Saturday, June 11 is National Corn on the Cob Day! Who knew? The whole month of June is a great time to stock up on in-season fruits and vegetables. Here are some tips to guide you through the perfect day of shopping at your local road-stand farmers’ market:

– Stop at the ATM for cash before hitting the road. If you need to grab a ripe tomato to use for your dinner salad and it’s $1, cash is obviously more practical.

-Take a couple of minutes to meal plan to get the most out of your fresh produce. It’s best to use all that beautiful, fresh crop you just purchased and put it straight into some great recipes in the next day or two. Impulse purchases are fun if what you bought doesn’t rot in your refrigerator.

-For the freshest and most plentiful selection, shop earlier in the day. If a certain specialty item is only available seasonally, sometimes markets sell out before the afternoon. 

-A little dirt is good!  I always look for the least handled and processed produce which means those carrots may be caked with some mud or wet from watering. My thoughts are those veggies and fruit surely are freshly picked!

Roll down your windows, crank up your radio and go for a drive to your local farmers’ market!  We’ll be grilling on the patio this weekend and most likely eating some corn-on-the-cop to celebrate the day..slathered with butter, of course!