You’ve heard the saying “Know your farmer, know your food”? It’s so true. Walking around the market today, I stopped to talk a little more in depth with several vendors. Here are some things I learned:
Simmons Sugarworks: Heidi has a limited supply of blueberry preserves, the only non-maple product on her table. Her other offerings include many sizes of syrup, 3 flavors of cookies sweetened with maple, maple sugar and other maple treats.
I asked her what the difference was between the light and dark maple syrup. She explained that it has to do with the timing of collecting the sap; the syrup making process is the same no matter what. You can learn more about the flavor differences in the shades here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/23/maple-syrup-grades_n_1167767.html?slideshow=true#gallery/202398/0
Kress Family Farm: A brand new category is now available, according to Ruth Kress. Using the meat from their own pigs, they now have bacon, ham, and ham hocks on hand for you!
Ruth also reminded me of a great money-saving program they offer: you can make arrangements with Kress ahead of time to purchase their various meats in volume, and earn a discount on the whole order.
Email them at kresserich@ymail.com for all of the details.
Country Kitchen: Ellen Nicholas, owner of the Gluten-Free Dessert Kitchen, has branched out with a new booth and new business this season: prepared food.
The Country Kitchen menu will change weekly, so you’ll want to be a frequent visitor. Today, the freshly made items included risotto cakes — creamy rice with sauteed mushrooms, asparagus and onions baked in a muffin tin, yielding a crunchy exterior — as well as quiches (available by the slice or the whole pie), and several varieties of fermented vegetables in the fashion of sauerkraut.
Like all of our vendors, Ellen welcomes emails for pre-orders or special requests; contact her at orderglutenfree@gmail.com.
So, stop and talk with the vendors if time allows — you will be glad you learned a little more about them!
