I sometimes hear people say that they like the ambiance of the Harrisonburg Farmers Market but that it’s too expensive. The other day we were in a pickle for ingredients so I needed to make a late evening purchase at Martins. When I saw the $5.39 pricetag for a bunch of Basil in spiffy plastic packaging, I began to calculate what it would take to get into the business of growing Basil. $5.39!!!! The basil was presumably packaged and grown locally since the supplier was local, but upon further review, we discovered that this supplier will often import their products from Chile, China, or California. There’s a great unknown.
But here’s how you can be in the know. At the market last Saturday we compared prices and found out that Marlin Showalter carried bunches of Basil grown in Rockingham County for $1.35. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to determine which is the better deal all around – cheaper in price, fresher, local, and you’re supporting a local farmer and our local economy.
Last Saturday after the market, Marlin allowed Katrina to cut a huge amount of basil for an exchange. Tomorrow at the market you will be able to purchase fresh Pesto made from Marlin’s basil; toss the pesto with pasta and slice up some of Marlin’s locally grown, salmonella-free tomatoes and you’ve got a mid-summer, fresh feast!
Marlin, Miriam and family are can-do people too! You can find home-made donuts,
home-grown flowers,
and even home-made dog bones for sale
- all carried in a unique, hand-painted van.
We encourage you to get to know them and their excellent products this Saturday.
Dear Family and Friends,
Last Tuesday my daughter Eva and I went on a hike to the High Knob Fire Tower.
[Directions: Take 33 West (from the intersection of 42 & 33 this takes about 30 minutes). Directly after you pass the "Welcome to West Virginia" sign, park in the parking lot on the left. The hike is approximately 55 minutes to the High Knob Fire Tower (1.25 miles). It is moderate in difficulty.]
The stroll along the path was as beautifully impressive as walking down an aisle of a church on wedding day. The flower pictured below was in full bloom in all shades of white and pink.
At the top we also encountered the mysterious flower pictured below.
Can anyone “name-those-flowers” for florally-challenged folks like us?
We found ourselves hankering for a Nine-Grain Bread sandwich and a Monster Cookie. With this gorgeous weather, we are in peak picnic season; make sure your not caught with your picnic basket down at the house – pick up all you need for nourishment at A Bowl of Good tomorrow.
Well, the cat is out of the bag: A Bowl of Good will be evolving into a A Bowl of Good Café in the summer of 2009. If you haven’t heard, you can read about it here (http://www.dnronline.com/news_details.php?AID=29195&CHID=2 ) in the Daily News Record, Saturday edition. The back story is fairly interesting (to us at least), but we won’t go into the details right now. Suffice it to say, we are excited, hopeful, scared, and trying to rest in God’s hands.
Rachael has been partnering with me in the Staunton Farmers Market and will be launching out with me in this new venture on Mt. Clinton Pike next to A World of Good and Artisans Hope. We are excited because this will allow us to spread our creative, culinary wings. We hope to provide you a warm, rooted in community place to eat internationally inspired, local goodness.
We have a tremendous amount of work between now and then but for certain, we want to hear from you in what you would hope to find in A Bowl of Good Café. We are excited in where all of this will take all of us.
We believe that with the friends and loyal customers we have developed over the past few years, we can’t lose.
So what do you bring to that summer dinner party that has meaning and does NOT have “Made in China” or “Packaged in California” on it? How about a homemade card from Charlynn Turner at the Harrisonburg Farmers Market and Grandma Shoonies Fennel Bread, and Groovin’ Gorgonzola Dip from A Bowl of Good?
Charlynn makes her own paper and cards which have one of a kind stamps on them. Stop by her stand to learn how she makes the stamps, paints and/or colors them; she creates quite attractive work. Kids might like learning the process. Proceeds from her sales are donated to the Liberian Orphan Fund.
Tomorrow you can come by for an extra sweet treat that won’t rot your teeth. We’re having a bumper harvest of Sugar Snap Peas in our garden so we will be making Super Sugar Snap Pea Salad. Ingredients include, Sugar Snap Peas, Cheese Tortellini, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Greek Vinaigrette, and Red Onion.
* Bruschetta and Gorgonzola Dip will be back and available by popular demand.
Come by and celebrate with us the ground breaking for the Farmers Market Pavilion.
