By Ali Anderson Smith

Whether you’re ready to pump up the jam (or jelly), or hoping to boost your homegrown bounty, shopping for fruits and veggies outside the produce aisle is always a treat. Berries pop up now and later, and you’ll have to wait til fall for a spaghetti squash, but here’s a quick list for quick reference.

These guys stand ready for the picking, or the produce stand is an ongoing option. Call beforehand to see what’s in season now, for prices, to avoid getting lost, and to get the skinny on how to get it all home. Many of these are BYOC (Bring Your Own Container) affairs.

Cache County:

Paradise Valley Orchard (closed until September 2009)
Apples, pumpkins, raspberries, rhubarb, winter squash
9971 S. Highlway 165, Paradise, Utah
(435) 245-6203
www.pvorchard.blogspot.com

Davis County:

Day Farms
Asparagus, beans, eggplant, peppers, strawberries, tomatoes, fresh honey
2500 W. Gentile Road, Layton, Utah
(801) 546-4316

Salt Lake County:

Farnsworth Farms & Cider Mill (crops usually available beginning in August)
Apples, eggplant, pears, peaches, peppers, plums, tomatoes, fresh apple cider
11229 S. 700 East, Sandy, Utah
(801) 571-0858
www.farnsworthcidermill.com

Utah County:

Maple Mountain Greenhouse and Strawberry Farms (closed for 2009)
Strawberries
1550 W. 2600 South (Highway 89), Mapleton, Utah
(801) 380-6673
www.maplemountaingreenhouse.com

McBride Briar Patch (crops usually available beginning in August)
Blackberries, raspberries
1849 S. 2100 West, Mapleton, Utah
(801) 367-0755

Phelps Berry Farm (blackberries beginning July 27, raspberries beginning August 10
Blackberries, cherries, raspberries, walnuts
8722 S. 6200 West, Payson, Utah
(801) 465-4408

All info from www.pickyourown.org/ut.

Writing and photography by Lacey Jane Pappas

Anybody else curious about the new market that opened across the street from Fashion Place Mall? We were too. So we did some investigating and were pleasantly surprised with the results. (Take note, Utah County dwellers. There’s one in Orem, too.)

Reminiscent of Trader Joe’s, Sunflower Market dishes out a variety of their own sauces, boxed and baked foods, chips and drinks. We also spotted a healthy variety of cheeses, an olive bar and store-made pasta salads and fresh salads that looked dee-lish. Smack-dab in the middle of the store is a huge assortment of organic fruits and veggies—all reasonably priced. Best, these beauties looked really fresh.

The vegetarian in me got excited to see the nice variety of vegan/vegetarian options. With Amy’s-brand everything (and so much more) the meat-omitting folks will be in a culinary paradise.

The “Serious Food, Silly Prices” bit rang partially true: Prices were higher than your average grocery store, but we spotted some specials on produce, drinks and cheeses that would be nice on both the budget and your creating of a balanced meal.

When I visited, the store was hosting a health fair and many a happy customer walked away with free samples, complimentary canvas totes and their faces painted. You might not be as lucky as to get a star brushed on your forehead, but you can always visit the website to get your hands on coupons and healthy recipes.

{Good Day, Sunshine}

Sunflower Farmers Market
6284 S. State Street
Murray, Utah
1375 S. State Street
Orem, Utah
Open Monday through Sunday, 7 a.m. - 10 p.m.
www.sfmarkets.com

By Lisa Van Orman Hadley

The changing leaves and snowcapped mountains mean we must bid a sad farewell to many of our favorite local fruits and veggies until next year. But before you hunker down for winter and start in on canned salsa and jam, we want to give you something to look forward to next spring: your local CSA.

Bell Organic Gardens is an organic farm in Draper, Utah. They’ve been growing and distributing organic food to local restaurants and produce purveyors for a decade. More recently, they’ve begun to offer CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) shares to individuals like yourself.

Here’s how CSA works: Before the growing season begins, members of the community buy shares of the upcoming season’s crops. The upfront payment allows the farm to predict what to grow. Then, when the crops are ready, boxes of seasonal fruits and vegetables are distributed weekly to shareholders. They can be picked up in Draper or downtown Salt Lake City.

When you join, you not only get fresh, organic produce, you also help support local farms, contribute to sustainable agriculture and get a little more up-close-and-personal with your food and farmer. Organic gardening is gentler on the earth because it utilizes natural farming methods instead of harmful pesticides.

Bell Organics will begin accepting online applications for the 2009 season on October 20—even sooner if you happen to be a returning customer. Hurry, because shares go fast! There are several share plans to choose from, depending on your family size. And there’s more than just fruits and veggies. You can also pick up organic free-range eggs, and cheeses made by local artisans.

{The Real Dirt}

Bell Organic Gardens
975 Canyon Breeze Lane
Draper, Utah
(801) 571-7288
www.bellorganic.com

Images courtesy of Bell Organic website

Sampled: Six-inch lemon cake by Cakes de Fleur

Where: The Store (2050 E. 6200 South and 4695 S. Holladay Blvd., Holladay)

High & Low: Not over-frosted nor over-flavored, this cake’s consistency and quality are tops. Unfortunately, the price is a little on the high side too.

How Much: $10.99 apiece

Spotted: Mexican Coca-Colas, all lined up in classic glass bottles

Good For: Putting a little more party in Cinco de Mayo

Where: Costco (5201 S. Intermountain Dr., Murray; other locations here) and Smith’s (3470 Bengal Blvd., Cottonwood Heights; other locations here)

How Much: About $17 per 24-case at Costco; priced individually at Smith’s for unknown amount.

It’s a little easy for the cheese-, olive-, fresh produce- and bakery-loving grocery shopper to get a little discouraged around here. Don’t get us wrong, we like not-so-commercial markets like Wild Oats, but sometimes you want something a little more like a mini Central Market—somewhere where you can dabble in an olive bar or sip on a Diet Coke from the fountain before you decide whether it’ll be Special K with Strawberries or Strawberry Cheerios for breakfast this week: A place that’s not wrapped up in exclusivity nor preoccupied with organics.

Enter The Store. A sort of Salt Lake legend, The Store (2050 E. 6200 South, and 4695 S. Holladay Blvd.) is the kind of place where both the specialty-lover and the just-get-it-done shopper can co-exist, and leave happily and not too overbudget. Not only is the store home to Schmidt’s Bakery (in-house chocolates are part of the gig) and an exclusive vendor of Meier’s Meats, they also supply their own salsas ($3.99 for 14 oz.) and house a tasty salad bar with to-go salad dressings. There’s also a convenient-store worthy soda fountain in the middle aisle—Orange Bang included.

If you’re taking the cheese party to heart, this place is a must-stop. Other shelf favorites include “home-made” pizzas and lasagnas, M.C. Rossi pasta sauces, Divina olives, Virgil’s Rootbeer and San Pellegrino’s Aranciata and Limonata—currently three six-packs are on sale for $10. From Logan, Crumb Brothers Artisan Bread ($2.89-$4.99) is a local best-seller.

And though in-store Schmidt’s Bakery is packed with goodies, don’t skip over a personal-sized vanilla cake from Cakes de Fleur (A Salt Lake “Best of”) for $4.99.

The store is a neighborly gem as welcoming as its name suggests, but it will give you all those hard-to-find and fancy shmancy products you’re in need of, with the best produce selection to top it off. You might have to plan on paying a little extra, but with service this friendly, you won’t feel too bad about it.