At The Market
On Wednesday, I showed up at the Montford Farmers Market past closing time. Even though most of the farmers had already gone home, a few were still packing up and I was lucky enough to find some fresh strawberries. Halleluiah! These Flying Cloud Farm strawberries were destined to become baby strawberry shortcakes to help celebrate a friend’s graduation from Asheville High. The extra handful of strawberries made perfect smoothie material. I also discovered some serviceberries on this trip, an unexpected treat.
On Saturday two weeks ago, I got organic greenhouse tomatoes from Thatchmore Farm. What a treat to have tomatoes on my sandwiches for the first time since October. Alas, this week I arrived too late and the tomatoes were sold out, but I did find plenty of other goodies. I could not resist the gorgeous red butterhead lettuce from Gaining Ground Farm…even though I have lettuce growing in my own garden…very irrational of me! I needed a red cherry tomato plant and I found a Sweet Million Tomato at B & L Organics. I still haven’t planted it and the other tomatoes in my garden are huge in comparison. (it has been great gardening weather!) The Wake Robin Farm Rye loaf is almost gone (lunch bread all week), so I will be looking for bread tomorrow. I made a yummy little quiche with Anne Gaine’s eggs, and Ivy Creek’s spinach & broccoli. Planning on cooking up the kale I got from Green Toe Ground Farm with some pinto beans. Really and truly, I DID spot some squash last week at the market. Time to make some squash casserole and feel like summer is really here.
So, the moral of the story is…if you really have your heart set on something special – like strawberries or tomatoes – get to the markets early.
Soon to be Strawberry Shortcake!
SATURDAY –
