How do you kick off the first day of summer? (Yes, some people say it starts in late June -- but I say it's after the last day of finals!). Failing in my goal of waking up face down, possibly naked, and definitely hungover somewhere in Boulder, I went to the farmers' market.

I wasn't the only one, either, as this was by far the busiest day so far. Finally, the sun was shining, leaving me awkwardly shimmying through Boulderites as they picked over the increasing selection the market offers as we move into warmer weather.

While walking around, I caught an only-in Boulder snippet of a conversation by the Colorado's Best Beef stand. The workers were talking with a family, and one of them leaned in to the young children and playfully asked, "So, do you kids like cows?" and proceeded to show them a book of all their cows. How long will it take those kids to make the connection that those pretty little moo-cows are now the bleeding piece of meat on their plate?

The picture above shows my haul: I skipped the beef and picked up some beautiful arugula, which soon will be sitting happily in my stomach with some blue cheese and beets. A mini yellow onion and a man-like red onion flank the four tomatoes tomatoes that were on sale because they were either overripe or damaged, aka perfect for a simple pasta sauce.

Those little things that look like torpedoes were in my bag seconds after my eyes spotted them. I knew they were radishes, but it took a little culinary sleuthing for me to figure out that they are French breakfast radishes. Available in spring and winter, these are mild radishes that I plan to eat with just a little butter and salt.

Although the selection is growing every week, I'm getting more and more impatient for the fruits and vegetables of full summer. But while frustrating, the anticipation is also fun, because it reminds me that food is much more than just something to  eat -- it's something to really think about.