESE!!!
Confession: I know as much about cheese as I know about wine…absolutely NOTHING! So I can’t help but always feel like I’m playing the lottery whenever I buy any…so far though, the goat’s milk blue cheese made me a lucky winner!
Greek yogurt cream cheese (that I actually got at Whole Foods, but snuck into this picture anyway), quark, and SIGGI’S COCONUT YOGURT!!!
I’m not exactly sure how I feel about the quark just yet, but omg, the cream cheese and the Siggis are sweet purrrrrrrr-fection! I’d never seen this flavor of Siggi’s before…and I mean, c’MON, it’s coconut!! This brand has always been one of my favorites because their flavors are never too sweet for my tastes, but this flavor is by far the best!
And well, since the Atlanta Whole Foods just happens to be next to a TJ Maxx…
I may be spontaneous, but I’m totally predictable! 😉
And now I am officially hungry! Lol
What are your favorite items to buy from the farmers market?
I somehow missed so of this! Hahaha! Driving 5 hours to go grocery shopping is totally normal. 😉 When you come back, it needs to be warm and we can go to the biggest outdoor market.
The Triangle cheese isn’t your fav?! That blue is good though… but mmmm… and the cream cheese! It’s the jam.
So I guess Heather and I both just use our visits to Atlanta as excuses to secretly shop in as many grocery stores as possible? 🙂
[I like purple sweet potatoes, Heather, but I ADORE the white ones!!!]
Haha! Shhhh, you’re not supposed to TELL HER THAT!! 😉
Hmm, trying to think if I’ve ever had a white one! I don’t think I have!
I feel so cheap… 😉
Oh LAURA!! Umm, hai?! 😯
Give me time, woman! I haven’t tried it yet! Haha! And I’m already kicking myself for not buying more of that cream cheese…I LOVE the creaminess of it!
Seriously, that drive was SO easy I will DEFINITELY be making another trip when it warms up…plus, it’ll give me another reason to get drunk at the winery on my way back! I mean, errr, stop in for a tasting!! 😉 Though I think it would have been a lot more fun if you’d been there with me!
Jeeze… cut the cheese faster! 😉
Hahahaha! You said “cut the cheese”! 😆
i know i’m a bit late on commenting, but have you guys been to “southern sweets bakery” right across from the dekalb farmer’s market? their cakes are absolutely delicious!
Oh reeeeeeeeeeeeally?? No, I haven’t been, but I know what’s going on the list for my next visit! 😀 Woot woot!
You are making me miss our farmer’s market! We have one during the winter, but a ton of the vendors are only there during the outdoor season from May-October, so it’s not usually that exciting.
That bread sounds to DIE for! As in, I need to find a recipe and make a replica NOW.
Omg girl, it’s SO GOOD! The lemon flavor is crisp and clean without being overpowering…and that’s really saying something coming from a girl who doesn’t typically go for lemony treats!
Our markets around here are the same way…well, in Nashville (which is an hour away). Here in my little town, we don’t have ANY markets except during the summer months! Boo!
OMG I’m so happy I’m eating breakfast while reading this or it would be all over for me. Everything looks so amazing. I have to try popped amaranth – you had me at chocolate covered.
oh man you scored big time at the farmers market!!
we have not been to a farmers market in awhile, miss it!
The Dekalb Farmers Market is literally my dream store. I have been once and walked out with so many nuts and seeds and flours and spices for like $20!! It is literally the top reason why I want to move to Hotlanta. I am jealous of Laura and her proximity to that place!
Have you ever been to the Buford Highway one here? It’s pretty epic too! Let me know if you make it down this way. 🙂
Ahhh, so you know EXACTLY what I mean when I say this place is foodie mecca! Haha! If you ever DO end up over that way, let us know! The three of us can meet up and conquer the maze of mysterious food stuffs together! 😉
That’s an impressive haul! I like to buy nuts, produce and salsa. Living in Arizona, there are always tons of fancy salsas at farmers markets here. I love trying the different versions. Some are extremely hot!
Farmer’s markets are the best! You can find some really great stuff there. Some of my favorites to buy are the fruit, cheeses and dried fruit/nut mixes!
Is it weird I remember your Atlanta shop from last year?!? You bought this crazy fruit that apparently tasted like vanilla custard and I literally stalked all of toronto to find it and no one had it! I’m still sad about that…
I promise I’m not your stalker…well I kind of promise…
Egg fruit!!! I haven’t seen it since, but oh man… it was amazing.
Haha! LOVE IT! That was like the FIRST thing I asked Laura about when deciding which market to go to…but like she said, it’s been MIA ever since! I may or may not have shed a tear… 🙁
I am currently giving you a jealous look because there are zero farmers markets here until like June. For some weird reason they don’t want to go out in the freezing cold rain and snow and sell bread… But when the farmers markets do come out of hibernation then I am all about the purple sweet potatoes and granola!
wow… those prices are spectacular… I wish I had one of those up here in the frigid North…
You’re hungry?! I’m starving! That is some amazing foodie swag and all of it looks delicious. I admit to knowing zero about cheese (except that I like it with everything) so I’m in the same boat as you there 🙂
I love that market, and check out how super cheap everything is, especially things in bulk bins! I saw the coconut Siggi too – will need to try it now!
I also spent 30 minutes just at the Trader Joe’s cheese aisle. Imagine me elsewhere… I would be there for hours. Same with the wine.
I’ve been zoning out to these pics in jealousy for too long now. When I one day come visit your side of the pond I’m only bringing empty suitcases!
Haha! Well, we’ll make sure you leave with them filled to the BRIM! 😀
This is all from a farmers market? Holy freaking wowzers! Seriously, bulk bins have my heart. I may or may not dip my hand into the candy ones to sneak a piece… or two… or a handful.
But in my defense, I always buy some too 😉
Uh yep, I’m guilty as charged on that one too! Ha!
DON’T GIVE UP ON QUARK. I am living in the central Europe (Czech republic), and quark is an important staple in baking (whether it’s just another ingredient to make the cake denser but moister at the same time, or a main ingredient in making a traditional qaurk raised-dough sheet cake) But great salty spreads can be made as well. It’s true, however, that when eaten on its own, it’s a bit… tasteless and just wierd. But let the magic happen by adding a few ingredients and it.is.delicious. I mean….look- it has a lot of protein, a little fat (depends on brand, our’s has 5% on average)…
Try mixing it with a bit of yoghurt- it will take out a bit of a wierd taste…most likely. Roast walnuts or pecans and add it together with a drizzle of honey. 😉
Ohhh, thanks for the tip, Zuzana! “…tasteless and just weird” <- That's EXACTLY what I thought when I tried it! I'll have to try it with some of your suggestions!
Eat those breads quickly – they’ll mold easily. Next time you go there, you should get the chia seed muffins. They’re my fave.
I didn’t figure I’d make it through both of them before the week is up so I was planning on freezing them, but I guess I should do that sooner rather than later! Thanks for the heads up! Chia seed muffins…hmm, I wonder if THAT’S why so many people were crowding the muffin section…I couldn’t even get through! Haha!
I’m dying to go there…
I cannot believe how many awesome things that farmers market has! I’m totally jealous!!
What an awesome haul of food! Why have I never seen those honey nut rice cakes before? I need those in my life!!!
My favourite things to buy from the farmers’ market are local cheese, local game meat, local eggs, and obviously fruits/veggies!
Are you kidding meeee?!? Why don’t we have farmers’ markets like that over here?! Actually… we probably do — I just can’t eat a lot of the loot because of my allergies. Seriously? What’s so appealing about peanuts that they have to be in EVERYTHING? Nevermind 😡 At least there are still fruits 😀
This just makes me excited for when the local outdoor markets open back up. I miss farmer’s markets so much! And I love the cheese selection you picked out! Considering that I love cream cheese, I need to get my hands on that Greek yogurt variety…
COCONUT CURRY nuts?!?!??!!! Please!!!
Ha! They are ALL yours, darlin! I tried them yesterday, annnnnd? notsomuch! They’ll be waiting for you when you visit next month!! 😀
I go to DeKalb Market every week–it is truly AMAZING! My mom used to drag me there all the time as a kid but I appreciate it much more after moving away from Atlanta and realizing that there really is NO PLACE like it! I feel lucky to be close again. And I LOAD UP on those Israeli persimmons–they are to die for!!!
This market sounds like a dream come true. I would buy everything and double the cheese. I’ve got a freezer in the basement now. I can handle it.
How far is the drive to Atlanta? I may just have to make it.
From me, it’s just under 5 hours…only thing that sucks is you lose an hour going down…but I think you may be in the same timezone as they are? Just promise that if you make the trek, you’ll pick me up along the way! 😉
Road trip there in August? 😉
We have farmer’s markets during the summer here, and then during the winter months they mostly convert to just selling firewood and some canned food. But none of them are even similar to the one you were at.
Mostly I enjoy going to Amish country and checking out the auctions there. Farm equipment and flea markets… stuff like that 😀
Produce is probably my favorite thing to buy though. We got a box of about 6 bunches of bananas at the last auction for a few bucks.
Gosh! I need to get back to the states and pop on into your market! Awesome finds! Cannot wait to see how you use these ingredients!
Pingback: Apple Cinnamon Waffle for One! |
…..
…..
I don’t even know where to START. Can you freeze it all and then have a picnic with me and Meghan? We can get the digestive enzymes prepped up for some dairy overload and have the beds set for carb comas.
Wow to all that cheese! I’m drooling into the screen, yum!
I’ve not been to a farmers market in ages the ones here usually aren’t very good. Like every store will sell carrots and only carrots << ok maybe slight exaggeration but you get my drift.
I only tried persimmons for the first time last year and loved them. They were oh so good!
Honey Nut Rice Cakes exist?! I both “want” and “need” these in my life!
Pingback: WIAW: The Cheesy Edition |