Juice n' Jam

We finally cleared a Saturday morning to make our way down to St. Augustine for their weekly Old City Farmers' Market. We have these rural romantic notions of what a farmers' market is or should be. Booth after booth of local farmers selling their tastelicious vegetables and fruit. The best scenario would, of course, have all of them selling organically grown goodness, but we'd be willing to take what we could get.

The market we went to wasn't bad, but it didn't meet up to our fairy tale farmers' market. It did offer a variety, much like the one I mentioned a few weeks ago. This one had fruits and vegetables from as nearby as Alachua County and as far away as Mexico. Some local bread artisans sold fresh-baked loaves, craftspeople sold oars decorated as mermaids, artists sold illustrations and photographs, and there were other vendors selling fresh seafood, fresh juice and smoothies, jewelry and of course, massages. It was more like an arts and crafts fair with some fresh produce thrown in for good measure.

We still found it a worthwhile way to spend a Saturday morning. The watermelon and blueberries were a compliment to an al fresco breakfast and the cucumbers were a nice addition to a crisp dinner salad. Buying produce from a market still holds romantic charm for me. The true test of the love affair with farmers' markets will remain to be seen as more fresh and local produce becomes available at such markets. One thing for sure, the music at this market was wonderful!