Market fresh

From Charleston, Holly Herrick traveled 3,000 miles to visit farmers markets small and large across the South. She came away amazed by the diversity of the land, climate and produce, but even more so by the devotion she found.

From a tiny market in a sleepy Alabama town to urban supermarket-like operations, "The passion of the farmers was everywhere, the love of what they do," she says.

The result of Herrick's journey is a new book, "Southern Farmers Market Cookbook" (Gibbs-Smith, $19.99). It's the first cookbook for Herrick, a former restaurant critic and writer for The Post and Courier.

Herrick authored the newspaper's "Market Whimsy" column for several years, and the book includes a few of those recipes. However, most of the book's 75 dishes are fresh creations.

The book also draws from Herrick's education and training. She is a graduate of Boston College and the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris.

"What I really wanted to do is tell people why it's important to shop at farmers markets and how best to do it in a fun, practical and tasty manner."

Cooking in tune with the seasons is the soul of the 160-page book, which also includes shopping tips and resource information.

"Say, in the spring, you've got sweet onions and beautiful spring turnips and maybe some kale. ... I want (people) to be able to go home and know how to make it a meal without pulling their hair out and hopefully without wasting anything," Herrick says.

She says the "buy local, eat local" movement is thriving across the region.

Between farmers and the public, "The link is there, the bond is forged," she says.

"I think it's always been in the South, but, like everywhere, I think for a while we got away from it because so much of our food was packaged, which became a convenient way to shop. Because farmers markets are becoming more prevalent and because people are becoming more aware of why it's important to shop local and seasonal, they're kind of feeding upon each other. I think it's really exciting."

After visiting 19 markets in eight states, Herrick says those in the Lowcountry compare well.

"Charleston Farmers Market stands out as one of the finest markets I've seen ever because it is so well-run. ... It is a real community, almost festive experience. The same is true of the Mount Pleasant Farmers Market."

Locally, she sees farmers being interactive with buyers, establishing a rapport. "Not all markets have that," she says.

Herrick was particularly impressed with those she saw in North Carolina. The support for organic fruits and vegetables was strong, and of all produce raised closer to home.

"Whereas at many markets elsewhere, it's a 100-mile radius to define local, in the markets that I visited in North Carolina, it's more like a 30- to 50-mile radius."

The author says the idea for the book had been percolating for years, an extension of the way she's always shopped, cooked and eaten.

"I grew up in the country, and we had a farm and the garden. My friends got to drink Kool-Aid and eat Oreos and Fluffernutter. We had carrots and no Coke and nothing sweet.

"I wanted to have all the fun stuff. I thought eating eggs from our chicken coop was completely uncool and maybe even unsafe. But I developed a palate and appreciation of real food."

Today, Herrick thinks one of the most important things families can do is "to teach children where their food comes from and how to cook it."

Farmers market savvy

Shopping at farmers markets is best done with a little strategy, Herrick says.

If you're new to the kitchen or working with fresh produce, she advises to learn basic cooking principals first. Get a "how-to" cookbook and read it a little each day, then experiment over time.

Before setting out for the market, take inventory. "You need to know what you have in your pantry or refrigerator, and what your cooking needs or family's needs are in the next two to four days."

Then, she says, think about what you like to cook and eat. Know what's in season and what you're comfortable undertaking. And don't forget to figure the quantity of food needed. Overbuying leads to waste.

"And then you just go. Go and keep all those things in mind. But keep it loose, not too tight."

Let the market do the talking, she says.

"Buy what's beautiful. ... Use the farmers as a resource. Ask them, 'Is this corn local?' Because right now, it's not going to be."

But don't take the shopping too seriously, either. She says to keep an element of fun and experimentation in it.

"You know, an omelet made with farm-fresh eggs and with some sauteed spinach inside and a little garden salad, that's a meal anybody can make, and it's hard to beat when you're using seasonal produce and garden-fresh eggs. You don't have to be the next Martha Stewart.

"The key is to keep it simple. Start simple and build up."

Recipes in the book are organized by purpose (starters, soups and stews, salads and sides, main dishes and desserts) and by what works best in each season. Vegetables and fruits are emphasized, but meat and seafood dishes are included.

Herrick describes her cooking style as "earthy and uncomplicated with the intention of letting the produce and the products shine."

Teresa Taylor is the food editor. Reach her at food@postandcourier.com or 937-4886.