Inspired by Alice: The greenmarket challenge

This mornings walk through the farmers market was both ordinary and extraordinary. After watching Alice Waters' video on the NYT this a.m. (thanks Em for keeping me in the know!) I noticed my own peculiar shopping pattern as I wander through stalls smelling, tasting and generally relishing each mornings finds.

In honor of Alice, and the fact that going green is good for so many things, including your health, wallet and your altruistic tendencies, I present you with a challenge: How far can you stretch your green by going green?

This mornings shopping trip found me full to the brim with heart healthy eats! My shopping bag (imported from our trip to Paris) is full of seasonal treats that won't break the bank:

So not only are you supporting actual people whose lives are dedicated to providing quality nourishment to you and your family, you are saving green when you shop green.

My challenge to you is how far can you stretch a budget? For starters I will share with you my food finds from today. I spent $34.60 and came home with everything on this table:

See! You can save green while shopping green.

I don't know about you, but if I were to walk into a Whole Foods or even a shoddy Food Emporium, there is no way I would walk out with: a dozen organic brown eggs, a pint of yellow cherry tomatoes, an avocado squash, 5 ears of corn (FIVE for $2),a bag of mixed organic lettuce, two cousa squash, three red bell peppers, 1 lb. of lima beans in their shell, 3/4 lb. organic yellow wax beans, a 3 lb. butternut squash, and two freshly baked round challah's for tomorrow's break fast.

So what do you say? Can you make it a point to go to one farmers market in the next week and see how far you can stretch, say, $30?

I'll leave you with a simple summer/fall lunch menu that is as comforting to eat as it is to look at and hope that some of you will join my challenge to save green, shop green and join the locavore club:

Homemade bread topped with miniature red heirloom tomatoes (remember this post?), organic mesclun, asian tofu, cherry tomatoes and a sliced pippin apple. Not too many instructions, slice and place...and enjoy!