Don't Buy Produce From the Grocery Store!

At least not in the summer. I buy (almost) all my produce from the local farmers' markets. Below is a picture of a gumbo I made yesterday. I used onions, red pepper, jalapeno peppers, and okra, all locally grown (and tasty). Not only are they cheap, but it supports local farmers and is better for you because they don't have to mess with it to make it withstand long trips. Just last Wednesday, I saw for sale okra, numerous varieties of peppers, numerous varieties of tomatoes, potatoes, corn, melons, eggplants, and a bunch of other stuff near Hurkamp Park. And that's not even the full Saturday morning farmer's market. I'm especially fond of the tomatoes, which are bigger, riper, and far more flavorful than the hydroponically grown stuff that grocery stores sell. Probably more nutrients, too.

Incidentally, the beer pictured is the one I enjoyed with my Gumbo, Maredsous Abbey Blonde Ale from Belgium. I'm a huge fan of Belgian ales and they pair very well with certain foods, spicy seafood dishes being at the top of the list. This is one of my new favorite beers and the slight malty sweetness was a great pairing. It's availabe by the bottle or in 4 packs.