Fresher food tastes better. From the backyard pea patch to the wide-open wheat fields, the West is a bounty of fresh crops to incorporate into your outdoor meals. Meat or produce or dairy, farmers’ markets offer the chance to get local produce at the peak of the season. And for those of you daring enough, start your own backyard garden!
“Farm Fresh” Resources
Top 5 Reasons to Eat from Your Local Farmer’s Market
There are so many reasons to eat from your local fruit stand or farmer’s market. Here are my top five:
- You support your local community.
- You get fresh, healthy produce straight from the source.
- You reduce your impact on the environment.
- You find unique fruits and vegetables that you can’t find at the grocery store.
- You are helping to keep small family farms alive and thriving!
Favorite Recipes Using Local Farmer’s Meat and Produce
Backyard Gardening Resources
- Tending My Garden // A fun blog with a focus on organic gardening.
- The National Gardening Association // Promoting Gardening since 1971.
- Fine Gardening // A fantastic article about gardening at high altitudes.
Recipes in this Section
- Apple Butter Sandwich Cookies with Candied Bacon Dust
- Black Bean and Squash Nachos with Goat Cheese
- Campfire Pumpkin Mac ‘n Cheese
- Fall Camping Apple Cake
- Farmers Market Breakfast Tomato and Baby Kale Polenta
- Fireside Butternut Squash Risotto
- Hazelnut Chocolate Cake with Candied Blood Orange
- High-Altitude Sweet Potato Cake
- Mom’s Zucchini Carrot Bread
- Oxtail Ragout with Horseradish Creme Fraiche
- Powder Day Creamy Chicken Chili
- Pumpkin Biscuit Breakfast Sandwich
- Pumpkin Doughnuts with Black Sesame Glaze
- Roasted Pumpkin Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Hazelnuts
- Smoked Butternut Squash and Red Pepper Soup
- Wild Boar and Tomato Jam Sandwich
