Lovely tomatoes!

Heirloom tomatoes from the Agricenter Farmers' Market...YUM! I just don't know anything else I can add!

Heirloom Tomato Caprese Salad

 

At the Agricenter Farmers' Market yesterday I got some great looking tomatoes from the Tomato Lady. I had some bite-size fresh mozzarella balls, so what could I do but Insalata Caprese?

Since Mantia's closed, I am not aware of anyplace in Memphis that sells real fresh mozzarella. The best is made the day it is eaten, kept in lightly salted brine at room temperature until consumed. All I've been able to find is the packaged kind, and let's face it, it wasn't made yesterday even.

So here's a tip: Put it in a cup or bowl with enough lightly salted water to cover. Stick it in the microwave. For the little bite sized balls, set the timer at 30 seconds, for a big ball, 60 seconds. Then let set in the brine for an hour or so.

So anyway: an assortment of wonderful tomatoes, my "re-freshed" mozzarella, slivers of fresh basil and a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette...summer doesn't get any better than this!

So what's the big deal?

I am a little curious as to why the downtown Saturday-only farmers' market is getting so much hype. Prominent chefs and restauranteurs are touting it, it's all over the news, they're on the local morning shows.

And all this for doing about the same thing that the Agri-Center farmers' market has been doing SIX DAYS A WEEK for as long as I can remember. Granted, week days at the Agri-Center aren't as exciting as Saturdays are, but the farmers and growers are there. And on Saturday, there are the herb lady, the flower man, the meat man, the Amish with their canned goods, bakery products, and lots of small farmers selling out of the back of their pick-up trucks.

I just don't get it.