FOOD: Spring Is in the Air at the Farmers Market

By KATHLEEN NIXON
Special to the Falls Church Times

March 2, 2010

Looking around these days at the piles of snow and broken trees, you would think that spring was still a long way off. But by the looks of things this last Saturday at the Farmers Market, spring is trying to inch its way back into our lives. With pleasant temperatures and plenty of sunshine, the vendors were showing off their wares without the customary tents and some of the customers were even walking around in shorts!

With the warmer weather a few new things are showing up at the Farmers Market. Wisteria Gardens is bringing back many of its salad greens, DragonFly Farms has great soups like Thai Pumpkin, and Country Gardens has brought out house plants and winter interest plants to liven up homes and gardens during these last dreary days of winter.

The sunny day seemed to attract more customers than usual for the winter–Atwater’s sold out of bread by 11:00 a.m. But it was still quiet enough to be able to visit with many of the vendors, which is one of the joys of the winter-time market.  Vicki Fedor from Northgate Winery shared her stories of attending the Governor’s Cup award ceremony to receive her winery’s numerous medals, and I even got the chance to wish a Mother Earth Mushroom vendor a “Happy Birthday!”

I have also gotten to know Union Street soaps a little better and look forward to their soap aromas each Saturday morning. Recently I tried the Orange Citrus medley soap and I loved it. Union Streets’ most popular soap is the Healing Bar, which was developed to help dry itchy skin – something that affects all of us during these dry winter months.

The weather also served as a reminder that the Farmers Market Chef Demonstrations are just around the corner.  The first Farmers Market Chef Demonstration of the season will take place on Saturday, April 24^th, with Tracey O’Grady from Willow.  And just before that, on Wednesday, April 21^st, ArtSpace will feature the movie “Fresh” along with appetizers from the Farmers Market Chef Program partners.