California farmers market cooking

As a sort of guest editorial, I present the Placer County Real Food from Farmers Markets cookbook.

Placer County is in Northern California, where they celebrate an annual Satsuma mandarin festival, and in season you can buy fresh persimmons and Meyer lemons. Their farmers markets run year-round.

It ain't Montana.

But the idea of the cookbook is intriguing: each week during the year, shop at the farmers market and prepare a meal from those ingredients. Some meals include preserved food, but that, too, is purchased from the local farmers.

I haven't tried any recipes yet, but I have thoroughly been enjoying the book. The photos are beautiful, the sidebar stories and quotations are inspiring, and everything about it is friendly and warm. So even if you don't cook, you'll enjoy reading through it.

Be sure to view the YouTube video featuring author Joanne Neft talking about how she came to write the book, along with chef Laura Kenny.

The flap of the book describes the author: "Joanne's goal is to help people understand the benefits of eating in-season locally grown healthy food and to support the farmers who grow it. Visit your local farmer markets to share in the adventure."

Order your own copy at placercountyrealfood.com.