Column: A stroll through the market

I’m a girl with rituals.

I eat oatmeal for breakfast every morning. I read the New York Times on my iPad everyday before I get out of bed, and every Saturday, I go to the farmers’ market.

My last habit is my personal favorite.

From frequenting the open markets in Paris to going to the Alemany Farmers’ Market in San Francisco every Saturday for tamales and peaches, visiting farmers’ markets has become a habit of mine that transcends location, my mood and potential brunch plans.

It’s something I do alone, and if you were to ask me if you could come along, I’d probably say no.

When I go to the farmers’ market, I don’t like to feel rushed by another
person.

It’s a time for me to stroll slowly by the stands and spend as much time as I want talking to vendors about their growing methods and reasons for selling.

I like to be able to self-indulge and admire heirloom tomatoes for ten minutes if I so please.

If I want to wait in line for 10 minutes to buy Honeycrisp apples from Olde Lane Orchard, my favorite apple vendor, I don’t want to feel like I’m boring anyone.

This weekend I picked up rainbow chard, half a dozen eggs, a red pepper, green beans and five Honeycrisp apples for $12.

Though that $12 wasn’t much, I feel good about where that money went.

Buying straight from the source is a rewarding feeling, as you know you’re supporting local vendors who grow produce because they want to.

The vendors are like artists that spend hours perfecting their acrylic painting or functional pot.

To them, food is their art.

From Indiana papaws to black walnuts, the produce just tastes better. The peaches are juicier, the green beans crisper.

Also, because the vendors are local, you know the food is fresh and in season.

Though I crave sweet potatoes in the summer, I’m forced to wait for them to appear later in the fall when they’re in season.

They taste that much sweeter.

Going to the farmers’ market is about more than just the food for me, though. It’s my time to ruminate over my thoughts and find happiness in solitude.

Doing this while listening to a man belt “Wagon Wheel” and watching people speak to eager sellers with the scent of lavender and basil heavy in the air, makes it that much more enjoyable.

More than anything, I like farmers’ markets because they are gatherings of passionate people — vendors passionate about their food, artists passionate about music and organizations passionate about spreading their principles.

It’s not always easy to find such a positive, refreshing environments these days.
If not for the food, go for the atmosphere.

Who knows? You might leave feeling just a little more enlightened than you were before, with a bag full of the reddest tomatoes you’ll ever have.

­— acarnold@indiana.edu. Follow food columnist Amanda Arnold on Twitter @Amanda_Arnold14.