The Market

{First of all, welcome! This is such an adventure for me. Thanks for visiting my blog!}  Really, I'm not just going to discuss fried foods on here (I know, I know).  In fact, I'm quite the health nut, which has produced some tricky impasses along my way through the South.  I respect traditional "Southern cooking" and now have favorites I never knew I had, like purple hull peas, warm sweet potato biscuits, and creamy shrimp and grits, but I’d much rather walk through a Whole Foods (please come to Jackson!) or Fresh Market store for their organic, go-green, local, buy in bulk, health-friendly products.  This blog will feature Southern recipes on occasion, but I will more often portray scenes from an active life as I try to make smart food and fitness decisions for my husband (a Southern boy!) and me.
    

My favorite place to shop right now is the Mississippi Farmer’s Market.  Check it out HERE and become a fan.  Every Saturday morning from early spring to the end of our sweltering summer (like, November) they serve countless folks from all over the area the freshest goods from local farmers and artisans.  Last weekend I bought my weight in yellow squash and zucchini, took it home, and cooked up a delicious summer squash and zucchini casserole for dinner.  These soft cooked veggies, along with a hint of sharp cheddar cheese and topped with crunchy-baked cracker crumbs, was the perfect side dish to feed my northern parents on their visit.  The Market hosts vendors like dear Ms Betty who brings a variety of home-canned jams, jellies, curds, slow-simmered tomato sauces, Sicilian capanatas, salsas, chow-chow, etc., with samples of each to spare.  If you’re like my husband, you’ll sweet talk her into not one, not two, but three samples of her black bean and corn salsa (medium hot) in one visit.  The Hummus Queen sits a few places down on her throne as she loudly proclaims her love for all things hummus.  Ever tried boiled peanut hummus? She makes it.  My top pick?  Black Bean.  With all that said, see you at the Market!