Ann Arbor Homegrown Festival

     Tonight I went to the Homegrown Festival at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market with my roommates and some friends. There was a TON of food - Zingermans (featured on Oprah, for those of you not from Michigan), tamales, Slow's BBQ, organic pizza. I tried a lot of free samples (including pasta, jelly, honey, tomato and pesto bread), but the worst by far was acorn pancakes. Ugh, I'm sorry to the people who made them, but they were awful. I also got (and liked!) horchata, a Mexican rice drink; and a Zingerman's ice cream sandwich with vanilla gelato. Here's a few pictures from tonight...

So many people...

 Friends

Good Girls Go to Paris Crepes

Caramel, Apple & Brown Sugar

Strawberry Banana

     This Saturday I went to the Eastern Market in Detroit and had the best crepe of my life. Good Girls Go to Paris Crepes is a crepe shop on E. Kirby Street in Detroit that also has a stand with a limited menu at the Eastern Market on Saturdays. The full menu can be downloaded on the shop's site but the menu at the market includes best sellers including strawberry banana, caramel apple (sooo delicious), and egg/ham/swiss. The crepes are made by the owner with fresh ingredients from other market vendors!

Shop Owner

Hello, Summer

     Every summer I take at least several trips to the Eastern Market in Detroit to buy fresh cut flowers and homemade pies. This year, I've decided to try to visit as many farmer's markets in the area as possible and started at the Oakland County market this morning. Now that it's spring I've been yearning to start a garden (although I always manage to kill everything within a few weeks) and plant strawberries, daisies and herbs. I was looking for fresh cut daisies this morning but I ended up leaving empty handed, although I made the resolution to look for herbs next weekend to try in a few recipes. 
     Buying fresh fruit and vegetables is one of the smartest things I've been learning to do - not only for my own heath but also for local growers. Wearing long dresses and buying flowers are some of my favorite memories of summer and I've been using Local Harvest to find all of the markets in my area. Make sure to arrive early and bring your camera!