Countrywide Farmers Markets ~ A Peak into Florida And A Green Boiled Peanuts Recipe (2024)

Known as the “Sunshine State”, Florida is full of sun, sand, and palm trees. I live in Northwest Florida, otherwise known as the “Panhandle.”

We do not experience the warmth year-round as many seem to believe. In fact, temperatures from time to time reach below freezing. However, this doesn’t stop the farmer’s markets from thriving.

Tallahassee Farmer’s Markets

One of the benefits of living in a warmer climate is having several options of farmer’s markets to choose from. Here is the breakdown:

• Downtown Market: Each Saturday from March until November
• Market Square: Year-round Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays
• Lake Ella Grower’s Market: Year-round Wednesdays

Experiencing the Local Flavors

Since moving to Florida, I am still learning more about all the local Southern flavors in the area. As many are already aware, the South is well-known for their oranges, sweet tea, grits, peaches, collard greens, okra, Vidalia sweet onions and boiled peanuts (which, by the way, taste like a baked potato, if you ask me).

However, there are some finds that shouldn’t be left secret like their tupelo honey (my current obsession, evidenced by the four bottles in my kitchen cabinet).

Tupelo honey comes from the tupelo tree, native to the southeastern United States, particularly near the Gulf coast. I never knew how much I loved honey until I tasted this honey. I highly recommend it!

Variety, Variety, Variety

What’s lovely about the farmer’s markets down in the south is certainly the variety. With so much to offer, there are probably things I missed along my journey but will catch next time around.

What can be tricky is when I find produce I don’t expect to be in season, so it can require asking which items are actually “local.” You can read more about this in Halle’s article: Questions To Ask At Farmers’ Markets.

It often seems that if you name it, they have it. You can find seasonal produce as well as local products and homemade goods.

During my first farmer’s market visit, I was blown away by the number of vendors.Many farmers have opted to offer CSA (Community Sustained Agriculture) options, too.

Here’s a peek at some of what you can find now:

Edibles

• Boiled peanuts – if the picture from the beginning wasn’t obvious enough 😉
• Produce (organic and conventional fruit and vegetables): Leafy greens (ex. collard, kale, arugula, bok choy…), oranges, eggplant, strawberries, cucumber, AWESOME carrots that looked too pretty to eat with the bold green leafy top and strikingly bright orange root)
• Grits (non-GMO corn)
• Tupelo (The best honey you will ever taste with a floral-like aftertaste)
• Goat’s cheese
• Meat from grass-fed animals
• Eggs (cage free)
• Potted herbs
• Baked goods
• Boiled green peanuts
• Homemade canned goods (carrot jam, zucchini relish, pepper jelly, basil pesto, pickled jalapeño peppers, strawberry preserves…the list goes on and on)

Non-Edibles

• Artists (ceramic, music, painters, woodwork…)
• Soap (made from goat’s milk)
• Soy based candles
• Restaurant vendors
• Humane Society (showcasing animals who can be adopted)
• Recycled and revamped clothing
• Crafts (beaded and origami jewelry)

Even More…

Vendors rotate throughout the year, so what I may find one weekend, may be different another. During the reallywarm weather season, other fresh finds I’ve come across are muscadine grapes, yellow wax beans, zucchini, sweet potato greens, and basil.

It’s what makes Saturday mornings very exciting as I’m never quite sure what to expect.

Florida Peanuts Anyone?

So let’s get back to those peanuts we were talking about earlier!

Hey, all…Halle here. I am teaming up with Whitney on this post! I thought I would share with you all our favorite treat when we lived in Savannah, GA.

The first time I have heard of “boiled peanuts” I had the thought…ewww! I am not trying that. But like I always say…never judge a book by its cover.

These peanuts are one of our families favorites! When green peanuts came in season, we were one of the first to go to the market to get our hands on them!

Last year my neighbor went to Florida and on her way home she found this 30-pound bag of green peanuts at a roadside stand and brought them home for us. What a treat to have boiled peanuts in Wisconsin!

Green peanuts are just that…they are raw, un-roasted peanuts that come right out of the field. Some people eat them raw, I think they are terrible. So we boil them.

Whitney thinks they taste like potatoes, our family compares them to black eyed peas (another southern favorite for my family).

So here is our favorite recipe (well it is actually my husbands)…we hope you enjoy!

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April’s Mini-Series ~ A Look Into Farmers’ Markets Around The Country

So for the month of April, we are taking a trip around the country to share with you different farmers’ markets around the country. How cool is that?

Every farmers’ market has something unique to that market and to that area. We are going to dive into that.

Here is a list of the farmers’ markets that we are going to explore:

(click on green text to see post)

• Tucson AZ ~ April 2 Countrywide Farmers’ Markets ~ A Peek Into Tucson, AZ: Roasted Salsa – It Has A Kick!
• Seattle ~ April 4 Countrywide Farmers’ Markets ~ A Peek Into Seattle And Why Raw Cultured Butter (Homemade from the Farmers’ market) Is So Good For Us
• Florida ~ April 9 Countrywide Farmers’ Markets ~A Peek Into Florida and A Boiled Peanuts Recipe
• South Carolina ~ April 11 Countrywide Farmers’ Market ~ Local Produce and Farm Share Boxes
• Phoenix AZ ~ April 16 Countrywide Farmers’ Markets ~ A Peek Into Phoenix, AZ: Handspun Wool and Prickly Pear Syrup
• Missouri ~ April 18 Countrywide Farmers’ Markets ~ A Peek Into Missouri and A Farmers Market Expo
• Washington DC ~ April 23 DC Farmers’ Markets Plus A Recipe With Wild Greens (Nettles, Dandelions, Mustard Greens)
• Wisconsin ~ April 25 Countrywide Farmers’ Markets ~ A Peek Into the Dane County Farmer’s Market….And A Delicious Asparagus Recipe

So come back often this month to enjoy our trip around the countryand all the unique finds that we find at our local farmer’s markets.

Balcony Garden {Update!}

For what you can’t get at your local farmer’s market, remember you can get at home! In my original post to Whole Lifestyle Nutrition, I shared some tips on How To Start Your Urban Garden Balcony.

The plants have new homes in terracotta pots and have been fed organic fertilizer while being watered on a regular basis. Since temperatures have reached below freezing over the past month, it has been a game of moving the plants indoors and then back outside.

The growth of the tomato plant will soon need extra assistance with a stake so the stem will not break. As the plants continue to grow, I will have to upgrade from the dumpster diving finds (the terracotta pots) and check out the local flea market for new containers so the roots of the plants will have plenty room to grow.

Here’s a sneak peek of the latest scenery of my balcony garden {left: tomato, middle: mint orange herb, right: datil pepper}. It’s work-in-progress.

What’s your favorite “secret find” at a farmer’s market you’ve attended?

peanut image credit:southerngameday.com