I'm Hot

The theme of Thursday’s farmer’s market in Kannapolis? I’m Hot. That was the conversation heard between all vendors and customers. “How are you doing today?” “I’m hot.” I was wishing that I had a pith helmet with a fan in the brim. Or a spray bottle with the little fan attached. Maybe even an umbrella hat. Anything to provide a smidgen of relief from the day’s heat. I shouldn’t complain. The vendors had to sit out in the heat for three hours. I was only there for 20 minutes.

I had been dreaming of potato salad, so I bought some white creamer potatoes. I’ll admit I picked out some of the smallest ones. I am intrigued by tiny potatoes. I later boiled the potatoes whole, then halved or quartered them (depending on the size) and tossed them with the Stone House mustard vinaigrette while they were still hot. Potatoes absorb more flavor when they’re hot than when they’re cold. After they had cooled, I mixed some Duke’s mayonnaise (my favorite) with a little Stone House mustard and tossed the potatoes in it. I had to restrain myself so I wouldn’t eat the whole bowl right then and there.

After talking to Todd from T&D Charolais on several occasions, I decided it was time to try some of his products. I’m on a budget, but I wanted something that I could eat unadorned (unlike stew meat), so I bought hamburger patties.  I wanted to taste the beef and not all of the other ingredients in a stew. I’m not a fan of the hamburger bun, so I had my burger on toast. My burger actually tasted like beef! It’s easy to forget what beef is supposed to taste like when all you’ve eaten in years is shipped-in, hormonal industrial beef from who knows where. Todd’s beef is all-natural and raised on a ranch in China Grove. I won’t be buying any more beef from the supermarket. Todd’s beef may be a little more expensive, but it’s worth it. And the price difference isn’t that much anyway.

I also decided it was time to procure one of Darryl’s silverware items. The blade of a hollow-handled dinner knife was cut off, leaving the handle much like a bud vase. Then a pin was attached to the back. I bought this for my bag. Maybe I’ll put a flower in it, maybe I won’t. Either way, the pin is unique and I love it. Darryl had made it on request, but the customer never returned, so I got it. It’s one-of-a-kind. Just like me.

I also spent several minutes talking to Joanie, of Ohana Favorites. Joanie makes the apricot mango red pepper jelly that I love. LA has nearly finished the apple butter that he purchased from her. I’ve sampled a few of her other jellies as well. One of the best that I’ve tasted is the lavender chamomile jelly. I don’t care for lavender or chamomile, but the combination works. Joanie also sells cookies and brownie bits. For 50¢, I got a tropical cookie that was made with oatmeal and chopped tropical fruit. It was very sweet, so I didn’t finish it all. The chocolate chip cookies were less expensive, but I was quite happy with my 50¢ purchase. I have a jar of dried tropical fruit, so I may attempt some similar cookies in the near future. Joanie has other products as well, including vegetables and grains, such as quinoa.

While the Kannapolis market is smaller than some of its other counterparts, I still see several familiar faces. Plus it’s closer to my house. While it may not be as close as my local supermarket, I will happily travel the extra distance every Thursday for the rest of the summer to buy what I can. I just need a dairy farmer to turn up!

I Can't Hear You Over the Farmer's Market

80 degrees. Sunny. Low humidity. Slight breeze. Put all of these things together, and you get a fantastic day to go to the farmer’s market. The NC Research Campus farmer’s market opened today, although the name is a bit misleading. It has typically been held on the Research Campus, but this year has moved to a parking lot on Main St. across the street from the Kannapolis train station. LA would be riding the bus from his house, so I was to meet him at the bus stop/train station. Since it was such a lovely day, I decided to go to the market a little early. I drove around Cannon Village, looking for the best parking spot, and I saw a firetruck pulled up in front of the storefronts, taking up several spaces. Maybe someone was hurt or one of the empty locations was ablaze. Fortunately, the fireman had just stopped for some ice cream. It really was a good day for it. I went through the antique store, sat at the bus stop and played Sudoku, then finally decided that I’d been stood up. So I went to the farmer’s market alone.

The market was small, with about 10 vendors, many of whom I recognized from Saturdays on Winecoff School Rd. Darryl Mall was there with his silverware and sculptures, so I took a few more photos of his smaller pieces. Only the larger pieces are shown on his website, and I would like everyone to see how cool his jewelry and smaller pieces are. We did talk a little about his background, as Darryl’s dad is from Boulder, CO. Small world!

The NCRC market even has live music! I didn’t realize this until I was in the middle of a conversation with Darryl, and suddenly I couldn’t hear him over the singing.

Three local bakeries were represented, all offering some handsome goodies. I was highly tempted, but I did not succumb! The jellymaker was there, with her small jars of unusual jellies. She was doing a good business, so I didn’t talk to her today. I’ll have many more opportunities and will be profiling her in an upcoming post.

I stopped and talked to Todd Mauldin of T&D Charolais and stated that he owes me an email! He promised that he would send me additional information about his farm, the history, and their products. I’ll be posting that as soon as possible. We talked a little about the ability to get almost everything you could possibly need at the farmer’s market and my hopes to get all of you readers out of your seats and up to a market ASAP. Seriously, guys, what’s the hold up? You see that I’m meeting some great people, finding some fantastic food, hearing live music. And you don’t even have to pay an entrance fee. I also encourage people to take their kids. We are getting further and further away from our food sources, so I feel it’s very important that our kids understand where food comes from and what it tastes like when it’s grown with love.