Wednesday, February 13, 2008

I <3 the Farmers Market

I think I am seriously in love with the The DeKalb Farmers Market. It is a warehouse sized building packed to the brim with loads of wonderful things. They do carry meats, fish and dairy BUT they also carry a huge selection of soy milks/yogurts/margarines, faux meats, organic produce, loads of international foods and the name brand grocery items you'd find at Whole Foods for way cheaper. Basically, it’s my version of heaven (you know, when you take away the non-vegan stuff). They also have several kinds of nut butter machines (such as cashew, almond and peanut), a very lovely cut flower section, fresh coffee, a deli with olives and various pickled items, a bakery with lots of vegan breads/muffins/bagels and a wine/beer section with quite a few organic choices. One thing I really, really love about this Farmers Market is the bulk items they have. Think of just about any dried fruit, nut, seed, spice, grain, bean or snack you'd like and they have it already bagged and reasonably priced (and most of the time organic). Another cool thing is that they have a HUGE recycle center in the parking lot so I always bring my recyclables and drop them off before shopping! So, if you are ever in Atlanta, this is a must go to place. The best time to go is in the mornings or the afternoons during the week (the weekends are PACKED). Oh yeah, and they have a fantastic cold salad bar and hot bar with lots of vegan items for lunch and dinner (open 11 a.m til 8 p.m.) but a lot of people go there during lunch. I had lunch there at about 1 p.m. today and it was still full of people on their lunch breaks. I got a plate full of salad and some tofu from the hot bar and it was under $3! Now on to the groceries!
The veggie items I got included white creamer potatoes (20% off), fresh herb packet with rosemary, thyme and sage, cauliflower, zucchini, green onions, an English cucumber, garlic, shallots, a red onion, daikon radishes, Roma tomatoes, asparagus (really cheap!) and carrots. All of the veggies were about $15 and mostly organic!
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The fruits included organic bananas, Granny Smith apples, Empire apples, Gala apples, Fortune apples, a lime and a few lemons. All of these fruits added up to about $7 (all the apples were discounted by 20%).
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Finally, the bulk/grocery items included organic pearled barley, organic dried kidney beans, organic almonds, nutritional yeast, Herbes de Provence (for 68 cents!), garlic salt, red Thai curry paste, organic canned whole peeled tomatoes, organic canned tomato sauce, organic canned diced tomatoes, dried cranberries and organic dried garbanzo beans. This stuff was the priciest coming in at around $25 but most of these items will last a very long time.
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As you can tell, today's trip to the Farmers Market was basically to restock my pantry, counter tops and fridge. I think I did pretty good coming in at around $50 and I got to have a delicious meal before I shopped.

14 comments:

J said...

Ok, I am seriously jealous of the Farmer's Market you have in your area. Ours is only open during the spring and summer growing months, and don't have much beyond produce (obviously), breads, pastas, jellies/jams/butters, meats, and cheeses. They don't have a whole lot in the way of soy products or anything like that.

I am impressed that you were able to pick all that up for so cheap. If I bought a load from my local grocery store like yours (which I do on a weekly basis), I will be spending double what you spend. The Farmer's Market's prices are good here though.

Oh, and I love Gala apples, good choice. My favorite are Pink Lady or Honeycrisp, but it is hard to find them organic around Mid-Missouri.

Leigh said...

I love the farmer's market too, however I can barely stand the smell in there! I bought some bread there once, and I swear it soaked up that stink like sponge. But what a great selection. And don't get me started on their fancy recycling center.

Anonymous said...

Hi!

I found your site through VeggieGirl and have to say that I LOVE it!!! I just became a vegetarian again after about a 6 month hiatus and read through all your old posts this afternoon, finding a ton of great inspiration! I saw you used to live in Tampa but recently moved. I actually am from Tampa! Are there any good vegetarian restaurants you would recommend?? Right now I'm in Orlando for culinary school (baking and pastry!) but my family/boyfriend lives in Tampa and I will be moving back in September for good.

I have a blog as well, so feel free to check it out: www.eatliverun.com

Thanks and keep up the great work!

Theresa said...

You had me at bulk and vegan, but when you add the cheap, I'm yours forever, DeKalb Market!! Lori, you are seriously so lucky!

Melisser; the Urban Housewife said...

It sounds a bit like Rainbow Grocery here in San Francisco, although it's all veg here & probably more expensive. Sounds like heaven though!

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

Farmer's Markets are such incredible resources - you get to learn EXACTLY where your food is coming from, and know that it's fresh. Your produce bounty looks AMAZING - nice mix of fruits & vegetables!

By the way, I LOVE the new blog layout!!

WHITE JESUS said...

I moved to Atlanta this summer and I wasn't sure I made a good decision until I set foot in the Dekalb Farmer's Market. A truly amazing place. I've been known to eat their deli hummus with a spoon!

Calimaryn said...

Oh, I so love the haul. I so wish there was something that awesome here in Connecticut. Now I'm trying to put together a menu or three with all those goodies. mmmm

Vegan_Noodle said...

Sounds like an awesome farmer's market!! We have wuite a few in Houston too, but none of them are cool enough to have a salad and hot food bar with vegan items!! Looks like you got a good deal on your produce too.

Rural Vegan said...

I can't tell you how jealous I am of those of you in warm climates with these glorious farmer's markets year-round! And yours is open during the week, and has a recycling center?! I'm glad you're able to take advantage of it, but crazy jealous!

bazu said...

mmmmm... just the words farmers market make me think of summer and beautiful fresh produce! yay!

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