Farmers, Marketing

Farmers' market season started at the beginning of the month, and I AM THRILLED. If you've followed me on Facebook during the summer, you're probably familiar with my constant, obsessive detailing of everything I purchase at the farmers' markets. Back in Lafayette, there were three, but I went primarily to the Main Street market. Here in Ames, there are also three (one on Wednesday, and two on Saturday). I try to go to all of them, because get this: Ames farmers' markets have almost no fruit. As in ZERO. On Wednesdays, one vendor has a variety of berries, and usually apples as well. It got to the point that, when I showed up, breathless from leaving work, he had pints of every berry waiting for me. And also caramel apples! And later on in the season, there are a few folks with scant raspberries, and one wonderful apple orchard stall. But, that's it! If you live somewhere with an abundance of blueberries, CHERISH THEM. Do it for me.

Anyway, since I'm not currently on Facebook, I've made the logical evolution to Instagram. So, today's haul from North Grand:

The North Grand #farmersmarket haul: a bag of kale, three bunches of asparagus, an 8oz bottle of honey, and 8oz of whole wheat garlic fettuccine.

A photo posted by Patti P (@voleuseck) on May 9, 2015 at 9:27am PDT

North Grand is a smaller market, and less festive than Main Street. But they have a DJ (for real), and one of the farmers grows, like, twenty-seven varieties of heirloom tomato. Another person has oyster mushrooms, which is delightful. And, also, two of the vendors are Filipina, and it's really kind of lovely to hear people talking in Tagalog, even if I don't understand what they're saying. And they sell sitaw (YEAH) and ampalaya (ICK). Later in the season, North Grand features spectacular brussel sprouts and ALL THE SQUASH. I go here first, specifically because the selection is smaller.

And from Main Street! Abby, I hope you enjoy:

The Main Street #farmersmarket haul: a dozen eggs, three bunches of asparagus, a small zucchini, a small summer squash, a bar of basil lemongrass soap, a bag of red buttercrunch lettuce, a loaf of white bread, a bouquet of almost-blooming frilly purple tulips, a Thai iced coffee, and two steak tacos.

A photo posted by Patti P (@voleuseck) on May 9, 2015 at 9:35am PDT

Handy thing: the Main Street market is on the same block as Wells Fargo, which means I can go get money in $5 increments, since the farmers often run out of change by later in the morning. I try to just get one thing per stall--again, there are about three times as many vendors as at North Grand--and I don't hit every stall every time. I do always get flowers, and I get a henna tattoo if there isn't a line. And I get soap and/or yarn from Herbal Blis. No, I do not knit, but I send it over to friend Amelia, inveterate knitter.

@plaidsicle, this is the spindle that makes all the yarn I send you! #farmersmarket

A photo posted by Patti P (@voleuseck) on May 9, 2015 at 9:39am PDT

And yes, I did, in fact, get six bunches of asparagus this week. Last week I got two, and it was not enough. I am going to roast a bunch every night, toss on a handful of parmesan, and REGRET NOTHING.

In the meantime, tonight's cooking experiment was actually an attempt at making my own pasta, based on this potato cavatelli recipe from New York Times. Things I will remember for next time: use the food processor on the potatoes, because there were too many chunks. If adding garlic chives again, also use the food processor. USE LOTS OF FLOUR ON THE ROLLING BOARD. And make half the recipe, because this is A LOT. These ended up gloopy, like giant unfilled pierogi, but they are delicious.

Potato dumplings! My very first batch of pasta-from-scratch.

A photo posted by Patti P (@voleuseck) on May 9, 2015 at 7:43pm PDT