Whole Wheat Penne with Marinara - Part Deux: The More Eco-Friendly Version!

Eating well in the winter while adhering to certain guidelines one sets for themselves can be difficult. Odds are the nutritious food you would purchase in the grocery store came from across the country, or if you chose a less nutritious alternative, they are probably loaded with preservatives and have been sitting on the shelves for several weeks and are primed to stay there for several weeks more. That is why when Amanda and I heard about a winter farmer's market taking place at our favorite coffee shop, we had to go and at least check it out.

And what a wonderful surprise it was! There were only a few local vendors there, but you could tell that each of them had put their heart and soul into everything they were selling. There were potatoes, eggs, myriad meats, sauces, baked goods, and gluten-free energy bars, not to mention those selling non-edible items such as homemade soap and yarn.

We bought some homemade marinara sauce from one of the vendors, and decided to go to the Co-Op to finally start purchasing pasta in bulk to curb our purchasing of unnecessary cardboard and plastic. We bought a new jar which henceforth shall hold our pasta, loaded it up with whole wheat penne and waited patiently for dinner. And by waiting I mean we had an eventful day, where I was running around in excitement about my acceptance into New York University's DPT program and Amanda nearly smashed her finger into smithereens. When dinner rolled around, it was utterly fantastic. The sauce was much darker than marinaras we used to purchase from the store, and much sweeter as well. I can say with certainty that we will be at the winter farmer's market every week until we get the actual farmer's market back. It feels good (not only in my stomach, but my heart as well) to support locals that are trying to make a difference with what they sell, and I am glad we wandered upon these wonderful people.