Appetites: Finding the freshest picks at the farmers market

a customer selects a basket of habanero peppers.
A customer selects a basket of habanero peppers at the Minneapolis Farmers market on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016 in Minneapolis, Minn.
Sam Harper | MPR News 2016

Minnesota's farmers markets are booming. Not just with produce but new products made from locally grown goods.

Appetites regular, and author of "Minnesota's Bounty: The Farmers Market Cookbook," Beth Dooley joined Tom Crann to discuss her favorite things to pick up.

"There's a lot of interesting fermented foods that are coming in," Dooley said. That includes kimchi, fermented cabbages and curtido — a Spanish type of lacto-fermented vegetable.

"And then we have wonderful topos, which is a fermented vegetable, pickles and a delicious dried pickle powder," she said.

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Dooley also grabbed a Somali-style salsa called basbaas made with different herbs and greens.

The expansion of jarred and canned products is great for shoppers and farmers, Dooley said.

"As a shopper, it gives me an opportunity to buy more of these local products," she said. "And for the farmers, it gives them another market so they can grow more for these producers."

Foraged foods are also gaining popularity, and if you see them you should grab them up quick.

"These foods are in season for a very short period of time," Dooley said. "And when you're buying them from the farmers market you know that they're clean and safe."

Mentioned in this segment

Topos Ferments

Hoyo Sambusa

To listen to their conversation, click the audio player above.