inspiration...

check out those cool, stripey armenian cukes! isn't "cuke" a fun word??

Arizona is home to many farmer's markets, the majority of which are all pretty darned close to us. And in the grand scheme of the sprawling Phoenix Metro, that's no small deal. Quite a few of them go on hiatus during the blistering heat of the summer, but now that the lovely fall and winter weather has rolled on in, the markets are up and running again. The one we visited yesterday was part of a new trend 'round these parts, the weekday sunset market. Though I do love my early Saturday morning markets, it's nice to be able to pop over to a market after picking the Littles up from school, when I'm feeling stuck in a dinner menu rut.

tiny apples!

The Twilight Market did not dissappoint. We sampled tart, mini apples from Sedona, and bought some fantastic Sweet Cider! The boys and I were over the moon to see a local cheese vendor, selling fresh curds, cheddar, and jalapeno jack. And how cool that the milk used comes from local dairy farmers! The block of cheddar that left with us was milk a mere 24 hours prior. So awesome. Dinner inspiration came in the form of a bounty of fresh, local mushrooms. light fluffy, meaty, and flavorful. We sauteed them with a bit of butter, pancetta, and fresh garlic. Added some kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, heavy cream, and fresh parmesan, tossed with linguine, and we had a fantastic dinner, featuring locally grown food.