There is no better way to kick off this blog than taking a visit to the much anticipated return of the Charlottesville farmer's market. After a brief, three month, winter hiatus, the market, which runs weekly from April through December, "opened its doors" to the public on an absolutely gorgeous Spring morning. The spotless skies of this particular morning were a perfect example of the kind of weather that makes springtime in Virginia so special. Crisp, morning air chilled faces while a bright, rising sun warmed backs. The farmer's market consists primarily of farmers, food vendors, and artists from the greater Central Virginia area that come to share their various products with the people of Charlottesville. Most all of the vendors take pride in cultivating and sustaining a localized economy and are quick to meet you with a smiling face. I believe any trip to the farmer's market should consist of four key components- basic morning necessities, free samples, substantial sustenance, and weekly food.
The most basic of basic morning necessities, especially early on a Saturday morning, is coffee. Shenandoah Joe, a local Charlottesville company, can help you out with this need as they offer a variety of freshly ground brews at the market. This booth can easily be found by following the delicious, wafting smell of roasted coffee beans or simply looking for one of the longer lines (don't be deterred- it moves very quickly and is well worth a short wait). After fueling up on caffeine, the second most basic morning necessity is to remove the searing hunger pain in your stomach. This need makes the next logical step at the market to hit up the neighboring tent where the doughnut man serves up his freshly baked tasty treats. These doughnuts are absolutely delicious. They are light as air, melt in your mouth, and best of all, served a little warm. Although plain and glazed are both options, I strongly recommend going with the cinnamon and sugar coating. A fresh cup of coffee and homemade doughnut are the perfect start to a day.
Having satisfied the most essential daily needs, it is now time to take full advantage of the vendor's many free samples. In my opinion, the creme of the crop as far as free sample booths go, is the Everona Dairy cheese people. Everona Dairy produces a variety of unique cheeses and spreads and normally offers four or five varieties for tasting. I believe most, if not all, of the cheeses are made from sheep's milk. They all have distinct, powerful tastes and are very good. The dairy proudly boasts an impressive display of hardware from various cheese tasting competitions of which I know nothing specifically about. There is another dairy that offers cheese tastings, but I don't recall their name (although you should certainly try to find them). There is also the weekly cheese ball lady who makes delicious cheddar cheese balls that make great gifts or party favors. Another popular tasting booth is Jams by Daniel, offering an array of homemade jams made from fresh fruits. Many more unnamed booths offer tastings of various products. I have never had anything that I didn't enjoy from the market.
Having done a little walking now and arousing an appetite, it is now time to get some substantial food. There are plenty of booths at the market offering up hot food for breakfast, second breakfast, brunch, or lunch. I happened to be craving a crepe from The Flat. The Flat is a small, crepe-serving establishment set up in a building right across the street from the farmer's market. Although they are not technically part of the market, they use many ingredients from the market's vendors in a number of their crepes. Unfortunately, The Flat was closed. I don't know if they are closed permanently, but I certainly hope not. Plan B was not hard to formulate and I headed straight to the Babes in the Woods booth to get a grilled, local bratwurst on fresh bread with grilled peppers and onions. Babes in the Woods is my go-to booth for all things pork, and the food was outstanding as usual. Other hot cooked meals include the most popular taco booth, a cooked to order gourmet omelet booth, and a few grilled sandwiches and pita places among many others.
It is now finally time to make the last passes through the aisles of booths to purchase any fresh vegetables or locally raised meats that you may need for the week's upcoming meals. There are plenty of options when it comes to meat and produce. Certain vendors will specialize in chicken, pork, beef, etc. For me, it's pretty much a toss up as to who I choose for vegetables, chicken, and beef. As I said previously, my only true allegiance lies with Babes in the Woods when it comes to buying pork. They offer pork just about anyway you can think of (ground, sausage, loin, chops, bacon, brats, etc.). Today I opted for two, inch-cut pork chops that will grill up nicely later this week. The overall bounty that I collected consisted of the pork chops, two quarter chickens (leg & thigh combos), some enormous, great looking green onions, spinach, asparagus, and some cheese from Everona Dairy. You will most certainly be seeing some of these items in future posts in a much more delicious form.
Farmer's markets are a great way to spend a Saturday morning. You might have to spend a few more dollars for food, but it is definitely worth the money to help support your local farmers. Almost all of these farmers pride themselves on responsible farming practices and many offer organic products. All animals live a wonderful life roaming the hills of the surrounding area and enjoying the beautiful Virginia weather. The fruits and vegetables are untouched by pesticides and greener then anything found in the grocery store. Aside from promoting local economy, farmer's markets are also environmentally friendly. Local production and distribution drastically reduces the fossil fuels needed to disperse products nationwide. Farmer's markets can be found in cities all over Virginia and the US. Please see what your community has to offer next weekend!
I have only highlighted my favorite booths at the Charlottesville market, and there are countless others that are great. Please comment on your favorites! Below are pictures of a little girl that was getting down sawing on a fiddle and a pooch that was left to chill in the sun given the no pet restriction.
I have only highlighted my favorite booths at the Charlottesville market, and there are countless others that are great. Please comment on your favorites! Below are pictures of a little girl that was getting down sawing on a fiddle and a pooch that was left to chill in the sun given the no pet restriction.
Bradley, This is very nice and i am really impressed.A great idea to do this look forward to reading and looking at the pictures.I am truly blessed and proud to have you as a son.
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