By ANNIE BLEWETT
Farmer’s Market Coordinator
Many of my favorite memories with family and friends involve food.
In college, my best friend and I would get together every Tuesday, choose a new recipe and cook dinner together. Spending Tuesday nights with her was how I learned to peel a butternut squash, the proper way to chop veggies, and how to sauté garlic without burning it. I had a monthly tradition with friends when I lived in Florida to gather for themed potlucks (“breakfast for dinner,” “Spanish tapas” and “Greek night” to name a few). Everyone would lovingly prepare a dish that contributed to a meal that would be slowly eaten while sharing stories and laughs.
Countless important pieces of life news have been celebrated over a good meal, and more than one heartache has been assuaged with a sweet treat and a hug (something about a cupcake makes being dumped more tolerable). These moments and more have helped to create my passion and love affair with the kitchen table.
And when I say food—I mean whole foods. Foods that are prepared from scratch and made with love to contribute to the health of those that will eat it (with the occasional homemade dessert item). My interest in gastronomy and the community that is built around it naturally led to a fascination with the Farmer’s Market.
Growing up shopping in the grocery store often produces a disconnect between food and source. Many children today don’t know where food actually comes from. The beauty of a Farmer’s Market is that patrons can get the chance to know where their food comes from, who is producing it, with what practices, and build trust with that person.
Last time I checked Fortune 500, small-farm operations aren’t the most lucrative businesses around—many small farmers, artisans, and bakers choose what they do because it’s what they love. They show up to Farmers Markets week after week to say “hello” to the faces of folks who take their products home to nourish their families.
So here’s where it all comes together for me: buying products from people who produce them with care and creating meals that are deliberately made and shared with friends nourishes me on a much deeper level. It feeds me physically and emotionally. If you are seeking the comfort of community and home cooked meal, I encourage you to start with the freshest ingredients around; those available at the Farmer’s Market. As I begin this blog with Potomac Local, I hope you join along in my adventures, musings and more as I joyfully work with the Farmer’s Market in Manassas.
Want to go?
Thursdays (producer-only market)
7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Harris Pavilion
Saturdays (producer/non-producer market)
7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Parking Lot B (on the corner of West and Prince William Streets)
