Saturday, April 17, 2010

Dane County Farmers Market on the Square 2010!

I dedicate this post to most of my friends at soccer tournaments today freezing their asses off in Iowa, Reddan and the like in blustery we-wish-it-was-50 degrees weather.  Just to let you know, I was freezing my ass off at the Farmer's Market.

It's too early in the season to get excited about a variety of local produce so this was foremost a reconnaisance mission once around the Capitol to get a line on the various vendors for the season.  I'm liking the organic hippies on the east side of the Capitol so far.

No matter what the growing season in Dane County, there are always those stalwart products that stock the market through all the seasons indoor and out... the maple syrup, the honeys, the jams and the liberal causes.




And the flowers, still a little too early to plant but very nice to consider for the coming weeks. To avoid the pitfall of bloggers at this time of year, I only post one picture of flowers.


Wish I had got my mouth watering for what I might cook starring these early starters: spinach, oyster mushrooms and green onions, potatoes.  But I just wasn't feeling it and as it was our stroll quickly became just a pleasant feast for the eyes and a search for baked goods to be eaten en route with our coffee.  No harm, no foul on family unity with Saturday's morning markets as we're usually well home before O or A are even out of bed.  Chip and I have grown to enjoy the benefits of early morning dating.

We settled on a bag of arugula, some hot-house tomatoes, a pussy willow and daffodil bouquet and fingerling potatoes.  We'll sort something out for dinner with that I think.  Maybe homemade pizza with some fresh arugula.

This little sweetie waited patiently for her adults as she contemplated the tulips.  

Everybody was in a good mood and making the best of the blustery morning, strangers occasionally reaching out to grab the tent legs as they precariously lifted with the wind gusts.  A very cooperative spirit in everyone.  Welcome back, outdoor Farmer's Market.  I'm awfully glad to see you.

Time to start buying produce locally again. Goodbye to my winter standbys....Chilean grapes, California lettuces, Central American blueberries.  Hello, local asparagus and morels, soon I hope.  For those, my mouth is already watering.

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