When I was a little girl, both sets of grandparents lived on farms. They ate what they grew and what they couldn’t eat fast enough got canned or frozen for later. What I remember most about both grandmothers is that the food was delicious. I’m sure some of that was the love they put into every dish, but at least a little of that had to be that the food they were fixing was fresh and local.
I don’t have the room to grow everything I want, so I pick a few things that I have room for—tomatoes, a couple of zucchini plants, etc. But I can still get fresh and local produce by getting it at our Market. There the food is as fresh as it can get and delicious.
This week: apricots, green beans, blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, fresh sweet corn, cucumbers (regular and pickling), eggplant, nectarines, peaches (yellow, white, donut) peppers (sweet and hot), plums, squash (yellow, zucchini, golden zucchini, pattypan), tomatoes (slicing, heirloom, cherry, grape), watermelons. There always seems to be a surprise or two that sneaks in. Fresh free-ranged eggs and local raw honey are available, as well.
Big Daddy will be here with Carolina-style barbecue and applewood smoked chicken salad; Phal will be here with Asian noodle bowls, kabobs, and spring rolls; Real Country Sausage will have nitrite/msg-free pork sausages; Snyder Family Farm will have antibiotic/hormone-free pastured poultry, etc.; Unkol Chuck will offer traditional handmade Brunswick stew; and Great Harvest Bread Co. will be here with fresh baked bread and other goodies.
Jams, jellies, pickles etc. are available as are handcrafts from local artisans. Bring your kids this week for our new Kid’s Club. Here they’ll have fun activities while they learn more about there their food really comes from. And be sure to go by Pop’s Kettle Corn for some of their popcorn and an icy cold snow cone!
We welcome two new vendors this week—Sweet Belle Prepper with delicious dried fruits and veggies. (I know they’re delicious because they brought me a sample. YUM!) and Doodlebug Dips with gourmet dip mixes (they’re all good—but I have a soft spot for the dill—).
Remember your Farm. Fresh. Pledge card. For every $10 you spend, get a mark on your card. When it is filled, turn it in to any vendor or to me and you’re automatically entered into winning a Virginia Grown/Virginia’s Finest gift basket worth up to $200.
We’re here every Thursday from 10 until 2 in the parking lot of The Great Big Greenhouse!
