Well, I wish I could start this blog without mentioning the sprit it takes to overcome the dreary and cold rain, but it looks like we’ll just have to hope for more inviting weather next week. As per usual, the market was bustling this morning despite the weather, and we had a jolly good time.
First thing was a stop at The National. We had heard tremendous things about their French Toastwich, with ham and gruyere, served with lingonberry jam. Let’s just say, it did not disappoint, and we can most certainly recommend this tasty treat. Nell, the owner, said she’s been coming to the market for 10 years and is thrilled to be a vendor.
This week, we thought we’d go ahead and try some items that we’ve been considering. At Oly’s we got a bag of Wisconsin-milled Steel-cut Oats. They were very informative, giving us lots of great explanations, tips, and even a wonderful sample of their granola. We also purchased some Bee Pollen from Batabee Apiaries. This beautiful bottle is to be stored in the freezer, and when you take one teaspoon a day it does wonders for allergies. How do you consume it? According to bee keeper Jim, there are many options; on yogurt, in cereal, by spoon, just any way to get it in your mouth!
The farmers were all in good spirits as we picked up shiitake mushrooms, strawberries, garlic scapes and a loaf of pane rustico bread. We got into a great conversation with the lovely April from LOTFOTL (acronym for Living Off The Fat of the Land) and purchased sugar snap peas, a cucumber, and WHITE MULBERRIES!!! We were particularly admiring their signs, the QR codes lead you directly to the LOTFOTL blog with recipes.
We were positively entertained this morning. Our Organ Grinder was playing music from “My Fair Lady,” one of my favorite movies. And there was live dancing from Tamarind Tribal Belly Dance. They were wonderful, and were inspiring a little girl who was doing some rather sophisticated mimicry. If you’ve never researched belly dance, I would highly recommend it. There is a rich history, and my favorite aspect is how beneficial belly dance is for pregnant women and the birthing process!
Last but not least, allow us to introduce the ‘DOG OF THE WEEK’
The delightful Winnie (seen in the second picture with her two fluffy dog siblings who were equally as delightful) is a 190 lb Newfoundland. Winnie’s mom had SO MANY fantastic facts to share. For example, did you know that Newfoundland dogs are swimmers with webbed feet? Apparently, there is a great story about a dog who saved 92 drowning people. As well, Newfoundland dogs used to be trained as nannies for children as young as two and three, just like ‘Nana’ in Peter Pan.
Till next week!
southshorefarmersmarket.com 