Musings about vegetables

[Bluegoat]

I agree veg can't be overdone.  Worst case you might have a lot of gas or be on the toilet.  But fruit?  Yeah some people are CRAZY with fruit.  My diabetic mother could eat 7 bananas in a sitting. 

 

It's funny though - from what I understand, people who try to be fruititarians on the one hand consume crazy amounts of sugar, but at the same time struggle to get enough calories.  They just have to eat massive amounts, they eat all day to make it work.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Okay. I've never roasted okra before. Today is the day!

 

That does sound delicious. 

[SparklyUnicorn]

It's funny though - from what I understand, people who try to be fruititarians on the one hand consume crazy amounts of sugar, but at the same time struggle to get enough calories.  They just have to eat massive amounts, they eat all day to make it work.

 

But see I don't think it is always about calories and I don't think just anyone could handle being an exclusive fruit eater. 

 

I'd be very curious what their health was like on an all fruit diet.  I can't say I've ever met anyone who does this.

[Bluegoat]

But see I don't think it is always about calories and I don't think just anyone could handle being an exclusive fruit eater. 

 

I'd be very curious what their health was like on an all fruit diet.  I can't say I've ever met anyone who does this.

 

It's not at all good for you.  People get quite ill.  The enamel on their teeth wears off.

 

 

People try it for ethical reasons, because you are supposed to eat the fruit, that is what the tree creates it for and it doesn't kill the tree.

 

I agree it isn't just the calories - but I think its interesting that people think of fruit as being high in sugar, and sugar as being high calorie.  But its not that simple in this case.

[Arcadia]

I'd be very curious what their health was like on an all fruit diet. I can't say I've ever met anyone who does this.

Durians are a very filling fruit but none of my relatives eat only durians for more than a few days in a row during durian season. It is the thorny pungent fruit.

[Guest]

It's because the OP was saying that for people who are inclined to consume too much, why don't they just emphasise you can eat veg and you won't be able to overdo it.

 

I think the problem is it's too simplistic in the end - most people also need some protein and carbs or they will soon be hungry again, can't focus, and so on. And I find once that happens, people often just grab whatever has a lot of sugar in it.

Right. And I think everyone realizes this, but just in case, I wasn't suggesting that anyone should eat ONLY vegetables. I was more saying, Why isn't eating more vegetables, or preferentially eating vegetables given much press? Most diet and health books that I have read talk about what NOT to eat, how NOT to eat, what to avoid. They spend a lot of words telling you that eating meat is bad or eating carbs is bad or eating high glycemic index foods are bad or sugar or whatever. But I guess it's true that veggies are not glamorous, or perhaps the dietary gurus don't want to alienate people who will say, "but I hate vegetables!" Or they want to sell their packaged GF macaroni and vegan "cheese." Of whatever other motivation.

 

I guess my main point was that from a dietary and health perspective, you can hardly go wrong by increasing your vegetable intake, whatever else you do or don't do about meat and potato chips.

[Katy]

It's funny though - from what I understand, people who try to be fruititarians on the one hand consume crazy amounts of sugar, but at the same time struggle to get enough calories.  They just have to eat massive amounts, they eat all day to make it work.

 

I don't know about this. I think a fair number have made money off the fruitarian craze on YouTube (30 Bananas a Day and all that), but real people come back and say they gained 40 pounds, got horrible acne and ovarian cysts.  Calories matter when it comes to weight.  Set point probably matters more than calories if you're not tracking calories precisely, but 4,000-6,000 calories a day when you burn 1900 will make anyone gain weight, from fruit or not.

[eternalsummer]

I still don't get it.

 

Why does it matter how much something costs per pound?  Grapes are cheaper per pound, sometimes, but they also have fewer calories, so they are not necessarily a better buy.  What is it that makes them a better buy?  Why does the weight matter at all?  I am just so mystified.

 

Now I can understand buying the cheaper per pound fruit, or the cheaper per pound meat, or the cheaper per pound flour - that all makes sense.

 

 

Or (lightbulb moment!) is it that people are trying to eat as much volume as possible for as cheap as possible *without* actually eating many calories?  That idea had not occurred to me.

[Bluegoat]

Right. And I think everyone realizes this, but just in case, I wasn't suggesting that anyone should eat ONLY vegetables. I was more saying, Why isn't eating more vegetables, or preferentially eating vegetables given much press? Most diet and health books that I have read talk about what NOT to eat, how NOT to eat, what to avoid. They spend a lot of words telling you that eating meat is bad or eating carbs is bad or eating high glycemic index foods are bad or sugar or whatever. But I guess it's true that veggies are not glamorous, or perhaps the dietary gurus don't want to alienate people who will say, "but I hate vegetables!" Or they want to sell their packaged GF macaroni and vegan "cheese." Of whatever other motivation.

 

I guess my main point was that from a dietary and health perspective, you can hardly go wrong by increasing your vegetable intake, whatever else you do or don't do about meat and potato chips.

 

Oh I think you were very clear.

 

I have seen sources say that a great way to lose weight is just to up your veg intake and make it a larger proportion of your intake.

 

I think it's just not fast enough in its results, and it doesn't have a "magic solution" feel.  And it doesn't give the satisfaction some people feel from restricting food categories or calories, which I think is a kind of weird compulsion that a lot of people have - to get rid of "impure" foods. 

 

It's not going to make anyone any money.  Unless you are a veg farmer.

[Bluegoat]

I don't know about this. I think a fair number have made money off the fruitarian craze on YouTube (30 Bananas a Day and all that), but real people come back and say they gained 40 pounds, got horrible acne and ovarian cysts.  Calories matter when it comes to weight.  Set point probably matters more than calories if you're not tracking calories precisely, but 4,000-6,000 calories a day when you burn 1900 will make anyone gain weight, from fruit or not.

 

You might be right.

 

People get hungry so fast I expect because tyhe sugar just runs right through them. 

[Guest]

Oh I think you were very clear.

 

I have seen sources say that a great way to lose weight is just to up your veg intake and make it a larger proportion of your intake.

 

I think it's just not fast enough in its results, and it doesn't have a "magic solution" feel. And it doesn't give the satisfaction some people feel from restricting food categories or calories, which I think is a kind of weird compulsion that a lot of people have - to get rid of "impure" foods.

 

It's not going to make anyone any money. Unless you are a veg farmer.

The bolded: I think there's something to that religious parallel as another poster said upthread. People who are not religious in other respects may crave some sort of "religious" structure and so they do that with food.

[Bluegoat]

The bolded: I think there's something to that religious parallel as another poster said upthread. People who are not religious in other respects may crave some sort of "religious" structure and so they do that with food.

 

I've wondered if it doesn't go the other way.  Maybe there is some deep biological impulse in us to this idea of purity.  And religion can give a kind of expression or logic to it - it explains it in terms of a metaphysics, and gives it form.  And in some cases also moderates it, I think.

 

I've also wondered if restricting food types has to some extent supplanted the idea of restricting calories which gets some people started into eating disorders.

[Katy]

You might be right.

 

People get hungry so fast I expect because tyhe sugar just runs right through them. 

 

A lot of them believe the hype that you can't gain weight from carbs, but it's also difficult to eat 30 bananas a day unless you process them into smoothies. To purposefully overeat because they believed some wingnuts who sell outrageous lies to make a million dollars a year (I'm looking at you, Freelee).

[frogger]

So I'm late the party but I just have 1 comment. I think Americans love to eat but they don't love to cut stuff out of their busy schedules to have time to cook.

[zoobie]

Okay. I've never roasted okra before. Today is the day!

Love love love roasted okra. It reminds me of the okra my grandmother would lightly cornmeal coat and "fry" in her cast iron skillet. This is not to be confused with the weird deep fried balls of batter covered okra pieces. Anyway, it works with frozen okra pods or sliced okra too. I think it actually works a little better to roast frozen. Mmmm, okra...

[Ravin]

I have the opposite problem of people raised on canned veggies. From age 4-8, I lived on a farm. While we lived there, my mom kept a huge garden and home canned and fed us lots of yummy fresh stuff in summer. I remember swiping peas from the garden and eating them raw, and she made delish home-pickled beets and home canned spaghetti sauce.

 

That garden spoiled my taste buds. I've never been a fan of factory canned or frozen veggies, usually nuked or thrown in a casserole, which is what we ate the rest of my childhood.

 

And I'm not a big fan of salad, though I make myself eat it a couple times a week at least.

[ktgrok]

the Primal guy, Mark whatever his name is, stresses veggies. He talks about having a Big A@@ Salad every day, etc. But bacon tastes so good people ignore the salad and eat meat all day. 

[amy g.]

So I'm late the party but I just have 1 comment. I think Americans love to eat but they don't love to cut stuff out of their busy schedules to have time to cook.

I completely agree with this. Due to food sensitivities and a degree of pickiness, I make 3 meals a day from scratch. I tease my kids that I'm working on my 10,000 hours of mastery for cooking.

 

The problem is that I also believe in exercise and getting plenty of sleep and also free reading and every once in awhile, someone has to clean the kitchen if I'm going to cook the next meal.

 

I'm no unschooler, but I am finding that cooking real food, taking the kids to swim practice every evening and getting enough sleep is basically 24 hours a day. Add in free reading and we are oversceduled before we even get any real school work done.

 

I sure will be glad when summer school is over and my adult daughters have more time to help cook and wash dishes.

 

I'm finding that attempting to live a healthier lifestyle is seriously time consuming.

[cjzimmer1]

Love love love roasted okra. It reminds me of the okra my grandmother would lightly cornmeal coat and "fry" in her cast iron skillet. This is not to be confused with the weird deep fried balls of batter covered okra pieces. Anyway, it works with frozen okra pods or sliced okra too. I think it actually works a little better to roast frozen. Mmmm, okra...

 

So I'm intrigued.  Just roasting it with salt and olive oil under high heat like other veggies.  Whole, slice in rounds or sliced lengthwise?  Help me out I want to try this.  My DH loves okra (and the kids have all liked it too) but the only what we've ever had it was deep fried (and and I made gumbo once that everyone loved but I lost the recipe, really ought to try that again too)

[SereneHome]

Of course. I just have never found anything that works for this specific kid, so might as well give up now that he's leaving for college  :)

He has no external "currency". At least no motivator anybody else suggested has worked on him. That's why I am asking: what do people do for strongwilled neurotypical kids?

 

I am that person.  *I* have to want to do it - whatever it is.  I can't remember a situation in my life (and I am in my third 20s) where someone else was able to force me to do anything.

 

On the bright side of things - I've never been susceptible to peer pressure or influence.  :)

[zoobie]

So I'm intrigued. Just roasting it with salt and olive oil under high heat like other veggies. Whole, slice in rounds or sliced lengthwise? Help me out I want to try this. My DH loves okra (and the kids have all liked it too) but the only what we've ever had it was deep fried (and and I made gumbo once that everyone loved but I lost the recipe, really ought to try that again too)

I've only tried it whole or sliced in rounds. You could slice it lengthwise if you prefer. That would be pretty and easy to pick up and dip if you were eating them like "fries."

[MBM]

Is it okay to post a recipe? If not, I can delete and send it along PM.

 

 

Brownie recipe, please?

 

LOW-SUGAR, ALMOND FLOUR BROWNIES

 

1/2 cup butter, room temp

2 tbsp brown sugar (this is not much so double or triple if you think you might want it sweeter)

 

2 eggs

 

1/4 c. cocoa powder

1-1/4 almond flour or almond meal (not as fine but it works)

1/4 tsp salt

1 1.75 oz bar 85% dark chocolate, broken up (Trader Joe's is good)

 

Cream the first two ingredients. Beat eggs in well. Stir in the rest.

 

Bake at 350 in a 9x9 greased pan for 20-22".

[Rosie_0801]

Love love love roasted okra. It reminds me of the okra my grandmother would lightly cornmeal coat and "fry" in her cast iron skillet. This is not to be confused with the weird deep fried balls of batter covered okra pieces. Anyway, it works with frozen okra pods or sliced okra too. I think it actually works a little better to roast frozen. Mmmm, okra...

 

Well, I roasted them sprinkled with salt and pepper and ate them with buckwheat for breakfast. They were tasty enough, but I think it is less trouble to do them in the frying pan.

 

Why wold I want to coat them with cornmeal? I could try coating them with cornmeal whenever I next get my hands on some okra. I only found some by accident in a Muslim grocer 40mins away. A very happy accident, since okra is one of my favourite veggies.

[Rosie_0801]

Is it okay to post a recipe? If not, I can delete and send it along PM.

 

 

:svengo: 

 

That's like asking if it's ok to say the book was better than the movie!

 

:svengo:

[Jane in NC]

Here is the recipe that I used for "okra fries", i.e. oven roasted okra:

 

http://www.farmflavor.com/recipe/type/side-dishes/okra-oven-fries/

 

The coriander is a nice touch.

[creekland]

As I catch up on threads this morning, I think about how it still amazes me just how different we all are as humans.  I vastly prefer that to all of us being clones of each other TBH.

 

But I'm also glad I love veggies - all meals - including breakfast.  ;)  (We have leftover summer squash from last night's dinner - awesome breakfast paired with a couple of eggs.)

 

I also realized we humans come in two categories with breakfast - those who feel there are breakfast foods one can choose from in the morning (generally those found on breakfast menus at restaurants) and those who feel breakfast is just another meal with anything as "fair game."  I'm obviously in that latter group.  We're just as likely to have breakfast foods for lunch or dinner - and can easily do lunch/dinner foods for breakfast - esp if they're in the form of leftovers, so are easy to fix.

[SparklyUnicorn]

the Primal guy, Mark whatever his name is, stresses veggies. He talks about having a Big A@@ Salad every day, etc. But bacon tastes so good people ignore the salad and eat meat all day. 

 

I don't get this.  Seriously people freak about too many vegetables (on some of the LC boards I've been on).  I bet they don't last long on LC because talk about boring.

[Zinnia]

I love pan-roasted okra (just a cast iron skillet until blackened in spots).  So good, and it tastes like fried okra without the trouble.  

 

I love CSAs, because I like not being able to control the quantity of one particular food.  It reminds me of growing up and the big gardens of my grandparents.  When there are enough tomatoes to eat for 2 months straight, and you're coming up with all sorts of ways to make them.  I love that part.  When I pick out vegetables, I tend to pick a variety, and we eat our favorite preparations of each one.  But I really love the new and different, too.  

[Carol in Cal.]

 

 

I have a visceral dislike of the idea of a CSA box; growing up, what you ate was determined by what limited assortment was available in the store. I no longer wish anybody to dictate the foods I eat. I support local small farmers by shopping at the farmers market, but I strongly feel about selecting what produce I purchase when. 

A really good CSA gets you everything at peak freshness, and better quality than the stores.

Ours was like that except for the darned stored apples that they used for filler throughout the winter.

It was nice for me to get, say, carefully selected squash to try my first squash recipes with.  Because then I could tell whether I liked the veggie with confidence that if I didn't, it wasn't just because I grabbed an underripe one at the store.

[regentrude]

A really good CSA gets you everything at peak freshness, and better quality than the stores.

 

So does the farmers market during growth season; they harvest the day before or the very morning. And in the winter, nothing grows locally anyway.

Edited July 12, 2017 by regentrude

[ktgrok]

I don't get this.  Seriously people freak about too many vegetables (on some of the LC boards I've been on).  I bet they don't last long on LC because talk about boring.

 

Yup. I mean, I get it. You CAN eat meat all day, and probably live ok. But ugh! And I'm sorry, I don't care what book you read, no one got fat on veggies. I promise. Fruit, maybe...but not veggies. Eat a salad or roast some veggies or something. Heck, like I said, i'm a super taster and I am NOT a veggie person, but even I can manage. 

 

I even had veggies with breakfast this morning....I fried an egg and threw some onions/peppers in the pan after and sautéed them. To be fair, I used frozen, chopped veggies I bought from the freezer section of the grocery store. If I had to prep them it wouldn't happen. 

[kiana]

I don't know about this. I think a fair number have made money off the fruitarian craze on YouTube (30 Bananas a Day and all that), but real people come back and say they gained 40 pounds, got horrible acne and ovarian cysts.  Calories matter when it comes to weight.  Set point probably matters more than calories if you're not tracking calories precisely, but 4,000-6,000 calories a day when you burn 1900 will make anyone gain weight, from fruit or not.

 

Yeah. I will guarantee you I would gain weight on nothing but bananas. Yes, I could easily eat 30 a day. I love bananas. Mmm.

 

I've also seen reports of people who gained a lot of weight. The true believers have some kinda explanation -- detoxifying/body finally getting nourished -- but really, no. 

 

And don't forget the people who talked about their teeth suddenly falling out. 

[KungFuPanda]

Ok. I have never heard of adding baking soda to iced tea. And I always have 2-3 gallons of tea in the fridge, as we drink it all the time. I just have to know where and why this is done??

Apparently it's a thing. It's supposed to neutralize the tannins and make a smoother tea. I guess it's a fix for people who font use a timer to avoid over-steeping?

 

  

Testing strips: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001D7FF5E

Noooooooo!!!!! Every year some random kid wanders through co-op with these. I hide from them.

 

 

 

 

:svengo: 

 

That's like asking if it's ok to say the book was better than the movie!

 

:svengo:

  

 

Um, I swear I quoted a different post from you . . . to answer your question about cornmeal . . . things taste delightful fried in cornmeal! Okra and green tomatoes specifically. It's a bit of a southern thing, but coat the veg in seasoned flour, then seasoned egg wash, then cornmeal and fry in fat or oil. I REALLY want a fried green tomato now.

 

Yeah. I will guarantee you I would gain weight on nothing but bananas. Yes, I could easily eat 30 a day. I love bananas. Mmm.

 

I've also seen reports of people who gained a lot of weight. The true believers have some kinda explanation -- detoxifying/body finally getting nourished -- but really, no. 

 

And don't forget the people who talked about their teeth suddenly falling out.

 

I had to eat bananas specifically to gain weight to get into the Army

[creekland]

So does the farmers market during growth season; they harvest the day before or the very morning. And in the winter, nothing grows locally anyway.

 

FWIW, when I worked in a grocery store, several sellers of produce at our local farmer's markets would come in to buy things from our produce dept, then resell as their own at the market.  They did this when they knew they didn't have as much as they could sell or if they didn't have something "more exotic" someone wanted and they promised them they'd have it "next time."  They told me verbatim what they were doing.  I'm not guessing.  I suspect they told their buyers it was theirs - or just didn't tell them the origin of the produce and let it be assumed it was theirs.  With things like tomatoes, I suspect it could be tough to tell the difference between theirs and what our grocery store was selling anyway since we also bought locally grown in season.

 

I'll admit I've never looked at farmer's markets the same again TBH.  Where it happens once - in a farming community - in season - I imagine it can happen a lot.  I now simply buy what we need from the grocery store too - after exhausting what's in our own garden, of course.

[Bluegoat]

FWIW, when I worked in a grocery store, several sellers of produce at our local farmer's markets would come in to buy things from our produce dept, then resell as their own at the market.  They did this when they knew they didn't have as much as they could sell or if they didn't have something "more exotic" someone wanted and they promised them they'd have it "next time."  They told me verbatim what they were doing.  I'm not guessing.  I suspect they told their buyers it was theirs - or just didn't tell them the origin of the produce and let it be assumed it was theirs.  With things like tomatoes, I suspect it could be tough to tell the difference between theirs and what our grocery store was selling anyway since we also bought locally grown in season.

 

I'll admit I've never looked at farmer's markets the same again TBH.  Where it happens once - in a farming community - in season - I imagine it can happen a lot.  I now simply buy what we need from the grocery store too - after exhausting what's in our own garden, of course.

 

A good farmer's market won't allow that.  It also isn't hard to tell that is what is going on , if you know what to look for - things are available that just shouldn't be.

[SparklyUnicorn]

FWIW, when I worked in a grocery store, several sellers of produce at our local farmer's markets would come in to buy things from our produce dept, then resell as their own at the market.  They did this when they knew they didn't have as much as they could sell or if they didn't have something "more exotic" someone wanted and they promised them they'd have it "next time."  They told me verbatim what they were doing.  I'm not guessing.  I suspect they told their buyers it was theirs - or just didn't tell them the origin of the produce and let it be assumed it was theirs.  With things like tomatoes, I suspect it could be tough to tell the difference between theirs and what our grocery store was selling anyway since we also bought locally grown in season.

 

I'll admit I've never looked at farmer's markets the same again TBH.  Where it happens once - in a farming community - in season - I imagine it can happen a lot.  I now simply buy what we need from the grocery store too - after exhausting what's in our own garden, of course.

 

:glare:

 

I wouldn't be surprised if this happened here.  Where are they getting all the produce I wonder?  We have a garden.  We know how long stuff takes to grow around here and what grows around here.  Yet I see stuff for sale that I think just...HOW. 

 

 

[Bluegoat]

:glare:

 

I wouldn't be surprised if this happened here.  Where are they getting all the produce I wonder?  We have a garden.  We know how long stuff takes to grow around here and what grows around here.  Yet I see stuff for sale that I think just...HOW. 

 

 

 

I find the growers here can get things well before my garden, though, so you have to be careful in assuming it would be the same.  There are sometimes some things from traditional greenhouses.  But even aside from that, most growers now use polytunnels, which just makes things come n so much earlier - some items are even available right through the winter.

 

One of the other things about a csa that can be nice is that you can go see the farm, and get a better idea of what growing is like where you live

 

 

[creekland]

A good farmer's market won't allow that.  It also isn't hard to tell that is what is going on , if you know what to look for - things are available that just shouldn't be.

 

I suspect there's the Ideal World and the Real World in conflict again.  Money talks and makes its rules.

[Bluegoat]

I suspect there's the Ideal World and the Real World in conflict again.  Money talks and makes its rules.

 

In what way?  I've seen farmer's markets where it happened and shouldn't have, some where a certain amount was allowed if it was up-front, and others where it wasn't allowed at all.  Generally fudging means you lose your place, and at a good market, that can be a big deal.

 

Most of the farmer's markets here tend to sell stuff that isn't what you get in the grocery store, and its packaged very differently.  You can go see the farms if you want.  You can compare what the different places have.

 

Was bringing in extra stuff allowed at the market these people were selling at?  At one market I know, for example, selling can have 20% bough, non-local stuff, to make it a more useful shopping destination.  Were they selling is as their own?

[SparklyUnicorn]

Our farmer's markets are more like craft fairs.  They probably are just happy to have people show up at all.  Because farmer's markets are hip and the people who live in the produce deserts still want to be hip.  That's my theory anyway.  Although some of them that I've been to have amazing cheese because they do have a lot of dairy farms here.

 

 

[regentrude]

FWIW, when I worked in a grocery store, several sellers of produce at our local farmer's markets would come in to buy things from our produce dept, then resell as their own at the market.  They did this when they knew they didn't have as much as they could sell or if they didn't have something "more exotic" someone wanted and they promised them they'd have it "next time."  They told me verbatim what they were doing.  I'm not guessing.  I suspect they told their buyers it was theirs - or just didn't tell them the origin of the produce and let it be assumed it was theirs.  With things like tomatoes, I suspect it could be tough to tell the difference between theirs and what our grocery store was selling anyway since we also bought locally grown in season.

 

I'll admit I've never looked at farmer's markets the same again TBH.  Where it happens once - in a farming community - in season - I imagine it can happen a lot.  I now simply buy what we need from the grocery store too - after exhausting what's in our own garden, of course.

 

That is unfortunate and dishonest, IMO.

 

I can tell. The produce from the farmer's market looks and tastes differently, and they grow varietals not available in stores. A farmer's market tomato looks very different from a store tomato; they are just different varietals. I have never seen crooked "burpless" cukes in a store. The peppers are in different stages of ripening. The young potatoes all kinds of different sizes and shapes. The old guy who sells peaches trucks them in from the South and has been doing so for years; they are incredible, and I have never had a store bought peach that even came close. 

I guess they could cheat on the eggs and package the 50ct/dozen Aldi eggs while claiming pastured chickens, but one would taste that. I can taste the difference in eggs between two local farms that supply the health food store and will only buy from the one Amish guy and not the other one.

Also, they invite people to come out to their farms. I think any scam would harm their reputation and not be worth it in the long run. So, I do trust the farmers whom I know and from whom I buy every week. They have been out of stuff when the weather does not cooperate.

Edited July 12, 2017 by regentrude

[zoobie]

Well, I roasted them sprinkled with salt and pepper and ate them with buckwheat for breakfast. They were tasty enough, but I think it is less trouble to do them in the frying pan.

 

Why wold I want to coat them with cornmeal? I could try coating them with cornmeal whenever I next get my hands on some okra. I only found some by accident in a Muslim grocer 40mins away. A very happy accident, since okra is one of my favourite veggies.

The cornmeal gets all crispy crunchy caramelized. This is one of the closest pictures I could find of what it looked like when my grandmother made it, though hers was even less coated. http://www.macaroniandcheesecake.com/2011/08/pan-fried-okra.html

 

I'm pretty sure she just added a splash of buttermilk to a bowl of okra, then stirred in cornmeal or self rising cornmeal mix (probably not available in your area!).

 

Okra and tomatoes is another family favorite. She would sauté an onion, then add the okra and some canned (home canned with her) tomatoes and a few crushed Saltine crackers. I've had it at restaurants with sugar in the sauce and that made me so sad.

[creekland]

In what way?  I've seen farmer's markets where it happened and shouldn't have, some where a certain amount was allowed if it was up-front, and others where it wasn't allowed at all.  Generally fudging means you lose your place, and at a good market, that can be a big deal.

 

Most of the farmer's markets here tend to sell stuff that isn't what you get in the grocery store, and its packaged very differently.  You can go see the farms if you want.  You can compare what the different places have.

 

Was bringing in extra stuff allowed at the market these people were selling at?  At one market I know, for example, selling can have 20% bough, non-local stuff, to make it a more useful shopping destination.  Were they selling is as their own?

 

They sell it as their own.  Whether they are officially allowed to or not, I've no idea.  They sell it right alongside/with their own produce.  Obviously, if they have enough of their own tomatoes or corn or onions or whatever, they don't need to buy those, but when they feel they are running short, that's when they come in.

 

That is unfortunate and dishonest, IMO.

 

I can tell. The produce from the farmer's market looks and tastes differently, and they grow varietals not available in stores. A farmer's market tomato looks very different from a store tomato; they are just different varietals. I have never seen crooked "burpless" cukes in a store. The peppers are in different stages of ripening. The young potatoes all kinds of different sizes and shapes. The old guy who sells peaches trucks them in from the South and has been doing so for years; they are incredible, and I have never had a store bought peach that even came close. 

I guess they could cheat on the eggs and package the 50ct/dozen Aldi eggs while claiming pastured chickens, but one would taste that. I can taste the difference in eggs between two local farms that supply the health food store and will only buy from the one Amish guy and not the other one.

Also, they invite people to come out to their farms. I think any scam would harm their reputation and not be worth it in the long run. So, I do trust the farmers whom I know and from whom I buy every week. They have been out of stuff when the weather does not cooperate.

 

I agree it's both unfortunate and dishonest unless, perhaps, it were labeled as coming from the grocery store.  But no, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference here as what they are buying also comes from local farms at our grocery stores when in season.  It's pretty impossible to tell the difference other than the Farmer's Market charges more.  It's not like getting the mass produced stuff in from CA that often has great looks and no flavor.  It's buying from one farm that sells in bulk to the grocery store and putting it alongside your own stuff letting people think it all came from your farm.

 

I seriously doubt our area is the only one where it happens.  Could be, but humans tend to be human all over the world.  Hubby and I talked about it a bit as he sold produce in a Farmer's Market in his youth.  He knows it didn't happen at his market because his underpriced the grocery stores in order to attract customers, but produce-wise, there'd be no way one could tell the difference as they also took a bunch of produce to sell to the grocery stores.  Someone could easily have bought his at the store and sold it as their own.  We've come to the conclusion that any market selling produce for more than the store runs the risk of having it happen and makes it more worth it to buy in the store than the market.  If the market is less expensive, it's likely always legit (few would ever buy to sell at a loss).

 

YMMV

[SparklyUnicorn]

 

 

 

I agree it's both unfortunate and dishonest unless, perhaps, it were labeled as coming from the grocery store.  But no, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference here as what they are buying also comes from local farms at our grocery stores when in season.  It's pretty impossible to tell the difference other than the Farmer's Market charges more.  It's not like getting the mass produced stuff in from CA that often has great looks and no flavor.  It's buying from one farm that sells in bulk to the grocery store and putting it alongside your own stuff letting people think it all came from your farm.

 

 

Exactly the same here.

[Bluegoat]

That is unfortunate and dishonest, IMO.

 

I can tell. The produce from the farmer's market looks and tastes differently, and they grow varietals not available in stores. A farmer's market tomato looks very different from a store tomato; they are just different varietals. I have never seen crooked "burpless" cukes in a store. The peppers are in different stages of ripening. The young potatoes all kinds of different sizes and shapes. The old guy who sells peaches trucks them in from the South and has been doing so for years; they are incredible, and I have never had a store bought peach that even came close. 

I guess they could cheat on the eggs and package the 50ct/dozen Aldi eggs while claiming pastured chickens, but one would taste that. I can taste the difference in eggs between two local farms that supply the health food store and will only buy from the one Amish guy and not the other one.

Also, they invite people to come out to their farms. I think any scam would harm their reputation and not be worth it in the long run. So, I do trust the farmers whom I know and from whom I buy every week. They have been out of stuff when the weather does not cooperate.

 

We have great Farmer's markets here, more than in any other province.  There are four big ones in my city as well as some smaller seasonal ones.  And relatively a lot of small mixed farms.

 

So, we are probably spoiled a little.

 

I was in Ottawa a few summers ago and went to the big market there - its very charming in a historic district, with little shops around.  We got some produce and things from the shops to make our supper.  I was really disappointed - I am sure some of the produce was imported, and a lot of it was nasty - it had been sitting for a while.  And the chocolates I bought were, I think, ancient.  I couldn't bring myself to eat any after the first bite.

Edited July 12, 2017 by Bluegoat

[Bluegoat]

They sell it as their own.  Whether they are officially allowed to or not, I've no idea.  They sell it right alongside/with their own produce.  Obviously, if they have enough of their own tomatoes or corn or onions or whatever, they don't need to buy those, but when they feel they are running short, that's when they come in.

 

 

I agree it's both unfortunate and dishonest unless, perhaps, it were labeled as coming from the grocery store.  But no, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference here as what they are buying also comes from local farms at our grocery stores when in season.  It's pretty impossible to tell the difference other than the Farmer's Market charges more.  It's not like getting the mass produced stuff in from CA that often has great looks and no flavor.  It's buying from one farm that sells in bulk to the grocery store and putting it alongside your own stuff letting people think it all came from your farm.

 

I seriously doubt our area is the only one where it happens.  Could be, but humans tend to be human all over the world.  Hubby and I talked about it a bit as he sold produce in a Farmer's Market in his youth.  He knows it didn't happen at his market because his underpriced the grocery stores in order to attract customers, but produce-wise, there'd be no way one could tell the difference as they also took a bunch of produce to sell to the grocery stores.  Someone could easily have bought his at the store and sold it as their own.  We've come to the conclusion that any market selling produce for more than the store runs the risk of having it happen and makes it more worth it to buy in the store than the market.  If the market is less expensive, it's likely always legit (few would ever buy to sell at a loss).

 

YMMV

 

So, the stuff they were buying at the grocery would have been local, just not their own?

[creekland]

So, the stuff they were buying at the grocery would have been local, just not their own?

 

For most of it, yes - tomatoes, corn, peppers, etc.  If their own stock was running low or came in late, and they thought they could sell more than they had, they augmented.

 

Once I had one of them come in and buy leeks.  He told me they didn't grow leeks, but he had promised a lady he'd have some next week... and this was that next week.

[Bluegoat]

For most of it, yes - tomatoes, corn, peppers, etc.  If their own stock was running low or came in late, and they thought they could sell more than they had, they augmented.

 

Once I had one of them come in and buy leeks.  He told me they didn't grow leeks, but he had promised a lady he'd have some next week... and this was that next week.

 

In a way, I don't think that is so bad.

 

It's pretty common here for a small farm that has a stall at the market to suplement what they sell there by having arrangements with other small farms that don't.  It's a good arrangement for both.

 

But - one of the things with markets I think is that they take some time to establish themselves, where there is a real network of sellers and it begins to really sustain itself.  To get that kind of depth of local farms and producers, they need people committed to buy.  Our oldest market has been around for over 260 years, and we have that depth.  But in places where that doesn't exist, I thnk it really makes a difference to seek out vendors you trust, and tell them what you want, and buy, because otherwise they won't develop the capacity to provide it.

[creekland]

In a way, I don't think that is so bad.

 

It's pretty common here for a small farm that has a stall at the market to suplement what they sell there by having arrangements with other small farms that don't.  It's a good arrangement for both.

 

But - one of the things with markets I think is that they take some time to establish themselves, where there is a real network of sellers and it begins to really sustain itself.  To get that kind of depth of local farms and producers, they need people committed to buy.  Our oldest market has been around for over 260 years, and we have that depth.  But in places where that doesn't exist, I thnk it really makes a difference to seek out vendors you trust, and tell them what you want, and buy, because otherwise they won't develop the capacity to provide it.

 

The market they were buying for opened in 1815 (I just googled it).  I would think after 202 years they'd be fairly well established.  ;)

 

I wouldn't have an issue with farms gathering together to sell.  I think it's dishonest to buy from the grocery store to resell at a profit just because you can.

 

As I said, it totally changed my mind about buying produce at the market at all when I can get the same thing from the grocery store for less $$.  I still buy homemade sweetener/sugar free jams, local wines, and eat at the food/restaurant spots at a newer market though.  I very rarely buy produce there either, but many do.  I walk by and wonder about the origin.

[Bluegoat]

The market they were buying for opened in 1815 (I just googled it).  I would think after 202 years they'd be fairly well established.   ;)

 

I wouldn't have an issue with farms gathering together to sell.  I think it's dishonest to buy from the grocery store to resell at a profit just because you can.

 

As I said, it totally changed my mind about buying produce at the market at all when I can get the same thing from the grocery store for less $$.  I still buy homemade sweetener/sugar free jams, local wines, and eat at the food/restaurant spots at a newer market though.  I very rarely buy produce there either, but many do.  I walk by and wonder about the origin.

 

Yeah, if they also have some depth of producers.

 

But, it's worth it to tell them about what you think - they can create rules about it if people don't want to buy because of it.