When the Otago Farmers Market started up, in 2003, I really felt like quality of life in Dunedin went up in leaps and bounds. Suddenly we weren’t restricted to buying supermarket fruit that never ripened, or that tasted of nothing. We could meet and chat with the people who grew and produced the food we were eating. It was a gardener’s paradise – so many unusual seedlings! I used to trundle along around 11am, when I could be bothered getting out of bed – what with it being a Saturday and all. Sometimes, way back at the beginning, I remember diligently turning up in the middle of winter and finding that it was just me, the stall-holders, and about three other customers. I was thoroughly impressed with the open-rain-or-shine policy, while also being quietly relieved that I wasn’t one of the stall-holders – frantically trying to salvage their canopies in howling gales, and wearing umpteen layers just to maintain feeling in their fingertips. (Come to think of it, sales of fingerless gloves must have risen tenfold in Dunedin when the market started!)
Not that I’m saying there’s anything bad about Dunedin’s weather or anything; don’t get me wrong.
Anyway, I still adore the market. It’s impossible to go without seeing someone you know; it’s a great place to take visitors to Dunedin, and every week there is something new to buy. It’s a whole lot of fun for children and the music is great. Sometimes I still go around 11am, and this is now a really really silly idea; there are no parks for miles, and everything I want is likely to have sold out ten minutes before I arrived (this is entirely my own fault). I have no complaints – I applaud the organisers of the market, and the stall-holders – thank you for making life for Dunedin foodies so much better!
I was pondering all of this while I wandered to the market recently. I had plenty of time for pondering, as I’d basically had to park in Christchurch. I wondered what kind of smoothies we’d be making this week with whatever produce I could find at the market. Which made me think – how about a new feature for the blog? The Farmers Market Smoothie – a new one each month, incorporating whatever is fresh and juicy and grabs my eye at the market. So here’s the February one for you. Enjoy!
Farmers Market Smoothie – February
1.5 – 2 cups liquid of choice (e.g., water/nut milk/coconut water)
1 cup greens (I used baby spinach, cavolo nero, and wheatgrass)
1/2 an avocado
1 banana
2 cups mixed berries and/or cherries (I used strawberries, blueberries and boysenberries)
2 tablespoons cacao powder
1 teaspoon honey (optional – depends on sweetness of berries)
Optional extras: dash of vanilla extract, freeze-dried berry powder to garnish
Blend all ingredients until smooth. This is a wonderful get-up-and-go smoothie – start your day with a burst of antioxidants from the berries and energy from the cacao!
By the way, it’s not hard to spot me at the market. For some reason, on a Saturday (despite me not really being a party animal), I wake up and my hair has had its own private disco. Take last week for instance – my six year old said to me, “Mum, your hair looks like a really bad Star Wars shield. One that only baddies would use”. So that’s my excuse for getting there so late – I’m busy trying to sort out my ‘do!
If you love love LOVE seasonal smoothies and want more delicious inspiration, grab yourself a copy of my FREE recipe ebook – 7 Smoothies and Juices to Supercharge your Day. It’s here!
