One Charming Home: Farmers' Markets, Pluots, and Pistachios... Oh My!

I've never considered myself crunchy granola. My views on farmers markets were always more of the "buy local" angle than anything else. I also just love food. :) But farmers markets here in California have added to that view. Here, you can actually find organic fruits and veggies that can't be found in stores! Ever had a pluot? It's a plum/apricot hybrid with which my kids fell in love, as well as pearlette grapes. Raw honey, raw milk, peach varieties, Armenian cucumbers, passionfruit and figs (my new favorite go-to snack) are just some of the items you can find every day of the week at one of the many farmers markets in the summer. Many close October-March, but there are still 2-3 that stay open all year long.

They're more like social gatherings and block parties, some complete with food trucks and live entertainment. And you get to sample everything. Everything. You would think my children are starving the way they shove everything in their mouths. But how else are you to decide which of the 7 varieties of peaches you want to take home? We learned early on to bring plenty of reusable bags. For us, that means 4-5. Initially, we went to the Old Towne Clovis Friday night market that spanned 4 blocks and always had live music. They also have themes, like Fig Festival, Peach Party, Ice Cream Social, GreekFest and the Pistachio Party. When the season ended, we branched out to one of the most popular year-round markets: The Vineyard Farmers' Market. What makes this unique is the canopy of grapevines overhead, including hanging bunches of grapes when in season. This one includes fresh baked bread and a coffee & hot chocolate bar, making it a wonderful Saturday morning tradition with the family.