Roadside produce stands.......

Stoner4Life · Aug 28, 2010

anybody use them? During the season I buy 100% of my veggies (especially corn) from them. some of my fondest memories of weekend vacations whether w/my family, girlfriends or biker friends usually meant a stop or two to the roadside stand. now of course as I live in the country (tourist country too) it's a weekly ritual for the duration of the season.

Today I lucked out while waiting for a friend in a strip mall parking lot, I spotted a red pickup truck loaded with sweet corn and being tended by two tall slim strawberry blonds who were obviously sisters if not twins, but I digress... so 6 ears for $2.00 but as they always throw in extra @ these stands I got 7, not only is this corn as sweet as candy but the ears are just huge.

these gals only had corn but the two stands I usually buy from have a full run of local produce like tomatoes, beans, peas, berries, squash, melon etc & all of it being top shelf imo, very worthy of being plated in high end restaurants.

aside from sweet corn that I love so much I really find the acorn squash here fantastic.

so how many members here go to (even occasionally) roadside stands and what are your experiences.

SHAWTYBANGBANG · Aug 28, 2010

im in the south so i see'm all the time. And yeah, just about anything grown at home has way more flavor than store bought. i get my eggs from a lady who raises her own chickens(free)and have seen some great deals at roadside stands. the other day i gota few softball size tomatoes for a 1$ apiece.

Hammerhead · Aug 28, 2010

we have farmers market here on the weekend I go there and get everything

Phillthy · Aug 28, 2010

used them all the time. some of the best local stuff you can get. and you support family business not megacorps.

trichosaurus · Aug 28, 2010

Go at least twice per week. Corn is in season and is delicious as usual... no butter needed, just sweet, juicy corn. :yummy:

The cantalope and watermelons have been great too. Of course the blackberries, blueberries, raspberries are always incredible.
Whenever i go to the farmers market, I only go after the veggies and fruits in shaded areas if it has been a hot day. Veggies/fruits lose a lot of taste if they have been sitting in the sun or 80F heat for 30+ minutes. Just something to consider.

RoachClip · Aug 29, 2010

I love going to the Famers Market to help Support the local farmers and you get to help keep the farms from being taken hostage with the bank buzzards flying over the farmers heads and property.

My veggies> fruits> even get some good deals on freshly baked pies or breads :yes:

Stoner4Life · Sep 10, 2010

Long Island was developed heavily after WWII, I recall going to a HUGE farmers market in the Bethpage area on Old Country Road in the late 50s early 60s. Long Island was considered the country (and the last farmland nearby) for the NYC folks for many years and certainly the source of 90% of seasonal produce consumed in the 5 boroughs.......

redeyesurprise · Sep 10, 2010

Nothing beats farm fresh. I judge all sweet corn on the basis of whether or not you need to add butter or salt to it. If you need additives, it's not what I'm looking for and you don't usually find that at the supermarket. Everything around me has been heavily developed over the last 20 years, so most of the roadside stands have gone the way of the dinosaurs. Still a few holdouts though and I'm looking forward to the HUGE bell peppers that I get yearly for stuffing.

Stoner4Life · Sep 10, 2010

redeyesurprise said:
Nothing beats farm fresh. I judge all sweet corn on the basis of whether or not you need to add butter or salt to it. If you need additives, it's not what I'm looking for and you don't usually find that at the supermarket.

right on and when it's the very sweetest I've been known to eat that corn straight up uncooked and cold, just like eating candy.

and you're right, you'll never find that super sweet corn in any supermarkets.

there's an old timer that grows some 'SS83' down by the Badoura State forest here in MN; the SS83 stands for Super Sweet 83 day grow.

I'm headed to Badoura on Sunday hoping to score a sack or two of SS83, it's 160 miles round trip for corn only & I might not even get an ear if I'm too late.......

gun show Saturday, sweet corn Sunday, damn I love Minnesota.

rick shaw · Sep 10, 2010

Ten ear's for a dollar only nine make back home.I can taste it right now.

AbbieDoobie · Sep 11, 2010

I grew sweet corn in my backyard this year. Ate an ear straight off the stalk, shucked it, and ate it raw right out in the garden. It was an "extra super sweet" type from Johnny's Seeds. Some good stuff.

geopolitical · Oct 1, 2010

I used to help run one for the family farm when I was a kid. I still use the few I come across, esp if I know the people behind the stand. The produce is almost always fresher, I know where and how they were produced in most cases, and often I learn a thing or two in the conversation. I ended up with two free ultra-hardy plum bushes after openly admiring the fruit I was buying a few years ago. I still buy fruit, but I don't have to buy nearly as much

. I picked up the acre across from my drive for a song this summer and I've got a LOT of well cleaned pits in the fridge starting their stratification. Maybe in a few years I'll have to open a stand too.

Big tip if you like cider/apples/etc. Ask for the "seconds". I picked up roughly 75lbs of very slightly bruised/scabbed/sun scalded apples at around $0.25/lb last year. Did not make a bit of difference in either the pies or the cider. Most "ugly" veggies cook up great (learn to distinguish between rot & just imperfection).

Oh and if you think you're too far north for corn, apparently there are a few types of "dwarf" corn that'll even finish in my miserable climate, saw the neighbor trying out some against the south side of the house. Full size ears on a plant just past my waist.

Red Fang · Oct 1, 2010

Stoner4Life said:
anybody use them? During the season I buy 100% of my veggies (especially corn) from them. some of my fondest memories of weekend vacations whether w/my family, girlfriends or biker friends usually meant a stop or two to the roadside stand. now of course as I live in the country (tourist country too) it's a weekly ritual for the duration of the season.

Today I lucked out while waiting for a friend in a strip mall parking lot, I spotted a red pickup truck loaded with sweet corn and being tended by two tall slim strawberry blonds who were obviously sisters if not twins, but I digress... so 6 ears for $2.00 but as they always throw in extra @ these stands I got 7, not only is this corn as sweet as candy but the ears are just huge.

these gals only had corn but the two stands I usually buy from have a full run of local produce like tomatoes, beans, peas, berries, squash, melon etc & all of it being top shelf imo, very worthy of being plated in high end restaurants.

aside from sweet corn that I love so much I really find the acorn squash here fantastic.

so how many members here go to (even occasionally) roadside stands and what are your experiences.

hell I have corn like that too in my garden, but I don't blame you if you would rather get corn from them rather than a guy like me!

I have corn coming out my $*&, but I would go to this stand if it were near me! Enjoy!

traiascapacea · Nov 19, 2010

Hammerhead said:
we have farmers market here on the weekend I go there and get everything

You are lucky

Also a good choice is to grow some vegetables in your backyard, if you have one. They are not so pretentious at soil as Weed and you can re-use some siol from pots. Also a good coverage for secret gardens...

Stoner4Life · May 12, 2011

trichosaurus said:
Go at least twice per week. Corn is in season and is delicious as usual... no butter needed, just sweet, juicy corn. The cantalope and watermelons have been great too. Of course the blackberries, blueberries, raspberries are always incredible.
Whenever i go to the farmers market, I only go after the veggies and fruits in shaded areas if it has been a hot day. Veggies/fruits lose a lot of taste if they have been sitting in the sun or 80F heat for 30+ minutes. Just something to consider.

very valid point on flavor tricho, I'm sure a bit of the balance in this would be that we're being marketed goods that are just hours old (these stands re-up every day) as opposed to days old before hitting a grocers shelf; but a very good point especially where someone might be trying to wring necessary nutrients that might be breaking down while sitting unrefrigerated.

supermanlives · May 18, 2011

almost every one i see. but they aint very common around my area. support local farmers. we do have a weekly farmers market in walking distance fresh food is always better . they did a study on greenbeans and found like 50 percent of the nutritional value had gone after a week. dont quote me on numbers but it was alot. i was shocked and never thought much about it before

paladin420 · May 18, 2011

We have the Amish\meninites Always somethin out front for sale. Great resourse for poop also.

Stoner4Life · May 25, 2011

they're just now starting to set up their kiosk's in my neck of the woods, we're so far north that this week & last the leaves finally sprouted on the trees.

Stoner4Life · Jun 7, 2011

I've got a freezer full of cheap tasty local steak and I'm hoping to find some true sweet corn to cook with it by stopping @ 2 or 3 different stands later today while on a short road trip.......

Stoner4Life · Jun 29, 2011

the sweet corn we're getting up here now tastes just like candy, I prefer to strip the cobs by knife after lightly nuking.

Roadside produce stands.......

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