Hello Everyone,
We were all ready to set up our tables and our wares last week when the sky opened up and the thunder crashed. Sadly, we had to cancel at the last minute, and I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused for folks expecting to find us on the school front lawn.
Another quick note is that I think I made an error when I posted about the community dinner in October. I believe it is on Wednesday, October 2nd, and I think I posted that it would be on the 4th. As I receive more information about the event, I'll share it here and other places, so please forgive the mistake and stay tuned for more details. We may be looking for volunteers to help the event run smoothly, so if you have an hour that afternoon, we'd welcome your help in a variety of ways.
The weather for this upcoming Wednesday looks great so far, so we are planning another market from 4:30 to 6:30 at the Moretown School. Please come by, visit, sample and enjoy the wonders that your friends and neighbors will feature.
For dinner this week, Colleen is making local beef burgers and grilled portabella mushroom sandwiches and serving both with hand-cut fries. Get them while they are hot! The last time Colleen made this dinner, they all sold out in a flash, so come early and come hungry.
Sarah will have applesauce chess pies to sell. These will be delicious with the abundant apples we have this season and her skillful touch.
Jenna has a nice selection featuring tomatoes, peppers, onions, eggplant, tomatillos, husk cherries, kohlrabi, and beautiful flowers. Can you say "ratatouille?" Yum! I had a sample of her greenhouse-grown husk cherries a couple of weeks ago, and they were sweet and tender-- Moretown grown candy just waiting for the eating.
Constancia won't be able to attend this week, but I may have a few of her cheeses to sell on her behalf.
For our part, my daughter will have her decadent coconut-topped brownies and my son Peter continues with his chocolate chip cookie bars. These are both items that tend to sell out quickly, so get them while you can.
And have I got ferments. Hooray for fall and an abundant harvest! For fermented veggies, I have one or two jars of Celtic Kraut, kimchi in both quarts and pints, and half-sour pickles in quarts and pints. And for drinks, I have black currant/black cherry kombucha, elderberry ginger sparkling cider, sweet ginger sparkling cider, and "Black & Blue" soda.
I went to a fermentation festival in Wheelock VT yesterday, and learned a ton! Wow! I attended a great workshop on dry curing meat-- who knew you could make your own PROSCIUTTO with two ingredients-- a full, skin-on ham and SALT! I also learned about corning meats in order to make your own corned beef, etc. We got a brief overview on making dry cured sausage too, which I absolutely adore. I'm looking forward to experimenting with dry curing meat sometime and expanding my fermentation repertoire.
I mention this festival because participants like me brought fermented items to share, so we could all try something different and delicious at the end of the day. I felt completely blessed and supported as folks tried my drinks (the elderberry cider was a HUGE hit!) and fermented veggies. Very accomplished chefs and gardeners gave me wonderful compliments and asked for advice on how to make something similar. What a gift!
This sharing is really the essence of fermentation and local food initiatives like the Moretown Freshies Market: to help connect people in a time of often overwhelming isolation. So, come to the market. You'll see someone you know or meet someone new. You'll try something that you like or taste something that maybe you've never even heard of. We welcome you to be a part of our community in whatever way feels best to you and will be glad to see and talk to you at the market soon.
In health,
Beki Auclair
Vermont Fermentation Adventures
www.RebeccaAuclair.com
802-324-2122
Feb 12, 2025, 7 to 8:30 PM
Special Writing Group SessionsFeb 13, 2025, 1:30 to 2:30 PM
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