Opening Day Shopping List

Glory be! Opening Day 2013 is finally upon us. Say good-bye to produce shipped from Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and California, and hello to farm-fresh Washington goods.

What: Bellevue Farmers Thursday Market Opening Day

Where: Parking lot of Bellevue Presbyterian Church, 1717 Bellevue Way NE

When:      3-7 p.m.

Who:        You!

I'm making out my shopping list and eager to see familiar and new vendors. I'll also have camera in hand, so I can introduce you all to seasonal findings. (Forgive the recycled pictures in this post!)

On the UrbanFarmJunkie menu:

• Some tomatoes. They may be greenhouse ones at this point, but the tomatoes in the store are pretty sorry this time of year. And while I'm at it, some greenhouse cucumbers and a bell pepper.
  
• Dark, leafy greens. My friend who went on her meat-and-leafy-greens kick talked about sauteeing them up in bacon fat, and I've been thinking about that ever since. I have my Skagit River Ranch bacon fat saved up because you don't just drain that goodness away.
  
• Speaking of meat, I plan to load up on beef and pork, including summer barbecue-ables like hamburger patties and sausage.
  
• And farm-fresh eggs--yippee! In the off-season I've been making the trek to Whole Foods to buy Stiebrs brand, but when the opportunity presents itself to buy 5-egg rated eggs, I grab it. (See this ranking from the Cornucopia Institute, which takes into account how chickens are raised and access to pasturage. A 5-egg rating equals "Exemplary - Beyond Organic.")
  
• Honey. We need it. And we don't do the adulterated stuff from China in the little plastic bear.
  
• Plant starts. I'm no gardener, but I'm determined to have some herbs this year. Summer cooking is all about fresh herbs.
  
• Cheese. Book club next week, and it would be nice to have a change from the Costco inventory.
  
• Salmon. We are completely out. Looking forward to stopping by Two If By Sea.
  
• Since I'll have the nine-year-old in tow, I imagine we'll have our fair share of snacks. Will it be ice cream or a hum bao from The Box or a slice of Veraci pizza? Maybe all three. After all, Opening Day comes only once a year!

Hoping to run into all of you at the Market tomorrow! I'll be the one with all the bags who asks you, as you reach for that vegetable, "How are you going to prepare that?"