3 Reasons to Spend the Day at the Green Market + Other Recommendations

I haven't been to the Palm Beach Gardens Greenmarket in months. I've just been too lazy to leave my apartment on Sundays. Despite my propensity for laziness and homebodiness (is that a word?), on Sunday I got dressed and headed to the market.

Being there was a great reminder as to why I need to add this activity back into my weekend schedule. The smell of the ripened strawberries, the aromatic scent of fresh herb plants and the wide variety of locally grown fruits and vegetables for sale made me this vegan feel like a kid in a candy store. The greenmarket is not only a great place to buy in-season produce at a reasonable price but also a good place to for Sunday brunch. More on my vegan brunch coming up.

Here are three reasons why you need to spend the day at your local greenmarket...

1. You can buy fresh produce at a reasonable price. Just be sure to stick to your budget. 

Take advantage of the wide variety of produce available. Just be smart and practical when shopping. I routinely take a list of items I want to buy and set a budget or spending limit.

I gave myself a spending limit of $50. I spent a total of $18 on various fruits and veggies. I didn't take a picture of everything I purchased but here's a list of what I picked up.

2 containers of strawberries - $5

1 cauliflower - $2

3 pears - $2

1 bunch Red chards - $2

3 plantains - $1 

2 yellow eggplants - $2

2 mangos - $3

1 red leaf lettuce - $1

Shopping with spending limit ensures that you will buy only the fruits and veggies you will eat and cook for the upcoming week. It gets very tempting to shop with your eyes instead of your sticking to your budget. Don't do it, stick to your list and your budget. It's a great way to prevent food waste.

2. Make the greenmarket a brunch destination.

The greenmarket is a great brunch hangout. I've spent many afternoons at the greenmarket hanging out with my friends, walking and talking and eating cider donuts, drinking veggie smoothies, and snacking on pickles. The Palm Beach Gardens Greenmarket has added tables and chairs since my last trip there. These seated areas add a quaintness to the busy shopping area, something you can take advantage of when you visit.

The highlight of my trip to the greenmarket was eating brunch at the Veggie Love food truck at one of the newly added hightop tables, under an umbrella of course. Even in the spring, the Florida sun is hard to bare. I rarely get vegan food truck food because well I don't know how to find these trucks, so I knew I couldn't leave the market trying their vegan food.

I had a Pesto Grilled Cheez sandwich (pictured above) made with Daiya provolone cheese and a Berrylicious Smoothie; both were delicious!

 3. Support local vendors.

At my local greenmarket, you'll find vendors selling everything from jewelry, organic pet food and treats, baked goods and outdoor furniture. Buying from local vendors infuses money into the local economy, helps to support entrepreneurs and their businesses. Everyone deserves that kind of support.

Vegan recipe recommendations...

With the fruits and veggies I bought, I put together the following menu.

I used the red chards to make this Potato Spinach or Rainbow Chard Stirfry from Vegan Richa. I paired it with Cauliflower Buffalo Wings. I know it's kind of a kooky combination but the potato rainbow chards stirfry and a glass of almond milk helped to tame the spiciness of the cauliflower wings.

The strawberries will be used in this Strawberry-Banana Smoothie pop recipe. My daughter is excited about this. The recipe calls for greek yogurt but I'm using Silk vanilla yogurt instead. 

I plan to use the eggplant to make a vegan eggplant pizza. 

I bought the red leaf lettuce to make lettuce cups. I'm creating my own recipe if it turns out well I'll share it on the blog. I plan on using some leftover lentils and sautéed mushrooms to make the lettuce cups. I'll add some other veggies, whatever I have on hand.  

Hope you get the opportunity to go to your local greenmarket. Don't forget to take a list and set a budget. Invite friends to make a brunch date out of it. Lastly, check out the vegan recipes I'm cooking this week maybe one will inspire you to make a yummy vegan dish too.