To Market To Market We Go !

One of our mottoes is, "The better we eat the better we work!" So yesterday we went to our favorite farmers' tailgate market at UNCA. Asheville has a number of very good markets, but this one is our favorite: it's always shady, there's usually a breeze, people are happy to talk recipes or tell you how to use or store your food, there's just a really good vibe in the air, . . . It's just Fun!

We had planned to go to the market, maybe run a couple of errands then come home and each put in a half day or so working. We really need to take the full weekend off, but we both have things that we need and want to get done! Pat wants to finish the first of two custom wedding band waxes so the clients can approve it Monday. I have some paperwork and business correspondance I want to take care of, and I really want to get our calenders updated!

An overview of our morning's shopping:

I found Pat's bread cutting board at Guild Crafts last Christmas, made by a Guild member. Clockwise from top left: Blue Hill Farm Fresh Ground Golden Cornmeal with germ (cornbread on Sunday!), an eight ball squash, fresh curry pasta from Pasta Mamma, fresh zucchini pasta also from Pasta Mamma (Saturday night's dinner!), a farmstead cheese blanche (a brie) from Three Graces Creamery, a quarter pouind of fresh mushrooms (some for Saturday night with the pasta!), and a loaf of seeded rye from Farm and Sparrow Bakery.

Our glass platter, from the Guild's Christmas Sale last December, made by a Guild member. Again, clockwise from top left: The tastiest garlic I've ever had, fresh Kenebec potatoes from Madison County, tomatoes from our favorite grower, a sweet bananna pepper, a pound of young carrots that I couldn't resist ~ I know exactly how sweet and delicious these are going to be!, and a couple of young tasty cucumbers.

This platter was a gift from our Friend Gay Brown, a Guild member. Clockwise from top left: very colorful swiss chard, fresh greens, eggplant, and chiogga (I believe it's spelled) beets ~ young and tender and incredibly tasty simply grilled then lightly drizzled with olive oil and sea salt.

This bowl was also a gift from our Friend Gay Brown and is filled with fresh blue lake green beans grown by the young couple that we so enjoy buying veggies and plants from. The green beans will probably be used to make a blue cheese and toasted walnet recipe that I've been playing with lately, from the June issue of Eating Well.

By the time we got home and had a wonderful lunch of the extra pizza we had made Friday night (loaded with our own herbs) we looked at each other and both said, "You know, I'm tired. I don't wanna work today. Can I do it all tomorrow?!?"

So we took the afternoon off. Pat got some reading time in on the couch. I played around in the kitchen then got some fun and relaxing time in painting. We had a great afternoon snack of brie, seeded rye bread, rye crisps and humus. It was very good. A glass of wine for her, beer for me and a movie to relax with.

Jeannie called, from The Jeweler's Workbench. So we have another custom ring order to fill this week. I should be able to cast it early in the week, so we'll have plenty of time to finish it and mount the stone for her. It'll be ready for the customer to pick it up next Monday.

For dinner I simply grilled the scallops we bought at the market. (There's a fish monger that brings the freshest seafood I've yet found in Asheville from the coast each weekend.) Served them on the Pasta Momma's fresh zucchini pasta mixed with a little garlic and sauteed bell pepper and sweet bananna pepper. It was pretty amazing.

Later, after relaxing and letting dinner digest for a bit, we made our first trip of the summer to DQ for small vanilla cups dipped in chocolate. We sat on the hood of our trusty little car eating our ice cream snuggled together, amazed at the beautiful crepe myrtles lining the parking lot.

Then home to bed. All in all it was a perfect day.

Today promises to be an excellant day too! Up early, started this blog, and now I'm going to get busy so that I'll have the afternoon free for cooking shows!

Lets see . . . I need to email a new Collector, photograph two of our Ridgelines bracelets, get the images emailed out for another Collector, make a couple of calls about the ad hoc Technology Committee I'm heading up for the Board, answer a Board of Trustees email, re-read some papers before tomorrow morning's meeting. Balance the accounts and update the calenders and then it'll be time to relax and watch cooking shows!

Not sure just what I'm going to make for dinner yet . . . But I know cornbread, fresh greens and swiss chard will be involved!