I once was a little girl filled with dreams. I am now a slightly older girl with longer legs and bigger dreams. Few things have changed and my enthusiasm for glitter and my hate for spiders have only escalated.

I used to imagine that my Saturdays would be filled with all sorts of exciting things -- days when I could hold my own set of keys in my hands and fly by my own whims and fancies. However, since those days have come, my most exciting Saturdays are often the ones when I have the freedom to do very little.

Saturdays at the Farmer's Market {Pedantic Foodie}

The Saturdays when the morning begins with a cup of coffee or two, and I can take my time gathering my hair and pinning it lazily on the top of my head, before I buckle my new shows and head down to the farmer's market, where the street buzzes with a lazy sort of busyness.

It's crowded, but in a sluggish sort of way. Everyone knows that we are not there only to grab our tomatoes, we are there to talk to the farmer who makes the very best goat cheese, and to profess our appreciation for the woman who makes some pretty fantastic croissants.

And the flowers, oh the flowers… There's something about fresh flowers that makes my heart beat a little faster. In a drug-like fashion they calm my anxious conquer-that-evergrowing-to-do-list mindset and make me smile even when I spill my coffee all over myself or forget half of what I needed from the grocery store.

Cockscomb is one of the best things. It looks like a ball of fuzzy happiness. Or maybe that's just me...

It's a calm, familiar sort of adventure, and one that I am more than happy to repeat many times over. The produce will be much appreciated in the coming week.

For now, I stow away my market tote until next Saturday and wait eagerly until I can ogle flowers and eggplants once again.

Sincerely,

Pedantic Foodie

Every year my infatuation with the humble apple is renewed. In the United States we grow twenty-five-hundred varieties of apples, and seventy-five-hundred are grown worldwide. It’s no wonder that the apple is one of the most popularly consumed fruits. With a variety of textures, flavors, and uses unique to each breed there is an apple for everyone.

I spent a weekend at an orchard drinking my weight in cider. The air was crisp and filled with the aroma of hot doughnuts, cider, and apple trees. This particular orchard grows multiple varieties of apples and I there was no way I could choose just one.

In addition to my Crispins and Golden Delicious, (for my father), I came home with half a bushel of Stayman Winesaps which are fantastic! Stayman apples have a dusty red exterior with white spots. Their flesh is firm and crisp and their flavor is tart and aromatic. These apples are great for out-of-hand eating and can be used in baking and cooked applications as well.

When selecting apples it is best to select firm specimens with smooth tight skin. Minor bruises are acceptable if the apples are going to be turned into sauce or preserved. Apples can be held in climate-controlled cold storage for several months without a great loss in quality.

If you do intend to keep your apples for an extended period of time, wrap the apples individually in a bit of newspaper. This will keep the apples from causing each other to spoil. Apples release Ethylene gas which can cause the fruit around them to spoil. “One bad apple spoils the bunch.”

P.S. There was a severe lack of hand models at the orchard, excuse my unpolished fingers. Just look at that apple, that's a nice apple.