Keeping Me on my Toes!

Berries, basil, and cucumbers!

So I finally made it to a Farmer's Market yesterday. I did get these delicious berries, and look at that basil. I also found an organic English cucumber for one dollar, and a regular organic cucumber for only seventy nine cents! I wanted to get an eggplant, but it's sill a touch too early. I saw a booth with sunflower sprouts, which I have never had. I wanted to get more, but I couldn't handle the crowd. I even got there four minutes before opening time! I got my toes run over by several strollers, shoved out of line several times, and there were several booths serving grilled food, (not vegan) and the smell and the crowd pushed me away. It reminded me of those videos you see of people acting crazy for black Friday sales. I felt invisible. I'm not a crowds kind of person, and I am not a fan of aggressive shopping. I don't want to have to shove my way into line just to buy some basil. I don't know if this is the way it is at all Farmer's Markets, but at this one it seemed like there were more non fruit and veg things for sale. There was Artisan bread, cheese, wine, jams, pastries, cheese, cured and smoked fish and meats, and even artisan baskets, purses. I do believe in supporting local, small farmers but I also believe in keeping my toes, and sanity. Maybe I'm more of a CSA box kind of girl. It's strange how uncivilized people can be.

Yet another store brand vegan crumble!

After the Market, I stopped at Fred Meyer for some nutritional yeast. (I was almost out, eeeek!) I saw this Simple Truth brand vegan crumble, and decided to give it a try. They are cheaper than Gardein, etc and made from mostly soy and vital wheat gluten.  Simple Truth is a Kroger store brand, and Fred Meyer is owned by Kroger, or the other way around. Anyway, I like to see all these different stores coming out with vegan goodies. In my experience so far, they are just as tasty, and less money so it's a win-win.

Cooking up with some black beans and onions for tacos!

I cooked about half of the crumbles with a can of black beans and an onion with the usual cumin, paprika, chili powder and a touch of dried oregano and made tacos!

The finished product!

I served them on some Trader Joe's flat bread, with guacamole, shredded Romaine, and hot sauce. It was really delicious, and the crumbles had a great texture. They stayed firm, didn't get soggy or weird. I served some tacos to a non-vegan, and they got thumbs way up. I find vegan tacos are always a safe bet when feeding non-vegans. It makes me excited to see store brands venturing into the vegan food world, not only because it saves money, but also because it means more people are buying meatless meats and such. It;s great news for animals, and everyone concerned for animals. So far the store brand stuff I've tried has been really tasty, so that means a high chance of non vegans to come back for more! If you have a Kroger or Fred Meyer in your area, look out for Simple Truth. I saw breakfast sausages, "chicken" patties, and one other thing, so they're offering a variety.
Do you like the hustle and bustle of Farmer's Markets?