My favorite outing these days is my weekly trip each Saturday morning to the Greene Farmers Market in Stanardsville. And even though I need to preorder most of my purchases for curbside pickup, I’m grateful that I can continue my pre-virus routine of heading west on 33 with the Blue Ridge directly in sight as I head off to market pavilion nestled behind the Greene County Administration building on Celt Rd.
Sure, this year there are new protocols requiring that we wear face masks and wash our hands at an outdoor washing station before entering and leaving the pavilion. But, once inside, it’s very much like old times. I can’t touch the produce, or examine the home-canned goods closely, but I can still interact with the vendors and other shoppers and that is what makes our market so special. Even with our faces covered, it is easy to see the smiles of greeting in their eyes – from a safe distance.
I like chatting with the people who grew my vegetables, collected the eggs, cooked the jams and raised the chickens, pigs and cattle. Since the local produce is seasonal, I have the opportunity to sample vegetables that are not readily available in the grocery store. For me, connecting with them is connecting to the Creator.
More than a few times, after to talking to a vendor, I’ve ended up purchasing something that I’m not all that familiar with. A couple of weeks ago I picked up a bunch of salad turnips because my friend Pedro from the St. Isidore Homestead, who grew them said they were delicious. Taking him at his word, I bought a bunch. As a kid turnips were never on the menu so I turned to the internet for help. To my delight I found a recipe for Salad Turnips with Mint and Honey that was absolutely yummy! It also helped use some of the mint I’d picked up from Pedro because I love the smell of it. This week I bought another bunch and will try cooking the greens for the first time!
Lately we’ve expanded our purchases to include locally harvested meat. Last week, we bought a fresh spatchcock chicken from the Cair Paravel Farmstead and their special Peruvian Chicken spice. I’d never heard the term “spatchcock” before, but it is a flattened chicken with the breastbone and backbone removed which allows for more even cooking. It was a pretty easy process to mix the marinade, rub it onto the chicken and after several hours in the frig, pop it into the oven. The result was a tasty, juicy chicken that will feed the two of us for more than a couple of meals.
I’ve hyperlinked the vendors and recipe I referenced so if you’re local, you can see what’s available in your own backyard. If you don’t live in Greene County, VA, it is likely that there is a weekly farmers market near you where you can go meet with the folks who work hard to keep us fed. The prices are probably a bit higher than you’re used to paying, but the value is much greater. The food is fresh and I can pretty much guarantee that most local farmers are not pricing their items to make a huge profit.
I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to shop in such a special place and I hope you’ll give it a try if you are able.