Fresh From?

One of the things I miss most about Florida is the availability of affordable, fresh produce.  Now, I'm not saying that they don't have produce in Montana, they just have a much shorter growing season.  And sometimes, the offerings just aren't quite up to the same par as those from the sunshine state.  

But... they do have some pretty cool sources for produce when it's in season!  A couple Saturdays ago, Mesa & I ventured into Billings in search of the farmer's market, which I had heard some awesome things about!  

They close off about 3 blocks down town and set up tents and vendor stands with a little bit of everything!  Crepes, Egg Rolls, Tamales, and Lemonade stands were just a few of the food booths.  There were also booths with plants like mums and herbs, fruits and vegetables, honey, fresh breads/tortillas, and also booths that had meat products like sausages and fresh chickens.  The day we attended, the Pumpkins were just starting to show up in booths.

Street Musicians add to the festive feeling of the market. This particular young man was trying to raise money for a trip to Washington DC on his street Corner.  There were other ones farther down the street to entertain people while they shopped.  Mesa really liked the Balloon Animal booth... too bad her pumpkin bracelet popped before I got a picture of it!

Mesa, with her own money, decided that she really needed one of the mini white pumpkins that they were selling!  She also thought that we needed a watermelon (with my money).  I did figure out one thing about that... watermelon also tastes better from Florida (JUST SAYING!)

My big find of the day was a couple of bunches of rhubarb.  Rhubarb, like Asparagus, grows wild out here, and once established requires very little care.  (Or at least that's what I've been told)  The only thing is that you have to harvest it when it's growing!  I really didn't know how much I liked rhubarb until Angie started  making pies with it!  (And the Uncle likes it as much as I do)  So, when you spot rhubarb at the farmers market it makes sense to buy it, RIGHT?  

Angie's Amazing Peach Rhubarb Pie

There's another source of produce out here that's pretty cool, but that's gonna have to wait for another post!

Until Next Time!