Dallas Farmers Market

• Dallas Farmers Market puts new emphasis on local products

The largest market in the area is Dallas Farmers Market, open year-round. Here, farmers sell their Texas-grown fruits and vegetables and vendors sell produce from all over - strawberries, bananas and so on. It's like the produce sold at the supermarket, only fresher and in most cases, much cheaper. Bring cash - and an appetite. Most sellers are more than willing to tempt you with free samples of hot-house tomatoes, juicy watermelon and the like.

Farm-fresh fruits and vegetables are sold daily at the open-air stands, and many of the sellers have begun to branch out; buyers can now take home nuts, organic honey and fresh herb plants in addition to apples and corn on the cob. Also, the Market's demonstration kitchen plays host to a series of American Institute of Wine and Food-sponsored cooking classes, featuring the handiwork of Dallas-Fort Worth's top chefs.
- KIM HARWELL / Special Contributor