Eat Your Florida Grown Veggies from the Farmer’s Market

Photos by Maria Lamb | Watermelon radish is a variety of Daikon or Japanese satsuma radish is sweet, tangy similar to a carrot but white. It is very popular in Asia, especially Japan where it is served in sushi bars, pickled, fried as in tempura or stir-fried or use winter stew recipes. It does not actually taste like watermelon.

Once upon a time, you picked tomatoes at your neighborhood farm stand. They were vine-ripened the old fashion way and tasted like real tomatoes. Now, your taste buds have settled into the mass-market industrial type tomatoes from your local supermarkets. They are bigger, more attractive, and hardy enough to survive shipping from the Pacific to the Atlantic but lacking the “real tomato taste.”

From November through June, Florida grows a third of the country’s tomatoes. 

At the Farmers Market, C & J’s Produce tent carries five sizes of beefsteak tomatoes along with smaller varieties of Roma and baby grapes. They handpick the tomatoes the day before and according to Colleen of the C & J’s Produce, they have been a staple at Marco’s Farmer’s Market for over 8 years. Their tomatoes smell and taste like real ripe tomatoes and they are locally grown!

Certified Organic – Inyoni Organic Farm Produce is another local treat. Inyoni is a small family farm that focuses on organic sustainable agriculture and growing nutritious and delicious produce for the local community.

Inyoni’s small 6-acre farm is located down a dirt road in Northern Golden Gate Estates and grows over 50 varieties of certified organic vegetables, herbs, fruits and flowers. With the warm Florida weather, they grow vegetables from seed and being organic; they use no fertilizer, no pesticides and are 100% GMO-Free.

Ideally, we should all be eating organic meals and Inyoni offers a taste of that ideal world from their nurtured seeds to our table. They are also at the Third Street South Farmers Market in Naples from 7:30-11:30 AM. It is directly in front of Sea Salt Restaurant, near Tommy Bahamas.

Simple Radish & Greens Recipe: Thinly sliced radish and red onion, chopped tomato, chilies, chopped parsley and creamy avocado slices, with balsamic vinegar and olive oil or just a squeeze of lemon. As a side dish, it goes really well with grilled fish or chicken.

BYO Reusable Bag to Farmers Market

Just a reminder for shoppers to bring your reusable shopping bags while visiting Marco’s Farmers Market. Last year, the BYO Reusable Bag was rolled out and the majority of the vendors were happy to do their part for the environment. The shoppers caught on quickly.

Marco’s Farmers Market is a classic community meeting place. It is open on Wednesdays from 7:30–1 PM until April. It is located at 901 Park Ave, Marco Island, FL 34145.