Hi Friends and Neighbors,
I hope that you all have enjoyed these last few weeks of summer. I've noticed more and more maples changing colors in different areas and am growing in my acceptance that our amazing summer is winding down.
Though the summer winds down, we've got some summery weather coming our way this week, and the Freshies Farmers' Market will be happening this Wednesday from 4:30 to 7:30 at the Moretown School.
Our summer's bounty will be obvious when you pass by Jenna's table. Are you ready? Here's what she's got: flowers, basil, eggplant, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, melons (hooray!), potatoes, blueberries, and maybe some Swiss chard and kale. I'm looking forward to her tomatoes. A couple of weeks ago, she had those amazing orange Sungold cherry tomatoes, and they tasted like candy. Mmmmm-mmmm. And look at all those other hot weather crops she has-- melons, peppers, tomatoes, eggplant. She really is an amazing farmer, and I hope you'll find something wonderful on Wednesday.
Karen will have her tasty bars, syrup, eggs and herbs. The Tidhars from Peacock Pastures will have frozen chicken and beef and be accepting orders for turkeys, lamb and pork. Their livestock is all pastured and humanely raised. They'll have frozen whole chickens and different cuts of beef from their 100% grass fed belted galaway cattle. Kevin from Lalu Farm in Warren will have their awesome goat cheese, honey and Dulce de Leche. Maybe they will bring one of their goats to the market again. A few times, they've had one of their milking goats at the market and been willing to have visitors and vendors milk her.
Sofya will be back as a vendor, and she'll be selling fresh squeezed Meyer lemonade. Meyer lemons are a fragrant, thin-skinned lemon that is a cross between lemons and mandarin or oranges. They are less sweeter and less bitter than usual lemons and require less sugar to make a refreshing lemonade. She'll be slicing and squeezing lemons to order, combining them with homemade simple syrup and perhaps some mint or lemon balm.
I'll have a nice mix of fermented veggies. I've got a new batch of Saida's Kimchi and a few jars that I made spicy. The spicy jars are the same recipe as the regular kimchi, and I added a lot more Korean red pepper powder. I love the color it became and am looking forward to your thoughts about this subtle change. I've got Curried Kraut and Celtic Kraut in pints and quarts. And.... perhaps.... just maybe... the half sour pickles will be ready. Or maybe a few jars will be ready. I tried the smallest cuke in the crock tonight and it was DE-LI-CIOUS!! Lightly sour, a little sparkle from the fermentation and a nice hint of garlic. It will take some time for the bigger cukes to catch up, but this crock is on the right track, and I'm looking forward to sharing it with you as soon as possible.
I'll have kombucha by the bottle and the glass, Kombucha Starter Kits, blackberry syrup and black currant syrup. A couple of months ago, our neighbor, Lynn, gave me some lemon balm, and its flavor is a perfect enhancer for the blackberries. Come give it a try on a spoon or in a cup of kombucha. I think you'll be surprised and delighted.
Thank you to everyone who sent supportive comments about my post from last week. I was a little concerned after I submitted it, wondering if it might be a little too off topic from the market for people to be interested. I was glad to be wrong about this. My brief philosophical comment for this week is that it seems impossible for me to work with the land, with food and with animals and to not get philosophical. Life (and death) is constantly teeming around me, and I feel privileged work with and witness its wonder.
Enjoy the week and the weather, and I'll look forward to seeing you at the market.
Be well,
Beki Auclair
Vermont Fermentation (and PIG!) Adventures
www.RebeccaAuclair.com
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