This little blogger went to market...

I owe thanks to some thoughtful friends who passed along my name; Sunseed Farm needed an extra hand at their Bellingham Farmers' Market booth this past Saturday, and I cheerfully agreed to help out Nick and Christina.

Arriving downtown in the drizzly gray weather, I worried about how the weather would effect the market turn-out. Farmers are at the complete mercy of the weather. Extremes of hot or cold, wet or dry, all run the risk of compromising their crops, or the sale of their crops, thus impacting their livelihood.

Now, I don't know what the final turn-out was... but if last Saturday was a slow day, I'm eager to see what a fair-weather day's business would be like. From the time I arrived at 9:30 to help set-up, until I was released at 2:30, there was always something to do. Never more than a few minutes would pass between sales, and often there was a line of eager market-goers wanting to buy the fresh, organic delights offered by Sunseed Farms.

I was struck by a girl, no older than ten, who was helping her mother select food. "Look at these zucchinis Mom," she excitedly called out as her mother chose tomatoes. "We could have these for dinner!"

My dad stopped by to pick up some fresh produce for the family. I knew my mom was dreaming of tomatoes, so I applied some good-ol'-daughter "You know what mom would like..." tactics and sold him a few pounds of tomatoes. Never have I been so glad to encourage my dad to buy something... the tomatoes were so flavorful! My mouth is watering at the mere thought of them!

Later, a boy (perhaps amidst the rumored 'terrible twos') began to throw a small tantrum when he thought his parents might not buy any raspberries. His parents looked at the raspberries and looked at me. "They are really good." I said, having sampled an offered raspberry a few minutes earlier. They ended up buying a pint, sharing it with their children as they walked away, smiles crossing their faces as they popped the succulent berries into their mouths.

Another couple, arriving shortly after the opening bell rang, were discussing the Asian eggplant that were displayed. I overheard the woman describing to her companion the sandwich she would make. She would either roast or sautee the eggplant, and slather some goat cheese on the bread with some basil and tomatoes. Not missing the opportunity, I pointed out the fragrant bunches of basil near the other scale, to help make this sandwich come true. Laughing, she thanked me as I rang up her purchases.

The sights, sounds, and smells of the farmers' market never cease to bring me joy. It was such a wonderful experience to be on the other side of the table, talking with so many different, happy people, all about to enjoy a local meal (or meals!) upon returning home.

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Eggplant and Chevre Sandwich - all ingredients can be found at the market

hearty bread, sliced
Asian eggplant (comparable to zucchini and cucumber in size)
tomatoes
chevre
basil

Slice the eggplant into circular steaks about 1/2" to 1" thick. Roast in an oven, or throw on the grill, until cooked. I like to toast my bread, but it's just as tasty either way. If opting to toast, let bread cool slightly before spreading the goats' cheese on it. Add the sliced tomato, and whole leaf basil, and then add the cooked eggplant. Voila! A tasty sandwich!

It is also good cold, if you choose to roast all the eggplant at once and save the slices to enjoy over the next day or two. Pesto also adds a nice flavor to the sandwich.

Have any recipes using locally available ingredients you'd like to share? Please send them to me using the e-mail link in the profile.

For more information on Eat Local Week (September 7-14, 2008), visit www.sconnect.org.

Cheers, and happy eating!
Sasha

Welcome!

I know I've been hearing it for several years now: Buy local. It's taken a number of mini-wake-up calls, including rising fuel costs, for me to grasp how important those two words really are. Suddenly, I realize the hidden costs of food: on our pocketbooks, on our environment, on our health, on our neighbors and community.

I feel so fortunate to live in a community where the local movement is already so strong. Whatcom County's many farms make it easy to eat great food affordably. Twice-weekly farmers' markets occur in Bellingham alone, and other locations in the county host their own markets. The farm map provided free by Sustainable Connections and Whatcom Farm Friends can help guide people to area farm stands, as well as help to identify in-season produce. And increasing availability of local produce at area grocery stores, restaurants, and caterers make it hard NOT to eat something local. You may have dined locally without even realizing it! Now, I challenge you to dine locally, consciously.

The opportunity to contribute my time and energy to Sustainable Connections to help with Eat Local Week 2008 was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. Now I have a chance to help others discover -- and further explore -- many of the benefits and joys of local eating.

If you'd like to learn more about Sustainable Connections, or view the latest planned events for Eat Local Week 2008 (September 7-14), visit www.sconnect.org. If you are interested in contributing ideas or articles to this blog, please use the e-mail option in the profile to connect with me.

Thank you, and happy eating!Sasha