Farm-fresh North Carolina goodness, year-round

There was a time in my life when walking through stacks of produce would have been summarily uninteresting to me. Who cares about an eggplant?

Now, I most definitely care about an eggplant. Or forty.

And so, while I was visiting my friends in Apec, NC in October, it should come as no surprise to regular readers that not only did commenter NC Heather suggest a trip to the North Carolina State Farmer’s Market, but that I was wholeheartedly psyched by the idea.

First of all, a State Farmer’s Market? That in itself is great. There are five of them in North Carolina, strategically placed and featuring permanent buildings. Year-round farm-fresh goodies…it’s almost enough to make me consider leaving Iowa.

(I said almost, NC Heather. Almost.)

Among the market’s permanent buildings was a restaurant, featuring local produce and other incredible food, cooked up North Carolina style. NC Heather had some of the best fried chicken in America. You think I’m kidding? Go there. Try it. Then come back and tell me it isn’t better than any fried chicken you’ve ever had.

I had been warned before we got there that we would be ordering the grilled biscuits. “Grilled biscuits?” I asked. “I’ve never even heard of that.”

“That’s when they split the biscuits open, butter them, and throw them on the grill,” NC Heather said.

“Oh my God,” I said. “You have got to be kidding me.”

She wasn’t, and if you go order the fried chicken, get the grilled biscuits. And the cheese grits. And the mashed potatoes. I could go on, but I’m going to stop for just a moment and pay homage to Southern food.

OK. I’m back.

We could only eat lunch once, but the complex includes a seafood restaurant, as well, nestled amidst the long buildings featuring various food products and crafts from the region. We had a long talk with a lovely beef farmer from Acre Angus Farms in Plymouth, North Carolina. She had great information on how to prepare and serve the meat so it stretches further for those on a budget, and plenty of information on how low in saturated fat grass-fed beef actually is.

There were lots of pumpkins (it was right before Halloween, after all), and amazing honey-roasted pecans and walnuts, hot out of the pan. North Carolina farmers were still serving up tomatoes, and there were fig trees for sale with actual figs on them already.

For me, it was the cheapest trip to a farmer’s market I may have ever made: I could have happily hauled food goodies home with me on the plane, but decided to leave it for another trip. After all, they’re open year-round. Next time I’m in Raleigh, the farmers will be there, waiting for me.