Eye Candy-OC Great Park Farmers' Market

Figs

Berries and Figs

Goats: Lucero, NM

Just down the road is the metropolitan area of Lucero, New Mexico, where there are more goats than people.

Blue Corn Muffins

 A little over a year ago I was buying veggies at the Mora Farmers' Market and I stopped at a table selling blue cornmeal. The farmer pounced, thrusting an opened Ziplock bag under my nose. "Take a sniff of this," she said, seductively.

The nutty, comforting scent made my mind jump to homemade bread, pancakes, and muffins. I mentally teleported to a small cozy kitchen, my abuelita making tortillas and handing them to me, rolled up, saying, "Eat, mi nieta," while I drank a cup of atole.

I forced my nose out of the bag, and snapping back to reality, remembered that my grandmother was Irish, drank boilermakers and was famous for her vegetable soup--and she called me "Bridgie." But blue corn muffins would do nicely with veggie soup, I thought.

So I bought a baggie of blue cornmeal, a pure food descended from Pueblo farmers. Coronado in 1540 noted that blue corn was a staple of the indigenous people he encountered in the Southwest. Nowadays, Southwest farmers are experimenting with different types, especially in the northern part of New Mexico where we have short summers with cool nights.

I made muffins using this recipe that very night. They went nicely with the veggie soup.

Honor System

I love small farmers because they may end up being the most important key to safe, sustainable food sources in our United States.

What I love even more is happening upon a farm stand where no one is there to take your money, just a jar with a note, "Money Jar."

Here's Pattie and her tomato purchase. Note the nifty tablecloth.

Pattie showed restraint and just bought tomatoes; I did better than that, seeing her tomatoes, raising her some peaches, cherry jam, mittens, and a Pyrex dish.

All told, an excellent outing.