I like to eat.

I always have and I hope I always will. At home our meals end with a discussion of what we’ll eat next. What’s for dinner, lunch, or brunch on Sunday?  What’s the farmers’ market schedule? What’s happening in the restaurant scene? It’s an endlessly fascinating topic, particularly since I eat three times (or more) a day. I don’t obsess there are many other things to enjoy, grab my attention or demand to be done.  But since eating is a part of every day I like to enjoy the experience. Not every eating opportunity has to be memorable or exciting, but each should bring nourishment and pleasure.

In Not Bread Alone, I’ll talk about some of my favorite local food stops and look forward to hearing about yours. There will be some discussion of food trends and fads and the difference between the two (remember blackened redfish and mesquite grilling?).  We’ll explore the regional food scene and look for opportunities for good eating and worthwhile experiences.

There will also be some discussion of beverages, mostly wine and beer but some spirits too. It’s a rich and diverse world with lots of territory to explore and discover in the explosion of wines and beers available from around the globe and across the country. That variety can be daunting, so I’ll offer some recommendations from local mavens and my own personal preference.

We’re blessed here in Fairfield County with a dazzling array of eating opportunities. From taco trucks to nationally ranked restaurants, Norwalk and the surrounding towns have it all. Supermarkets range from utilitarian but comprehensive to high-end and luxurious. Specialty food stores offer an unmatched array of cheese, chocolate, bread, olive oil, pastry, meats, seafood, and more. Ethnic stores that serve our many international communities (and the rest of us) with ingredients both exotic and rare. And of course, there our local fishermen, farmers, and food producers who catch, grow, and create fantastic foods right here.

Summer is over, at least the summer of school vacations, road trips, and weekday leisure. But in the fields of local farms it’s still summer, even if the calendar says fall. This is the peak of fresh produce, a bounty that is easy to see in the laden tables at our area farmers’ markets and farm stands. My summer favorites – corn and tomatoes – are  pretty much finished. If you see any, get them while you still can. Green beans, zucchini, summer squash, and eggplant overflow from bushel baskets. Peppers, both hot and sweet, basil and even misunderstood okra are fresh from the fields. Now is the time to load up on local produce. In New England our growing season is pretty short, and all too soon we’ll be in the supermarket yearning for this abundance.

But that’s not all. In addition to the wealth of mouthwatering vegetables, fruit is plentiful.  There is nothing quite like a juicy tree-ripened peach, a just-picked honeyed plum at peak ripeness, or a crisp-tart local apple. Like the proliferation of heirloom tomato varieties from a few years ago, the markets now offer different and delicious varieties of these tree fruits that were lost to us for a time.

I’ve also seen some concord grapes – still with their seeds, tough skin and sweet-tart flesh – signaling the start of fall crops. Squash  and pumpkins are plentiful. Soon our beloved summer produce will once again be a cherished memory to tide us through the winter. The seasons are on the move.

If you are interested in canning, preserving, pickling, or freezing, now is the time. A multitude of resources online and in your local library can guide you in salting away some farmers’ market bounty at the top of its flavor and ripeness. Opening your own canned vegetables, tangy pickles, or brandied fruit later in the year provides the pride of accomplishment as well as a welcome taste of summer and, with the holidays looming on the horizon, they make great gifts too.

Visit these local farmers’ markets soon, then drop me a line and share what you’ve been buying and preparing for your table.

Norwalk: Calvary Baptist Church Farmers’ Market

Mondays 10 am- 2 p.m.
July 8  ‐ October 28
20 Concord Street
WIC/Senior FMNP Accepted

Norwalk: Health Department Farmers’ Market

Wednesdays 11 a.m. ‐ 3 p.m.
July 10 ‐ November 6
137 East Avenue, Norwalk Health Department
WIC/Senior FMNP Accepted
Norwalk: Farmstand at the Rainbow Plaza
Wednesdays 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Rainbow Plaza, Main Ave. Norwalk

Rowayton: Farmers’ Market

(Named one of the 10 best farmers’ markets in the country in Country Living’s  February feature, America’s Best Farmers’ Markets.)

Fridays, noon to 5:00 pm
Starting May 31 – TBD
Historic Pinkney Park, 177 Rowayton Avenue, Rowayton

New Canaan: Farmers Market

Saturdays, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Open May 11 – November 23, 2013
Old Center School Parking Lot, located at the intersection of South Avenue, Maple Street and Main Street

Westport: Farmers’ Market

Thursdays, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
May 23 – November 7, 2013
26 Imperial Avenue, Municipal Parking Lot

Wilton: Farmers’ Market

Wednesdays, 12:30-5:00, plus Oct. 9 and Oct. 30
June 5 – September 25
Wilton Historical Society, 224 Danbury Road