There is a new farmer’s market in Boston outside the Prudential mall that is just a few blocks away from my cubicle . I went there last week with a couple of colleagues.
There is nothing quite like being able to push back from the computer to take a stroll in the brisk spring air. Smelling potted basil and haggling for a half a bunch of asparagus pulled the focus off the deadlines waiting back at my desk.
I ate a delicious baguette with juicy tomatoes, slices of mozzarella cheese, basil, and drizzled with olive oil. YUM!
People who love farmers’ markets say the same thing over and over again: Having a chance to connect with the people who grow your food is good for the soul. Mississippi Delta chef Martha Hall Foose and cookbook author of “Screen Doors and Sweet Tea” loves her local farmers’ markets. You can hear her lilting Southern accent describe what it’s like to buy beans from someone she went to school with in this Monitor interview from last summer.
The wind was a bit stiff during our visit to the market and I long for the warmer days of late spring when lingering in conversation becomes a seasonal luxury. But the quick visit to the market over the lunch hour still put a bounce in my step. And somehow when again seated in front of my computer knowing that I had a $4 hothouse tomato safely nestled in my canvas bag underneath my desk made my afternoon speed by all the faster.
Kitchen Report 
Farmer’s markets are great! I also love being a member of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm just outside Seattle. It’s a little less accessible than a market for urban folks (about 25 min drive), but it’s a great way to get to know both the farmers AND the land. It’s beautiful and honest out there. It’s great for the soul and makes dinner so much yummier!