Anybody besides me standing in the kitchen this week yelling, “eat some of this fruit!”? I thought so. Who hasn’t gotten home from the market only to realize that they can’t possibly consume this much fruit in a week.
It’s mid-July and Mother Nature is kicking up the production schedule. She has a job to do and only a few short weeks to git ’er done. So, bippity boo to the berries, presto-change-o to the peaches and plums and magicaboola to the melon patch. Then to market, to market to stun us all into a fructose free-fall.
What’s a savvy shopper to do? Well, the experts tell you: 1) Make a list. 2) Look over all the vendors before buying. 3) Consider what you need; and finally, 4) Throw away the list and buy as much as your basket and budget will allow. You’ll figure it out when you get home. Really, a person can only take so much temptation….and fruit’s healthy, right?
Before we leave the buffet, there is one other crop that’s worth more than a mention…have you had your honey today? Brought to you by the single most important cog in the whole earth-to-table production line…nature-ally, we’re talkin’ about the bees.
Without these little dynamos spreading pollinated love from blossom to bush, nothing else is happening in food world. As an added trick, they go home and conjure up this sticky liquid gold for the rest of us to smear on toast, drizzle on cereal or stir into a hot cuppa. So leave room in that basket for a jar or two from Fruitwood Farms. And be sure to make room in your lawn or garden for some bee-friendly plants… because taking care of nature’s order is everybody’s bzzzness.
Summer book report: The Bees by Lurline Paull. An anthropomorphic tale of life inside the hive through one decidedly feminist little worker. You’ll never look at a bee in the same way again.
Of course, there’s lots more beyond fruit at the LFM. You need to save some room for the savory side of the plate. Crusty bread, corn, carrots, turnips, and onions…and of course, the headliner: Tomatoes! We’ll slice into that subject next time.
Here’s this week’s lineup for all that:
Food & More: Big Sky Bread, Fruitwood Farms, Herrcastle Farm, Mitchell & Mitchell Wines, MyHouse Cookies and Pies, Potato Homestead, Wilson’s Curiously Good Foods, Cheryl’s Southern Style, Dock Street Beer, Jerky Jack, Kia’s Cakes, Solrig Farm, Taste of Puebla, Creative Shepard Farms, The Icery, The YMCA
In the Music Tent: The Philadelphia Jug Band.
Artist of the Week: Claire Tomlinson and Chez Claire. Fused glass creations in swirls of color and sinuous shapes.
Soap: Sara Burns is back withKiss My Soul Naturals. Soaps and salves and uniquely scented candles.
And if you’re the type that likes to plan ahead, you can visit our LFM website to see who & what’s coming for the rest of the year.
There’s still a chance to snag one of the new and popular cloth fruit bags available at the Manager’s Tent for the cost of a $1 (or more) donation to the Community Cupboard jar. This is part of the No Plastic July campaign…so you might also want to invest in one of the insulated LFM bags for all of your purchases. $5 each or two for $8. The earth thanks you.
We’ve still got a lot of summer ahead, so be sure to pencil us in every Saturday morning, and keep checking the rest of this newsletter for local events. But I do want to give a special shout-out to the current exhibit at the 20*20 House (behind the 20th Century Club). Only three more chances (July 20, 21 & 27) to see A Child in the Window, showcasing the work of three recent Penn Wood grads. I am constantly blown away by what these kids and this school can produce.
Did you know that The Lansdowne Landing holds a community pot luck dinner every 2nd Saturday, 6 – 9 p.m.? Everyone is welcome, (so this is your engraved invite) and we’d love to see more of you. Check out their FB page to learn more about this popular public space.
See you at the LFM!
Terry Baraldi