Farmers' Market Dinner Parties

“Time to put away the fondue pots, tapas crockery and sushi mats. There's a brand-new entertaining theme taking over in cities from coast to coast: farmers market dinner parties. The idea is to prepare meals using locally produced, seasonal foods.”

This comes from a recent Washington Post article “So Southern, So Summer.” Author David Hagedorn asks, “Can it really be true that what was a normal way of life during my Southern childhood has been repackaged as a novelty?” It’s an interesting question in today’s fast-paced, fast-food society. His article talks about his Southern roots, what he prepared for dinner and why, and includes the recipes for Grilled Basil-Brined Chicken, Slathered Sliced Tomatoes, Fried Okra—produce in season now here in North Carolina—among others.

Recently I had friends over for lunch. I tried to source the ingredients locally as best I could. I used local tomatoes, figs, eggs, mozzarella and basil from my garden (doesn’t get more local than that!). Since reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver last spring, I have made an effort to cook at least one meal a week from local ingredients for both the environmental impact and to support local farmers. It’s been a tasty, and gratifying, experience with a lot of great seasonal meals.

It doesn’t take a lot of effort to eat locally with a resource like the Western Wake Farmers’ Market so close by, or to throw a farmers’ market dinner party. You can get your meat or seafood, produce, bread, dessert, coffee and even the flowers for your centerpiece all at the market. Planning a farmers’ market dinner? Send a note to info@westernwakefarmersmarket.org about what you are preparing.