Summer markets – and a GREAT carrot cake recipe

You’ve probably been celebrating for days now, but I only just found out that August 6 – 12 is National Farmer’s Market Week!  Pour some (apple) cider!  Slice the (carrot) cake!

It’s actually no surprise that we’ve set aside a week to celebrate the popular farmers’ market. Summer farm markets are probably as old as humans themselves, but as a modern phenomenon they are also relatively new.  The growth of local farmer’s markets  (aka Green markets, Saturday markets, etc.) in the past ten years has been staggering.   In an age where you can order dinner, shop for groceries and get things delivered to your front door all on the computer, it’s refreshing to be some place where you see people face to face and a joy to actually meet the person who grows your food.

In addition to obtaining incredibly delicious food, There are many, many other reasons to shop at a neighborhood farmer’s market.

•  Fresh produce makes for healthier eating.
• You are returning money to the local economy
• You are supporting the “little guy,” independent farmers working to make a living.
• Most farmers at these markets are organic growers with ethical business practices.
• You are supporting sustainable environmental practices. 85% of the farmers who sell at these markets travel less than 50 miles to get there.

I don’t take a shopping list to the market.  For me, and for hundreds of people just like me, half the fun of shopping at our local Saturday market lies in the spontaneity of making choices based on what’s available.   How delightful it is to plan dinner based on what looks good and what’s available.  It makes for some interesting meals, particularly toward the end of the week, but that’s part of the challenge of buying locally produced food.

The produce you find should not be a complete surprise because the time of year dictates much of what’s available. So, when Sadie (my dog) and I walked to our local market on Saturday,  I was not surprised that this early August market was full of heat loving vegetables such as peppers, squashes and tomatoes as well as root vegetables such as onions and carrots.

Sometimes I’m not sure what to do with all the produce I get but this particular Saturday, I knew exactly how to use it.  My ten year old grandson, Rivers (who is an awesome cook!), wanted to make a carrot cake so I raided the “carrot patch” and brought home bundles of fresh, delicious carrots.  As good as they were, though, they couldn’t compare to a slice of the cake we put them in.  This is the best carrot cake recipe I know of.

Enjoy!

River’s Carrot Cake

• 2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tsp.  baking soda
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3 eggs (or egg substitute)
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup light tasting olive oil or other vegetable oil
• 2 cups finely grated carrots
• 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
• Optional:  1 cup nuts and raisins mixed.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix dry ingredients (except for sugars) together.  In another bowl, mix the egg, oil, vanilla and sugars.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and blend.  Add the drained pineapple and nuts and raisins, if using. Bake in two prepared round pans for 35 – 40 minutes or until done.  Let it cool before icing.

Frost with cream cheese icing (8 oz. cream cheese, 1 stick butter, 1 pound XXX sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla.  Blend and add enough milk to make the right consistency to spread evenly.)

OPTIONS:

If you want to make it vegan:  Use an egg substitute in the cake and make a vegan icing by using vegan cream cheese and no butter.

If you want to make it without granulated sugar, substitute honey (1 for 1) for the sugar in the cake and make a frosting out of 12 ounces of cream cheese, 1/4 cup maple syrup and 1 teaspoon of vanilla.