Support your local tomato

For the past year we've been visiting the Thursday Farmer's Market in the town next door. Only about 20 miles but hey, one does get lazy. In Bakersfield, our Saturday morning visit to the local was less than a mile. So when I heard lil old Simi Valley was getting their own and it is less than a mile from me, I was thrilled.

I was less that thrilled with the vendor turnout but am not giving up hope this being the first day and all. Not the variety I was looking for and it's not organic but it is fresh and close and I can still find my way to the Thursday showing.

I am so willing to pay more for fruits and veggies that have been picked locally. I found some gorgeous beefstake tomatoes and peaches that were firm but not still green.

If you have a local farmer's market, support it, even though it might be a bit puny, give them the encouragement to have more. The crap they push in the big mega-markets these days is a shame. Picked too early to have any flavor and travels enough to have bonus miles. I understand that two heads of lettuce vacationed to Rome on the miles they racked up.