Back from the Farmers Market

I am back from the West Frederick Farmers Market. I brought my boyfriend Lou and my dog Lucy with me. I love going to the market with Lou; he is from Athens, Greece originally. He says farmers markets when he grew up involved a lot more haggling and hawking. He tells me about the guy who sold olive oil and offered samples on fresh, rustic bread. The ocean was less than half a mile away, so vendors sold seafood. They sold grains, produce, meats. He said there were lots of varieties of grapes, olives, and feta cheeses from different regions like Attica or Chios or Crete. It's neat to think about how each place can have a totally different market flavor; and that's the point.

We got to the market a little after ten this morning, and it was bustling. Perhaps people found out that strawberries are in! We bought three pints from Jubilee Organic Farm along with two bunches of asparagus. Lou wanted to get the fatter asparagus from Richard at Scenic View Orchards, but the weather this week in Sabillasville was not warm enough to produce much; Richard said that the wet weather was good for the asparagus but the cold was not. We got a bunch of radishes from Summer Creek Farm and chatted with Rick for a while. We also talked to Tim, the Truffle King; I am so sad that I can't eat truffles anymore since I quit eating dairy. He had strawberry and caramel truffles in addition to his chocolate ones. Dave and his son were working at Chesapeake's Choice today; we bought two dozen multicolored eggs from them. Their eggs are gorgeous on the inside too, with a rich, dark yolk that is light years away from grocery store eggs. I bought a gluten-free rice krispie treat from A Better Choice Baked Goods and shared pieces of it with several people. I bought a large, gorgeous bag of spinach for $3 and chatted with Gwen from Glade-Link Farm for a little bit. Their u-pick operation for strawberries begins tomorrow, 5/16, at 7AM. Call 301.898.7131 before you go to make sure they haven't run out. Strawberries will be $1.50 per pound. This info isn't on their website yet, so you get first dibs.

Lucy wandered around and sniffed other dogs. She was very happy. Lou and I talked to our friends. We had a great morning. Then we went home and made bacon burger burritos with fresh greens from the market. I love Saturdays.

Shannon