Welcome to The Kansas City Food Circle’s Farmer’s Expo!
Every spring, for the last 15 years, The Kansas City Food Circle has held an “Expo”; an opportune time for the community to get together and see what is available within a 120-mile radius of Kansas City in the way of whole, healthy, local eats.
A little over 3 years ago, when I began my journey to a healthier lifestyle, a friend shared with me, this had to be my first stop to finding the best of the best in KC.
Who knew the “home of barbecue” could have so many farmers’ markets and delicious veggies? Do not get me wrong, there are plenty of farmers raising beef, pork, lamb and chicken the right way, taking Kansas City barbecue to an all new level.!
Here we go!
There are so many things I LOVE about the Farmers’ Expo! I look forward to getting my transplants for my garden, seeing the farmers I haven’t seen since the end of summer and getting some amazing local goodies.
Honestly, we are somewhat spoiled, we have markets opening in mid-April and one that does not close until mid-February and with the Expo being in March, peeps in our area do not go long without our local fixes. 😆 Come on in, let’s check it out!
Goat’s Milk Soap?
I have to admit, getting my soap was the first stop of the morning! This little farm in Kansas raises their own goats and uses goats milk to make soaps and lotions. They are absolutely fabulous! I loaded up with several heavenly bars and luxurious lotions.
Glorious Greens!
Can you believe it? The last of the snow melted away 2 weeks ago! Of course, our farmers are well equipped with greenhouses and I am grateful they are! I just wanted to jump in the middle of all this goodness! 😆
I could not wait to have fresh spinach; Costco organics will do in a pinch but it does not hold a candle to locally grown greens.
Real Maple Syrup in Missouri? You Bet!
I look forward to stopping by this booth every Spring. This Amish family has a CSA program providing delicious produce but I get very excited about the Maple Syrup! The only time I can get my hands on this sweet treat is during the Farmers Expo. Waffles anyone?
Sexy Veggies!
One of our Farmers’ Markets is set in a very trendy part of the city called the Crossroads District. I absolutely love their new marketing! Would you believe it if I told you we have farmers growing their goodies within the city limits of Kansas City? We are blessed with a few.
Yes, Farmer’s Markets Can Be a Little Funky!
Check out this one-stop shop for everything funky, organic and local. BadSeed has amazing markets just before the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
I was so excited; most of my ingredients for Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas brunch came within 30 minutes of my home! How fresh is that?
EGGStrordinary EGGS!
When setting out to find pastured eggs, it was a bit of a challenge in the beginning. Now, I have a few resources I can trust. It took multiple phone calls and lots of questions but well worth it. Once you eat a free range, pastured egg, you will NEVER want to eat an old store egg again, trust me.
That Is What I Am Talking About!
Whew! I had an exhausting morning! I got all my transplants for my garden, real maple syrup, pastured eggs, homemade goats milk soap and beautiful, locally grown produce.
As I was driving home, thoughts of a yummy salad came to mind. Since having my braces put on, salad can be a bit of a challenge (please tell me if I still have spinach in my teeth 😳 ) but some days I just gotta.
I have an old standby salad dressing I absolutely LOVE! A friend shared it with me many years ago and it is a favorite. Anytime I serve a salad, a bottle of this dressing is sitting close by. “Rhonda, is this that honey stuff? I love it!” is the typical reaction.
You are not going to believe how easy it is to make! I hope you enjoy it, too!
Honey Basil Garlic Vinaigrette
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 18 tbsp dressing 1x
Category: condiment
Method: mixing
Cuisine: american
Description
This honey basil garlic vinaigrette is my standby salad dressing recipe.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 cup Organic White Vinegar (for a slightly different flavor, try Apple Cider Vinegar)
- 2 Tbsp of raw local honey
- Garlic (if you are a garlic lover like me, 3 cloves, but 1 clove is enough for most)
- Basil (1/2 tsp of dry or 3-4 leaves of fresh)
Instructions
- There are several ways to make this dressing. I have a Magic Bullet and dump everything in and pulse until the garlic and basil is chopped. A mini food processor or blender could be used.
- If you do not have any of these electrical conveniences, do not sweat it. Chop garlic and basil, add to a glass jar, add olive oil and vinegar and shake. Viola!
- This dressing should be stored in refrigerated. When ready to use again, pull out of refrigerator about 1 hour before using so that the olive oil can become liquid agin. Shake well before using.
- Also note, this dressing makes for a great marinade for chicken. Feel free to change the herbs a bit to make a custom marinade for your favorite meat or veggie dishes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tbsp
What Foods Are Growing In Your City?
About Rhonda Cain
Working in health care for over 17 years, I thought I had always lived a fairly healthy lifestyle. Almost 3 years ago I embarked on a journey and soon realized everything I had been taught to better health was actually the culprit of many of my problems. In the process of changing to eating whole, organic foods, researching how it effect our lives, my eyes were opened to "green living". I began to venture out in my great city, Kansas City, which I have lived in for over 20 years, and have met some amazing people setting the pace for a local movement in the food and environment awareness scene. My goal is to educate people "living green" can be much more than recycling cans and paper; it can lead to good eats and a healthier lifestyle.
Excellent article and I am so proud of you.
HUGGGGGGGGGGG
Linda S