Gone To The Beach: Buying Local-The Farmers' Market Opens!

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Buying Local-The Farmers' Market Opens!

Today was the first Wednesday Farmers Market! (May 5th).

It was sooo fun! A friend of mine is volunteering to assist the market manager so there was a smiling face to greet me after a long winter of mediocre produce and sullen Waldbaum's cashiers.

And---new cool vendors! And old favs, all my market "friends."

Lots of smiling faces. The farmers market is so fun and festive and cheerful, hardly seems like grocery shopping at all!

The first thing my kids asked when I got home was: Was the Cheese man there? An Italian market from our old neighborhood in Brooklyn sends their guy and his handmade cheeses, ravioli, cannoli---more urban artisan than farmer but we love the fresh cheeses and pasta. (Papa Pasquale). There I bought fresh mozzarella, scamorza cheese (aged mozzarella in a wax coating) and whole wheat ravioli.

More favorite sellers, the lovely ladies from Madura Farms, Goshen, NY:

I bought gorgeous asparagus, thick as your thumb--so sweet and fresh!--- and shitake mushrooms, and the newest tiniest radishes you can imagine!

I find their fabulous mushroom so intriguing! If a bit daunting.....

Then, Millport Farms, the Amish vendor, from Lilitz PA---yummy homemade egg noodles...

A new and charming face belonged to a handmade soaps lady. (Saturday's Soap http://www.saturdaysoap.com/ )

Her products are all handmade and organic, something very cool and different. And she is very outgoing and friendly.

I love how her booth looks like a little old-time apothecary shop! And her soap and potions---body butter, lip balm, sugar scrub---are amazing.

I plan to buy some rough yarn, hemp? Sisal? and make bath mitts with a soap pocket for her fabulous soaps. My friend crochets---I will knit mine or hope she'll teach me to crochet them too.

And last, at Stan-Pat Farms tent, I bought an immense bunch of lilacs for only 6.oo!! Just gorgeous.

But such a strong scent. They may have to go out on the deck.

What I didn't get!---white wine dijon mustard; NY wines; artisan breads (all gone!); brown organic eggs, fresh yogurt and fresh cheeses; pickles, shoofly pie, fresh organic fruit juices. And the most beautiful happy-faced blue pansies....

Now if they would only get a wool and yarn vendor....And let's hope it doesn't rain.

Yum! Perfect! gone to the beach.....

RECIPE: For the whole wheat raviolis, I made a light, garlicky white sauce (Mornay) with Chenin Blanc wine, added the sautéed shitake mushrooms and steamed to crispness asparagus, cut into 2" pieces, lots of fresh Parmesan and black pepper....served with an appetizer course of the tiny radishes and the mozzarella drizzled with a smidge of olive oil and fresh herbs.