At the suggestion of Slow Fool Rhode Island, My Mom and I visited the Wintertime Farmer’s Market in Pawtucket RI today. WOW.
It’s housed in one of the mill buildings that dot New England towns along the rivers, there was a wide hallway full of farm vendors, with interesting shops on either side, including a violin repair shop (my bow does need to be re-haired) and a game store – with tables for playing games. (Also a fancy underwear store at the back of the hallway, but the window displays were tame. phew, I’m bringing the boys next week)
There were cheeses, chocolates, root veggies, greens, herbs, lotions, teas, organic beef, pork, local oysters, jewelery, live music, bakeries… and lots of things to taste, some really yummy salsa, and the vegan caterers had some amazing salads, I should ask next week if they also have a restaurant, it would be fun to bring my father-in-law-who-eats-vegan-since-his-heart-attack. I bumped into the Poor Girl Gourmet herself, she’s just as fun as she was in High School, can’t wait for her cook book to come out this Spring.
I brought home a peck of mixed use apples, some lovely garlic bulbs, some brussel sprouts on a stalk (very pretty pattern, M had never seen them that way before, he said they reminded him of lolly pops on a display) some whole milk for our coffee, and some eggnog – artificially flavored and colored, but local, and actually cheaper than in the grocery store. I tried to make home made eggnog, so far the boys like it from the store better.
I am so excited to cook now – the Wintertime Farmer’s Market goes all the way until Memorial Day! The CSA spoiled me for grocery store veggies.
Pictures next week.
Oh, I second that! Too bad our indoor market is miles away– it's hard to imagine it's worth the gas or the time. But it sure is hard to buy veggies in the grocery store!