Cookbook giveaway!

130 Comments

• CharmianC  on  May 29, 2013

  When the Farmers' Market starts up I look forward to two things — local strawberries and running into people I haven't seen in ages.

• hillsboroks  on  May 29, 2013

  Besides all the wonderful fresh local fruits and vegetables I always look forward to I also like to search out a new fruit or vegetable I've never tried before. Two years ago I found fresh fava beans and last year I discovered quinces at the men's garden club table. What a great excuse to dive through the cookbooks and now Eat Your Books looking for recipes!

• lesorelle  on  May 29, 2013

  Coming off of winter, I always look forward to seeing what new thing local farmers are bringing to market — this year it was agretti! Most of all, I love renewing and forging new community connections — just visited a new farmers' market in my own community, where I met a new pork producer and a kimchi maker.

• lizwinn  on  May 29, 2013

  Swiss chard and beets with good Texas dirt clinging to their roots…..

• Grywhp  on  May 29, 2013

  Living in Iowa, I have to say the fresh local sweet corn is my favorite

• [email protected]  on  May 29, 2013

  One of the local farmers makes goat's milk farmhouse cheddar. I missed it all winter and was ecstatic to snag some at an early spring market one weekend. I love all of the fresh leafy greens, too.

• [email protected]  on  May 29, 2013

  The beautiful fresh vege's and the atmosphere! Its such a friendly place. I also love the walnut brittle 🙂

• Zoe  on  May 29, 2013

  The holy trinity of spring – asparagus, artichokes and broad beans. Seems a long way away from here at the beginning of the Australian winter….

• [email protected]  on  May 29, 2013

  I look forward to the colours, smells and freshness of the vegetables. I love the arrival of fruits and vegetables that I've never tried before and buying. I love sharing recipes with people in the market particularly those from differing cultures to myself.

• suzanne P  on  May 29, 2013

  seeing the wealth of fresh local goodies and imagining the recipes they could be used in.

• matag  on  May 29, 2013

  The Freash herbs!!!!

• [email protected]  on  May 29, 2013

  Tomatoes- vegetable tarts!

• Lgw713  on  May 29, 2013

  I got my first summer peaches this past weekend! They were so sweet and juicy. Messy-drippy-juicy. That's got to be the first sign of summer for me and something I always look forward to with fresh summer produce. In my case I get it from a local farm-to-table delivery business.

• TheSpicedLife  on  May 29, 2013

  Tomatoes and blueberries. Definitely. But my kids would say watermelon!

• [email protected]  on  May 29, 2013

  My favorite farmer's market and local produce experience is that the fruits and vegetables have such a delicious smell. You can almost taste them!

• mfeldman51  on  May 29, 2013

  Radishes. Really.

• Emily Hope  on  May 29, 2013

  I'm fortunate to live someplace (the SF bay area) where the farmer's markets never shut down, but I look forward to this time of year because my two favorite fruits, apricots and cherries, are in season. Besides eating them out of hand, I love to combine them in this crisp from Deborah Madison's Local Flavors: http://www.eatyourbooks.com/library/recipes/172423/apricot-cherry-crisp

• [email protected]  on  May 29, 2013

  I like that you can buy the sort of quality food you grew up with, talk directly to the producers and farmers and socialize with the different generations of food lovers. On my shopping list: milk straight from the farm topped with cream and a foil lid, double smoked pork and bacon and buffalo milk ice-cream. On the way out I can mix and match my own punnets of seedlings to take home and cultivate.

• AZArdie  on  May 29, 2013

  Farmer's Markets are a feast for the eyes! I pick up what looks good, come home and look up recipes on EatYourBooks and cook away. But my favorite is the tomatoes. There is nothing like the smell of a fresh tomato …

• [email protected]  on  May 29, 2013

  fresh corn and tomatoes! Nothing tastes better than fresh!

• abrisbanechef  on  May 29, 2013

  I love farmers markets because they are usually full of seasonal fruit and vegetables which means I am buying them at their best. Produce can also be at their cheapest in season which allows me to buy a box or tray so that I can get out my preserving pan and stack my pantry with jams and pickles.

• PamCooks  on  May 29, 2013

  The fresh carrots!!

• [email protected]  on  May 29, 2013

  Kale, strawberries, blackberries, new potatoes, and home grown tomatoes! Then there is the goat cheese and caraway cheese….ecstacy!

• mainereader  on  May 29, 2013

  Making green tomato chutney with the many, many green tomatoes that are a CSA option each week.

• [email protected]  on  May 29, 2013

  Sweet Corn from roadside stands. U-Pick raspberries and strawberries. Basil in the BIG planters.

• [email protected]  on  May 29, 2013

  I look forward to talking to the farmers and discussing the details of the crops. And getting ideas on how to use produce I've never encountered or dared to try before.

• lmurphy  on  May 29, 2013

  Early summer = rhubarb + strawberries, but served separately not together

• [email protected]  on  May 29, 2013

  I look forward to new varieties of produce and also fresh homegrown tomatoes.

• Sally  on  May 29, 2013

  I especially enjoy fresh asparagus, English peas, strawberries and tomatoes from the Farmer's market.

• [email protected]  on  May 29, 2013

  To me, shopping for food at a fresh produce or farmer's market is amongst life's most pleasurable experiences. I love the raw vibrancy of those places: the array of stalls piled with all manner of fruits and vegetables, the scent of newly baked bread; and the tantalising delicatessen aroma of cheeses, exotic spices and specialty smoked meats. Simply the best!

• [email protected]  on  May 29, 2013

  I look forward for the time of enjoying all the fresh produce that I am not good at growing myself.

• LFallon  on  May 29, 2013

  Hustle and bustle,lots of people I know,music and of course the gorgeous fresh seasonal vegetables not to mentions the cheeses,the baking and the small goods.From September to April Saturday morning is set aside for the market come rain or shine.

• Cheri  on  May 29, 2013

  Each week a new gift from ole Mother Earth. Starting with the strawberries, right through to the tomatoes and corn, seems like each season all vegetables taste "new" to me. I think it is about the change and new choices that await at the market each week. A stroll through the market truly makes one feel alive, and thankful!

• louisedp  on  May 29, 2013

  Love the organic escarole from my CSA…not to mention the peas and spinach…just love all the veggies!

• eselque  on  May 29, 2013

  Fresh favas and fresh garbanzos!

• [email protected]  on  May 29, 2013

  I always look forward to citrus season, such a refreshing treat as the weather cools.

• madamepince  on  May 29, 2013

  Garlic Scapes!!!!!!!!!

• jaburg  on  May 29, 2013

  I most look forward to fresh, ripe heirloom tomatoes and later in the summer beautiful peaches!

• [email protected]  on  May 29, 2013

  I look forward to my lunches in the nearby park with my daughter. We purchase something new and different each week, grab a lemonade shake-up and head to the base of a cozy tree.

• miggsy  on  May 29, 2013

  I look forward to the heirloom tomato plants being for sale!

• elysek  on  May 29, 2013

  I look forward all winter to fresh corn and tomatoes!

• [email protected]  on  May 30, 2013

  I look forward to all the berries, especially golden raspberries.

• heckler0077  on  May 30, 2013

  The ability to develop a relationship with the producers.

• lizwombat  on  May 30, 2013

  In Canberra, Australia, we have a great Farmers Market all year round. So I look forward to the new fruit and vegetables that reflect the change in seasons; and running in to friends and catching up over a coffee…

• Kelli_L  on  May 30, 2013

  I really look forward to winter parsnips, yum!

• AndreaMeyer  on  May 30, 2013

  In South Africa, we're also fortunate to have lovely produce all year round. But the one thing I wait for is the beautiful tomatoes which you can buy by the bagful, and which I turn into my favourite tomato sugo. And in the winter, or on rainy days, there's nothing like a local favourite – pannekoek – flat pancakes, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, along with steaming coffee. The ultimate comfort food, SA style.

• GillB  on  May 30, 2013

  Love the fresh fruit and veg- often organic and seasonal changes are great for variety

• Nik  on  May 30, 2013

  I look forward to the bounty of fresh produce – garlic scapes, asparagus, fava beans, strawberries, arugula, yellow cherry tomatoes,… I also look forward to seeing the farmers again!

• alicebrody  on  May 30, 2013

  Every year I wait for the first local strawberries, sweet, so flavorful and gorgeous. They are an entirely different fruit than the berries flown across the country which only resemble the real thing.

• SilverSage  on  May 30, 2013

  The local tomatoes & corn are my favorites. They're both in right now, so I'm in fresh food heaven!

• [email protected]  on  May 30, 2013

  I look forward to the freshness of the fruits and vegetables from the farmer's market and the variety of produce that you can't find in a supermarket, like tricolored carrots and pear cider for example.

• dbielick  on  May 30, 2013

  Living in Minnesota, having the market move outside is the sign of winter coming to an end! Also, look forward to fresh local asparagus.

• [email protected]  on  May 30, 2013

  Late spring brings the start of my CSA. Pick-up is the highlight of my week. Garlic scape (pesto), fresh asparagus, greens, strawberries to start and then a flood of items. Always something new to me – celeriac, fresh fennel and new varieties of greens last year to name a few. I search my cookbooks for something new and try them all……My family loves it too!

• annstfd88  on  May 30, 2013

  Our farmers market now stays open year round in Central Missouri by using space in one of our malls with auxiliary markets at various locations around town. It is great to have winter vegetables available through the market.

• ballen  on  May 30, 2013

  The sights, the sounds, the smells, the tastes — it's like taking a walk back through time to when life was simpler and we ate what we or our neighbors grew or made. It feels right and healthy and so very welcome after a long cold winter.

• PatriciaAnn  on  May 30, 2013

  I like shopping in the fresh air and sunshine for real food from friendly people. I also like all the homemade gems like jams and chutneys.

• omegabeth  on  May 30, 2013

  The visual appeal of the market itself can't be beat–I go to the farmer's market just to see it, even though I get most of my summer produce via CSA!

• PinchOfSalt  on  May 30, 2013

  My veggie CSA and my town's farmers' market open in two weeks, and what I am most looking forward to is the chance to reconnect with the farmers. Number two is the serenity that seems to always come from harvesting the u-pick-it portion of my CSA share. Out in the fields the rest of the world seems to slip away and there is a tremendous sense of connectedness with the earth and with time. Last, but far from least, is the fun coming home, imagining what I will do with the amazing produce. Life seems especially generous, and I am grateful.

• julieschu  on  May 30, 2013

  I look forward to buying vibrant carrots & beets for juicing.

• vickster  on  May 30, 2013

  Springtime when the strawberries are in.

• lmesseri  on  May 30, 2013

  I'm very thankful to live in a place with year round farmer's markets, but I cannot wait for summer squashes and stone fruits.

• redbird  on  May 30, 2013

  The first week it's all about strawberries, asparagus and leafy greens. And seeing what new crops the vendors are bringing to market this season. But my favorite time is that gorgeous period from late July through August when the fresh sweet corn and ripe, ripe heirloom tomatoes appear together. If I could only find someone here in New England with fresh okra and field peas, I'd have the necessary ingredients for my favorite vegetable dinner plate from my Southern childhood!

• decklededges  on  May 30, 2013

  I can't get enough of fresh, sweet berries!

• sisterspat  on  May 30, 2013

  You all are so lucky, I live in Sisters, Or and we just do not have much of a growing season. It is still freezing at night and will not really warm up until end of June. I do look forward to the big Yakima tomatoes the little health food store ships in from WA. and berries friends bring over from Portland.

• TorchBearer14  on  May 30, 2013

  I love meeting and talking to the local farmers

• pipinita21  on  May 30, 2013

  For me the anticipation of all the fresh and organic fruit and veggies I will find. The environment, us farmer markets lovers we tend to be open to share recipes and opinions with just anybody… I love the experience and the opportunity to learn new things and discover all the amazing marvels that are out there for me to find and enjoy.

• fdrfdm  on  May 30, 2013

  I love "bouquets" of radishes or little turnips, interesting greens that the supermarket doesn't have, and any vegetable I haven't tried before.

• [email protected]  on  May 30, 2013

  Fresh corn and tomatoes along with snap peas and strawberries!

• adrienneyoung  on  May 30, 2013

  locally made cheese and locally grown greens!

• lmalter  on  May 30, 2013

  I love getting fresh herbs and tomatoes!!!!!

• [email protected]  on  May 30, 2013

  Turnips and peas

• Lakinzer  on  May 30, 2013

  I look forward to seeing my old (i.e., long-time) farmer friends and hearing how their winters went … to seeing what's new at my local market (this year, milk and ice cream!) … and to finding the seasonal things that never show up in the supermarket — garlic scapes and rhubarb among them

• Annamaria0  on  May 30, 2013

  Definitely first asparagus!

• [email protected]  on  May 30, 2013

  I wait for all the fruits, berries, stone fruits, rhubarb.

• [email protected]  on  May 30, 2013

  I look forward to apricots and cherries & seeing my neighbors at the market.

• Marybwf17  on  May 30, 2013

  The variety and quality, plus the freshness.

• [email protected]  on  May 30, 2013

  I enjoy the seasonal beauty and talking to the people who grew the food, helps feel a real connection to what you are buying.

• [email protected]  on  May 30, 2013

  Strawberries that taste like strawberries!

• gregschwartz  on  May 30, 2013

  Always looking forward to the fresh corn and tomatoes. Also love to see the fresh herbs. When I lived out west, it was all about the peaches. Still miss the variety of stone fruits that I saw at farmer's markets in Colorado and Oregon.

• JensCooks  on  May 30, 2013

  The amazing variety of fare! We go with no expectations in mind, and leave with a huge bag full of wonderful discoveries, always including something we've never had before.

• [email protected]  on  May 30, 2013

  I look forward to my CSA starting next week!! Can't wait to get my basket of goodies!

• Queezle_Sister  on  May 30, 2013

  Locally produced bacon. I generally only consume pork from the one local farm…

• [email protected]  on  May 30, 2013

  I like farm markets so much I started one! year round.

• roxlet  on  May 30, 2013

  It's not only that the fruit and vegetables at the Farmer's Market are fresher, it's that there is a wider and more interesting selection.

• Yennie_Leigh  on  May 30, 2013

  Peaches! The kind you have to eat in the bath tub because they are so juicy…
  I think they are the closest thing to eating sunshine.

• DKennedy  on  May 30, 2013

  I live in sunny California where our Farmer's Market is pretty plentiful all year long. Having said, that, what I most look forward to in Spring at the Farmer's Market is all the farm fresh choices as to what to make for dinner. When I see fava beans, a personal favorite of mine, and sugar snap pea shoots I know it is time to start cooking!

• [email protected]  on  May 30, 2013

  I look forward to real strawberries! I shouldn't need to preface "strawberries" with "real", because they all should be picked and eaten only when they're completely ripe, but supermarket strawberries aren't. There is nothing like a fresh, sweet strawberry, and strawberry shortcake with whipped cream and shortbread – yum!

• [email protected]  on  May 30, 2013

  The excitment of the smell and taste of the first new seasons produce from asparagus to strawberries and the ideas for recipes that it brings to mind – helped by a quick scan of the EYB bookshelf

• Natasha  on  May 30, 2013

  We get a CSA year-round, these days, so I think what I most look forward to buying is asparagus. It's roughly the first veggie or fruit that shows up at farmers markets (and not in our CSA) that ISN'T another form of leafy green. I get SO tired of leafy greens.

• MommaMooney  on  May 30, 2013

  Watermelon!

• southerncooker  on  May 30, 2013

  Guess I should have read all the instructions first as I wasn't signed in when I make the previous comment, although I did include my email but here goes. You just can't beat that first garden or farmer's market tomato for a tomato sandwich.

• Tommelise  on  May 30, 2013

  I have the great fortune to have a small ecological farmers market close to my home in Copenhagen, Denmark. The market is open twice a week all year, and since it is a small market I have come to get to know the sellers over the years.
  What I love most is the variety of vegetables, my farmer market stock vegetables like salsify, and will have nettles or elderflower in season, and secondly the vegetables are very fresh and full of flavor. I love to be able to buy fresh rhubarbs, black currants and different varieties of apples according to season.

• Gorge_us  on  May 30, 2013

  RAMPS!! And Fiddleheads, asparagus, stawberries and baby lettuces…so nice to see spring after frigid Canadian winter!

• [email protected]  on  May 30, 2013

  Tomatoes and fresh arugula
  fitzie

• [email protected]  on  May 30, 2013

  I dream of peaches and heirloom tomatoes! I also love running into people from my community. It is a great place to literally stand in the street eating fruit and talking to the neighbors while the kids play. I love the farmer's market 🙂

• SLane  on  May 30, 2013

  Fresh fruit & veg – in season – straight from the farmer to us – there's nothing better

• merstar  on  May 30, 2013

  I love honeydews – they're my favorite fruit, and I can't wait till they're in season!

• debpiper  on  May 30, 2013

  Heirloom tomatoes from the farmers market, and fresh sweet corn!
  In Illinois, the fresh corn starts showing up right around the beginning of July. My favorite summer meal is slow-cooked green beans with new potatoes, fresh sweet corn, sliced heirloom tomatoes and Indiana cantaloupe……amazingly delicious!
  I can't wait to try the blueberry goat cheese pizza recipe from this book – if I don't get a free one, I guess I'll have to go and buy it.

• phoenix  on  May 30, 2013

  I love our year round farmer's market for the ever changing availability of seasonal fruits and vegetables. Last week I was really excited that my favorite blueberry stand was finally back. The owner (and grower) sells the sweetest fruit that I can't stop eating. I can't wait for this coming Sunday!

• sir_ken_g  on  May 30, 2013

  Just fresh vegies of all kinds. I just dread winter since the farmers market opened.
  But if I had to pick tomatoes and corn – whihc are far better then anything the store \s ever offer.

• nicole309  on  May 30, 2013

  I love how sweet our veggies get from being grown in such cold soil here in the arctic. Baby Bok Choy and Carrots are my favorites.

• dedovitch  on  May 30, 2013

  Oops, forgot to sign in! JERSEY TOMATOES. ENOUGH SAID. AGAIN.

• pucca  on  May 31, 2013

  apricots, definitely!

• TrishaCP  on  May 31, 2013

  Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes….

• Soccermom  on  May 31, 2013

  Tomatoes and basil!

  If I'm in California, apricots.

• wildaboutmn  on  May 31, 2013

  oops, I forgot to sign in as well — RAMPS!!!

• wester  on  June 1, 2013

  I love it when tomatoes are in season.
  I have sometimes bought some in the supermarket in the winter, but they are always a disappointment. It seems the growers have found out how to make greenhouse tomatoes red, but not how to make them tasty. So I've decided no more tomatoes in the winter, which make summer tomatoes truly something to look out for.

• Lindalib  on  June 1, 2013

  Living in the Northeast, it's great to see varitey comeback in terms of fruits and vegetables. My summer favorite, a simple delicious Caprese salad.

• Breadcrumbs  on  June 1, 2013

  Our local market starts up in May with a small group of vendors that brave the often cool spring days to sell their early crop. The number of vendors and selection of produce grows as the season progresses and it's always fun to see "who's new" this year and what new items are on offer. It was once a rarity to find zucchini flowers and you had to make a special arrangement with the one farmer who offered them to ensure she'd bring them since they weren't a popular item. Fortunately they've become a market staple offered by several farmers. Last year, baby blue potatoes made there first appearance so close to home and they were definitely a welcome addition to our dinner table. Aside from the wonderful variety of produce and home-canned goods, I also look forward to the stunning bundles of flowers. The fact that they're always so reasonably priced makes them irresistible and it's such a treat to have vases of beautiful, fragrant blooms brightening our home and tablescapes. All that said, it is the fresh basil and juicy tomatoes that I most look forward to. Nothing beats biting into a warm tomato, fresh from the vine. Oh, and don't get me started on the peaches and late summer corn….

• edify2unify  on  June 1, 2013

  The best strawberries I've ever tasted.

• pgarcia  on  June 1, 2013

  I always look for a brand new vegetable or fruit to try!

• tcjanes  on  June 1, 2013

  Tomatoes and beets along with jumbo sized cauliflower.

• ClaraB  on  June 1, 2013

  Local organic strawberries – there isn't a supermarket strawberry that can hold a candle to the taste of local berries. Just a few more weeks….

• [email protected]  on  June 2, 2013

  The homegrown bounty from our garden and greenhouse.

• PatriciaScarpin  on  June 3, 2013

  I go crazy when cherries are in season.

• kateadelle  on  June 3, 2013

  One more time – this time signed in….

  I most look forward to letting all the fresh veggies and fruit be my cooking inspiration instead of having to really think and plan out my meals ahead of shopping time.

• melissa8800  on  June 3, 2013

  I so look forward to the fresh local strawberries! My hubby and kids like them simply with fresh whipped cream. I make my favorite, what I call, my PB&J shake.
  In my vitamin I blend about 3 cups fresh strawberries, large scoop of almond butter, a good pour of maple syrup or liquid stevia, handful of ice, water to an inch below the top of the strawberries. I drink this with a pretty straw and smile the whole time I'm drinking it.

• trudys_person  on  June 3, 2013

  Fresh local fruit: strawberries, raspberries, peaches, apricots and nectarines!

• lonestarlass  on  June 3, 2013

  I like the community nature of the farmer's market in my town. It's great to see people come out and be excited about the produce and buying healthy ingredients.

• sfrankland  on  June 4, 2013

  Beautiful, inspiring produce and the passionate people who have brought it to you are what I look forward to at farmers markets. Coming away with a new recipe or tip from the producers is always fantastic.

• Hippo  on  June 5, 2013

  Gorgeous, tangy, sheep's milk yoghurt. And cheese made from the same milk.

• sydneya  on  June 5, 2013

  I get so excited about the specialty items that are difficult or impossible to find in grocery stores like garlic scapes, squash blossoms and padron peppers. I am also happy to see the farmers I've gotten to know over the years.

• missjanemaple  on  June 5, 2013

  Local English asparagus. Imports are tasteless by comparison and not worth eating.

• Waderu  on  June 5, 2013

  Rhubarb to make syrup for my "Barb Collins"' , strawberries that taste like strawberries, eggplant for grilled sandwiches with basil and roasted red peppers, I could go on and on…love the farmers market.

• krobbins426  on  June 7, 2013

  This year, I've so happy to see radishes and arugula so I can make some delicious salads for lunch every day. Asparagus and strawberries always make it feel like spring. And Garlic scapes. So delicious!

• CulinaryTravels  on  June 7, 2013

  The best of British asparagus & new potatoes.

• rlmiller  on  June 7, 2013

  I love the seasonality of farmers' markets, especially the coming and going of short season produce like cherries and apricots. A good reminder to enjoy what is fresh and local while it is at the market!

• [email protected]  on  June 7, 2013

  I love the eggs from the Farmer's Markets, they're SO much better!

  mckinsab(at)gmail(dot)com

• rivergait  on  June 8, 2013

  I love reconnecting with farmers from past years, as well as neighbors and friends roaming the stalls. Unfortunately, our rural California county can barely afford the pricey liability insurance, opening our market only from July 5 until September. So we miss all those wonderful spring items, with farmers relying heavily on tomatoes, flowers, and corn of summer.

• Jane  on  June 8, 2013

  This contest is now closed. Using a random number generator, our lucky winners are Bec, omegabeth and rlmiller. As soon as we have your addresses, the books will be flying towards you.