At around four in the morning this past Saturday, not only was I wide awake, but my lovely, deeply thoughtful and considerate neighbors were blasting music with a reverberating baseline. A somewhat unpleasant situation, yes, but I decided I might as well stay up, as it would likely be impossible to sleep anyway.
After a few episodes of 30 Rock and Law and Order: SVU, it was around five-thirty in the morning, and I remembered the farmer’s market opened at six. I immediately thought to myself about how I had promised to cover the farmer’s market here on Simply Sumptuous but had yet to do so, due to my habit of accidentally turning my alarm off rather than pressing the sleep button…
It was time for me to make good on my promise and make unique trip to the farmer’s market–unique in that I couldn’t remember the last time I had seen 6:00 a.m. on Saturday, let alone the farmer’s market around Capitol Square at that ungodly hour.
As I tip-toed around my quiet house gathering up the materials and equipment I needed, I found myself wondering who in the world would I see at a time when most people my age had probably just turned in.
And what would the atmosphere be like? I, for one, was used to the slow-moving hoards crowding the sidewalks, a sea of people shoulder-to-shoulder with each another in the noonday heat, making it difficult to breathe or even see the vendors, let alone take a few minutes to peruse the selection and make a thoughtful purchase.
I stepped out my front door and was greeted with a cool but not chilly breeze and the glare of light from the clouds covering the sky. I only live four blocks away from the Capitol on West Mifflin, so the walk was short and gave me an opportunity to stretch my legs after spending the last few hours lounging in bed. As I approached the Capitol, I was struck by how quiet it was and indeed how calm everyone seemed. There were more people than I expected, and a much wider range of ages than I assumed would be there.
Within a few minutes, I had run into friends I hadn’t seen for a month. Stephanna Szotkowski, a friend of mine I worked with last semester on the WUD Distinguished Lecture Series Committee, ran up to me with a big smile on her face, gave me a hug and gushed about how the scone she just bought was still warm. You can’t get much fresher than that. After a few minutes of catching up, she had to run, so I set off on my own to see what I could get with the $15 I had in my pocket. A meager sum, but at the very least it would buy me enough for a few days of healthy eating and a few essential ingredients for the things I planned on making in the coming week.
My first stop was at Favreau’s stand, where there was a long table full of generous packages of stunningly red strawberries. They were fresh from the vine, picked just the day before at the family farm in Arena. These were some of the first strawberries of the season, and all sorts of recipes came to mind–strawberry-banana muffins, strawberry shortcake, just plain strawberries with homemade whipped cream, or strawberry scones. As always, I had baked goods on the mind, but strawberries are excellent in salads with spinach or mixed greens, toasted almonds or walnuts, and a simple balsamic vinaigrette.
Next up was Hummel’s Farm, where I picked up a head of baby bibb romaine lettuce, which was a beautiful deep green color. Later, when I tried the lettuce in a simple salad with a lemon vinaigrette, I was very pleased with the crisp crunch and sharp bite of the leaves.
Last, I stopped at the Jones Family Farm to marvel at the rosy pink radishes, which looked amazing, in spite of my distaste for them. I didn’t end up buying any of the radishes, but instead left with some German potatoes. As soon as I got home, I nearly kicked myself for not getting those radishes, as I thought something great to make using both the radishes and potatoes–potato salad, the quintessential summer picnic dish. Durr, Allie. I suppose I’ll just have to remember that next Saturday.
What began as a random trip to the farmer’s market due to my own sleeplessness and ennui ended up as one of the best experiences I’ve had at the market. In the early morning, you get your pick of the best produce, meats, and baked goods. As the day goes on, the stands have already been picked over. When I have gone during the busy hours, I always end up getting whatever is within arm’s reach that looks decent, as I feel bad about taking my sweet time while there are so many other customers waiting. If you do choose to make a small sacrifice and put a little extra effort into going to the farmer’s market as early as I did, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what you find. I know I’ll be going again as early as I can hoist myself out of bed.
