My Soapbox: Sabalu Market "Haul"

After moving away from Saipan for 6 short months, I've landed back on Saipan and am anxious to take advantage of the growing local farming industry and the diversity of products that has hit Sabalu Market. Today's farmer's market is a far cry from my first visit to the market 2 1/2 years ago where my home cook hubris was stunted by the uniform vendor offerings of foreign brown and green shapes.

In light of the growing number of "shopping haul" videos which are posted to show off recent purchases to the youtube world, I decided to write a market haul post. I won't bore you with a video showing off the veg, but I will describe some of the great produce you see below.  I also wanted to further express my love for buying local produce at the Saturday morning Sabalu Farmers Market so, coming this week and next, I will post recipes of how I am using the goods from my haul. 

Market produce now includes familiar herbs such as mint, dill, basil, parsley and fennel. Fresh varied types of lettuce and greens are also a welcome addition.

This is $15 at Sabalu Market

This is $15 at a grocery store

My market haul:
a large bunch of tangerines
48 oz. of fresh, raw coconut water
1 large papaya
1 huge bag of tomatoes
3 purple sweet potatoes
4 chesa fruits
1 large bag of fresh, shredded coconut
1 bag of eggplant
1 huge bag of cucumbers
1 large bunch of fresh dill
1 bunch of fresh mint
1 bunch of bananas
1 bunch of shallots

What do I plan to do with these goodies?

Chocolate coconut granola 
Perfect coconut pancakes 
Victory pasta 
Dill Pickles 
Tangerine Mojitos 
Macaroni and Chesa (Failed experiment)
Sweet potato wedges 

Money doesn't grow on trees in the CNMI, but healthy food does. How is it that, according to the CNMI legislature, "the CNMI ranked third in the world for the prevalence of type II diabetes"? Unlike the "urban food deserts" of the mainland, healthy and affordable food is within walking distance for most people, so how does it happen that about 50% of children and 70% of adults are overweight or obese in the CNMI? These are problems that I think can be changed by the Saipan consumer. Eat local to reduce obesity rates and support local businesses.

The difference between grocery store shopping and market shopping is clear, yet many people continue to eat mostly expensive, imported, preserved food. Though using fresh, raw materials in food preparation does take a little more work and time, the monetary and health benefits are worth the effort. I hope the types of food products consumed on Saipan will shift with greater and more reliable availability of produce with a farmer's coop. Combining nutrition education with nutrition application is also an important step in bridging the problem to the answer.

What do you do with your farmer's market haul?
Please share your thoughts and recipes!