My hazy, lazy summer stupor is just one more reason to celebrate the reopening of my neighborhood Farmers' Market. Finally, there's a break from eyeballing stickers to ferret out the local apples from among the bushels of imported fruits at the Mega-mart. No need to read labels in search of GMOS or scour ingredients looking for the demon High Fructose Corn Syrup. At my Farmers' Market, it's all local, it's all seasonal, and it's all fair game. See it. Buy it. Eat it up. A no brainer!

I heard Carlo Petrini, the head of Slow Food, addressing a gathering of his organization a few months back and he said, "When it comes to food, Americans spend too much time in their head and not enough time in their hearts." The comment made sense to me at the time. I agree that we let the battling food authorities, in their constant bickering about what kind of low-fat, high-protein, no-carb diet is going to be our saving grace, take our eye off the ball-good food is good for you. But as I stroll through the Farmers' Market, Carlo's comment makes even more sense to me.

I'm a planner by nature. I like to make lists. Used to be, that's how I would get dinners on the table. I would plan out, before I went to the store, what we would be eating for the next few days, make up my grocery list and cross things off as I went through the aisles. I thought-in my pre-Farmer's Market days-that making a detailed shopping list was a sign of being organized and efficient. But I can see now that all it really did was make grocery shopping a dull, automated, and sometimes aggravating chore. I spent more time looking at my list than I did enjoying the sight, smell, and feel of the fresh food.

Now, instead of thinking out my dishes in advance, I let the market inspire the meal. I shoot from the hip, just picking up things that scream, "Eat me." Voluptuous tomatoes that smell like sunshine and dirt, peaches so plump with juice they make my mouth water just to touch them, good things for the grill from area pastures. I might experiment with some new-to-me produce just because it catches my eye. And a chat with the farmer about what's coming in well this week is bound to inspire some meals on its own.

It's the perfect way to shop for food during the summer-spontaneous, out in the fresh air, surrounded by all of the sites and smells of the season. I give very little regard to how it all will come together but it always does, deliciously. And in the process, I've helped support local growers, improved the environment, eaten nutritiously, supported my community, preserved natural resources, protected biodiversity, and nourished culinary tradition-without even thinking about it.

Think big You don't need to abandon planning entirely, but it will help to loosen up the boundaries. Rather than thinking about specific recipes, think about broad categories of the kinds of dishes you would enjoy this week. Don't box yourself in to bringing home romaine lettuce that's a little less than fresh because Wednesday is Caesar salad night. Simply plan for a nice crisp salad and let the freshest greens dictate your treatment of them.

Experiment Don't be afraid to try some different things-if you don't know how to cook it ask the farmer. If they grow it, they eat it.

One size fits all recipes Here's how to cook (most) anything you find in the market:

Grill it up. There are few vegetables that suffer from this treatment. Asparagus, peppers, greens, summer squashes, eggplant, green beans, are all great. Just rub them with a little olive oil and salt and toss on a medium hot grill. Or, chop and sauté one or an assortment of vegetables in olive oil and a little crushed garlic until softened but not mushy. After cooking, toss the veg with some chopped herbs such as chives or basil if you like. Then:

• stir into cooked rice for an easy side dish or light meal
• toss with a vinaigrette and cooked grain such as barley and serve hot or cold
• add to fresh greens for a meal worthy salad
• wedge with a few slices of your favorite cheese between some good bread for a picnic sandwich
• roll up in a tortilla with some salsa or hummus for a tasty lunch

For root vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, and beets: chunk into 2-inch cubes, toss with olive oil, and roast in the oven at 350 or fold into aluminum foil packets and tuck directly between hot coals until soft, about 35 minutes turning once.

For summer fruits:Toss 1 quart of berries that have been washed and stemmed, sliced and pitted stone fruits, or chunks of melon with 2 tbls sugar and 1/2 cup of liquor (rum, vodka, tequila all work), wine, or juice if you abstain, and allow to macerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Serve over ice cream or with a dollop of strained yogurt.

Make sure it's local My neighborhood market sells only locally produced foods. Not all markets operate under this restriction. For the freshest flavor, be sure that the items on display came from your area-just ask the market manager for the rules of their market. If they're concerned with local, they should be able to tell you the geographic radius that their farmers cover.