Sunday, January 12, 2014

Vegan Farming at the Market


Nothing looks or tastes better than the colors of the rainbow! The yellows, the greens, the reds, the oranges, the purples, the whites & everything in between! The colors that grow in nature (naturally!) that God intended us to eat since the beginning of time! It's a beautiful Saturday on the Space Coast & I'm hitting the Farmer's Markets in Vero Beach & Fort Pierce to get the good stuff!


The tents are lined up & the local farmers, vendors & produce people are selling their organic & healthy fruits & veggies!


My Mom & I were in the market (pun intended!) for apples, eggplant, cucumbers, artichokes, green & yellow squash. We struck it gold!


I've been to Farmer's Markets all over California from Montecito to Napa... which have a huge following & impeccable reputations across the country. So I was truly impressed by these two small towns & their locally infused industry, dedicated to providing good food for the body & mind & it's not so bad on the soul either!


Organic jams, jelly & honey made & produced sustainably right in Vero Beach!


A crisp, fresh & extremely green lettuce tower that had me dreaming of making a salad as big as my kitchen table!


An assortment of the most beautiful mushrooms: oyster, portobello, shiitake... For those of you who read this blog, you know I am a mushroom freak & a truffle fanatic... So I died & went to heaven at this table covered in my favorite, fantastic, funky fungi! ;)


The sprouts were sprouting & I am proud to say... I took my Mother's wheatgrass shot virginity!


She took the plunge & loved it! This sweet libation is packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and filled with cancer-fighting chlorophyll!


I even discovered Vero's very 1st Vegan restaurant & raw juice bar: LOV Juice
I plan to ride my bike over there tomorrow because I'm jonesing for some green juice! I need my drug & I need it bad! ;)


Another thing I LOVE about outdoor markets is the special catering for Vegans! You won't find almond milk at any Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks... But you WILL find it at this little makeshift coffee tent! I so appreciate the non-dairy alternative... Why can't everyone offer this to all of us Vegans out there?


Time to get some pretty plants! Orchids are my favorite potted plant because they are low-maintenance, bloom easily even indoors, they come back year after year & you can easily tie them to a palm tree - allowing the blooms to regenerate, even after all the buds have fallen off inside.


After the farmer's markets morning - Mom & Dad wanted to go to a popular seafood restaurant on the water in Fort Pierce named '12 A Buoy.' 
My considerate folks were concerned there wouldn't be viable vegan choices for me... But as you can see, I was able to order a colorful salad chock full of veggies & a side of grilled green beans with toasted almonds. Perfection!


To cap off our fun & healthy outdoor day... We continued the festivities that night as the entire Birch family (furbabies included) went back to the beach for a Concert in the Park! This time we traded in the turnips for tunes & enjoyed the music under the stars! 
Whenever I escape from Miami to Vero Beach to spend time with my family... I really am reminded of the importance of sometimes slowing down! And I also see to always find small & special gems that make me fall more & more in love with this sleepy, seaside town filled with friendly festivals & lovely locals!
 












1 comment:

  1. I just got finishing reading it I love going to those Farmer's Market I have funny story about a Farmer's Market with my family

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