Farmer's Market and Foodie Love

There's something special about sharing a mutual love of something with people you don't know. I think that's what makes me so excited about TasteFresno and the local food culture (something that we're trying to amplify and grow). When you gather around an incredible meal, whether it's from your own kitchen or someone else's, you and the people you're with share an immediate bond that lasts temporarily in your taste buds and forever in your heart...wow, I'm being pretty dramatic, but I really like food and people a lot!

Anyway, the farmer's market (Vineyard, Clovis, Downtown Fresno or any other you enjoy) is a great time to mingle with local foodies, talk about recipes with the vendors, and get inspired to cook large meals. At least, that's kind of what happened to me when I went last week (watch the video). Walking around, I ran into a few people I knew and had the best time asking, "What are you making tonight?" (after we were done shooting the video, of course, haha). I was kind of intimidated by so many incredible home chefs in one place, but more than anything I was inspired. Plus, we're in the agriculture center of the world in Fresno - let's enjoy it!

Before joining the TasteFresno community, I was thankful for the richness of local produce, but I think my true appreciation for it is only beginning to develop. For food bloggers like Pinch My Salt (see what she got at the market recently), food and wine experts like The Cured Ham, amazing home chefs like Daniel Mourad, and restaurant owners like Vatche Moukhtarian from Cracked Pepper or Mike Shackelford from Trelio Restaurant, visiting the market is second nature. For me, I still feel like a kid in the candy store. There is so much to discover...and taste!

Tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. at Vineyard Farmer's Market, you can learn how to properly cut a chicken from a real butcher, Bill McCann. I think that goes to show that places like the Farmers Market shouldn't be intimidating - I bet there's a lot of foodies out there who don't know how to do something so simple as knowing how to cut a chicken.

This is my challenge to you: go, mingle with the foodies, learn how to cut a chicken, and buy something fresh and local.