Cheap tomatoes...

Harps, the grocers closest to my home, has a markdown section for older foods, and this includes vegetables.  I love me some orange manager's "reduced for quick sale" tags!  Every time I go, I always check the reduced produce section.

Last week, I lucked out in finding a pound and a half of tomatoes for 58 cents. 58 CENTS!!

I also saw 2 sad looking cantaloupes for $2.99 each.  I was not about to pay that price for produce that was visibly dimpled all over, so I went to the manager and asked if he could let me have them for a buck each.  I am perfectly prepared to chance a buck on a cantaloupe that I might not be able to use, but I am not going to chance 3 bucks each.  He agreed, and I paid $1.00 each, and they both turned out to be lovely; and we enjoyed them very much.  I have also purchased carrots that were starting to go soft for 25 cents for a 1 lb bag, and they went into soup.

Paleo is more expensive than the average American diet.  Quality costs.  I would exhort you to see if your local market has a markdown area for produce.  These marked down items can be incorporated into stews, soups, curries and braises to help keep the costs down.  If you cannot make it to a farmers market, or of the farmers market in your area is spring and summer only, see if your local grocer has a marked down area on their produce.  Find out when they rotate their produce and go on those days.  Let the produce manager know that you are open to buying some not so perfect looking produce, and more than likely, you can get your in season fruits and vegetables at even better prices than just buying in season.

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