We finally got a weekend to check out some local farmer's markets and even swing by the Fabulous Food Show. Over on 9th street, between Irving and Lincoln, we spotted the farmer's market that we have been itchy to get to. There's a mixture of whats being sold here from fresh pastas, to specialty soaps, incredible flower arrangements, to fresh fish (we couldn't pass up buying a fillet of Escolar!). Two fruits that are the 'center of attention' at the moment, persimmons and pomegranates. Persimmons can be eaten raw, the flesh is very sweet and when firm possesses an apple-like crunch. My favorite way to work with this fruit is by making persimmon bread, but other ways are cookies, cakes, pudding, or even a salad topping. Working with Pomegranates may seem tricky at first, but after opening the pomegranate by scoring it with a knife and breaking it open, the seed casings are separated from the peel and internal white pulp membranes. The beautiful purple reddish seeds are consumed raw, adding a tangy crunch to almost any dish. An added bonus with the pomegranate juice is that are potential health benefits from them, such as reducing heart disease risk factors and reducing systolic blood pressure. 
The Fabulous Food Show that was held at the Concourse Exhibition Center downtown was an event geared toward families and foodies. This was the event's second time trying this out, so we got our taste buds ready and headed on in. We just about tried every product available to us; chocolates, olive oils, brownies, chai tea, mint jelly, creme brulee, BBQ beef, salted English toffee, dips, bruschetta and pesto. We hung out with the mushroom folks for awhile, smelling some of their fragrant white truffles. What we loved was that either most of these items were going to be available very soon at a Wholefoods or other local grocery stores, or we were given their website to order off of. Three items that really stood out to us were the Butterfi butter, mint jelly & red pepper jelly and fennel pollen. The Butterfi butter had a slightly burnt caramel taste to it, rich and creamy. The mint jelly would be a perfect topping on a piece of chocolate cake, while the pepper jelly is the ideal pairing on a cheese platter. Fennel pollen is the perfect added touch to finish a dish, and one that we couldn't resist was the dill flavored fennel pollen. Another item that stopped us in our tracks, the drinking chocolate from Xocolate. Just chocolate and hot water, the drink had a deep richness to it.
Next up: Getting ready for the holiday season. Cheers!
