Peter Piper Picked Peppers

I've been away from the computer and the blog for a bit, enjoying the summer. Hope you've been doing the same.

In the interim, I've been making the most of the season's produce. We all love farmer's markets. But how about live music plus a farmer's market?

That's what's on offer at "Saturdays in Saxapahaw," a concert series set on a hill right near the quaint Haw River. The Spoonstress and I went with friends this past weekend and had a good ole time. I enjoyed the company, the music and a cold beer on a hot night (I considered talking my way onto the kids' Slip 'n Slide).

The Saxapahaw farmer's market is a small one, but it's fun. Last time there I tried an interesting yellow or lemon cucumber, which looks pretty much like a bumpy lemon.

This time I got some yellow cherry tomatoes and a great orange pepper for the night's picnic. It was so crisp, juicy and reasonable ($1!) that I snagged another for the week. The farmer said the one that I selected was his "prize pepper," but he somehow managed to let it go.

Farmer's markets work for so many reasons (food miles, buying local, freshness, etc.), but here's something underrated--food with character. Sure, some people don't want a pepper that looks like a tooth (see my prized pepper), but you can get plain old ones the rest of the year at the supermarket. For now, may as well enjoy the summer and its bounty.