Farmers Market Saturday: Flowers, Fresh Finds & Slow Summer Mornings

Alexis Krilla

Jul 19

3 min read

Updated: Aug 6

Picnic basket on grass with colorful flowers, peaches, and bread; paper bag reads The Peach Truck.

Every Saturday, we bring home a little bit of Franklin—fresh flowers, seasonal produce, and the inspiration for one simple meal shared around our table.

Since moving here, Saturday mornings at the Franklin Farmers Market have become one of our favorite family rhythms. Before the day fills with baseball games, errands, and house projects, we grab our striped market tote and head downtown.

The boys usually find a treat or a piece of fruit they’re excited about. I look for whatever is freshest, talk myself into buying more peaches than we probably need, and almost always come home with flowers.

Welcome to the first installment of Farmers Market Saturday, a seasonal journal of what we find, what we cook, and the little rituals that make a place feel like home.

What Came Home This Week

This week’s market haul included:

A colorful bouquet of locally grown flowers
Dry-packed sea scallops from the Alaska seafood truck
Sweet Tennessee peaches from The Peach Truck
A loaf of artisan bread
Fresh seasonal vegetables
Handmade tortillas for quick quesadillas
Old-fashioned donuts

I love arriving without a rigid meal plan and letting the market shape what we eat. A beautiful ingredient often becomes the beginning of dinner.

Colorful bouquet draped over a white farmhouse sink in a sunlit kitchen, with brass faucet, soap bottle, and Franklin Tennessee tote.

Flowers First

Before I wash the lettuce.

Before I unpack the peaches.

Before I put anything in the refrigerator...

The flowers always come first.

There's something about seeing fresh blooms on the kitchen counter that changes the feeling of the whole house.

It's a small ritual, but it's become one of my favorite parts of Saturday.

Pan-seared scallops with asparagus and arugula salad on a rustic plate, garnished with lemon in warm sunlight.

This Week's Dinner

One of my favorite discoveries at the Franklin Farmers Market isn't actually produce—it's the Alaska seafood truck tucked among the local vendors.

I couldn't resist bringing home a bag of beautiful dry-packed sea scallops. They needed almost nothing. A hot skillet, good butter, fresh lemon, and dinner practically made itself.

I paired them with crisp asparagus from the market and a peppery arugula salad tossed in a simple lemon vinaigrette. It was one of those meals that perfectly captures why I love shopping seasonally. Everything tasted fresh, uncomplicated, and exactly like summer.

If you've never cooked scallops before, don't let them intimidate you. They're surprisingly quick, and with just a few simple tips, you'll get beautifully golden crusts every time.

Sunlit table with floral bouquet, scallops, asparagus, salad, bread, and lemonade in a cozy rustic dining room.

Cook From This Week's Basket

This market haul also pairs beautifully with a few other summer favorites from My Franklin Kitchen:

A Saturday Worth Remembering

The older I get, the more I realize that home is built through ordinary moments.

A striped market tote overflowing with flowers. Children helping carry groceries. Peaches ripening on the counter. A simple dinner made from whatever looked beautiful that morning.

Those are the moments I want to remember—and exactly what Farmers Market Saturday is here to celebrate.

Young boy on a sunny lawn holds a plastic bag by a tree, with a basket of colorful flowers in the foreground.

FAQ

Where is the Franklin Farmers Market?

The Franklin Farmers Market is now located at the Franklin First United Methodist Church on Saturdays from 8 am - 12 pm.

What should I bring to the farmers market?

A reusable market tote, a cooler bag if you're buying meat or seafood, cash or cards (most vendors accept cards), and plenty of room for unexpected finds.