By Sue Davis
For the Salisbury Post
SALISBURY —Early Saturday mornings spent at the Salisbury Farmers Market offer chances to think about what to create in your kitchen and to visit with friends. When I strolled through the market last week, I saw all of the ingredients needed for a fresh red and green salsa. My salsa recipe uses tomatillos, which I found at Correll Farm. While grazing in their booth, I found several varieties of eggplant, October Beans and a watermelon just the right size for my refrigerator.
Visiting as well as shopping is part of any Farmers Market visit, so it’s important to walk by every booth to see what is available and say good morning.
I remembered last week that Eagle Farm had a great selection of hot peppers in all heat ranges. Not only did I find the right peppers for salsa, I found squash and okra just picked. Onions and tomatoes round out my salsa needs. The vendors at the market offer a large number of tomato varieties, so I had to ask for some help to get varieties best suited for salsa. Country Gardens has a selection of white, red and yellow onions.
The idea of a watermelon- peach salsa came to me as I admired the wide variety of watermelons and peaches available at our market. Both seem to be in abundance this year. Blackberries are also available at the market for the next week or two, so I thought they would make an interesting addition to this sweet condiment. Along with both bicolor and white corn, Bok Choy, Swiss Chard, Napa Cabbage and long beans are available at the market this week. Each one can be quickly stir-fried or steamed with a bit of garlic, pepper or onion or chopped and added to a salad. If you are not sure how to prepare a vegetable, always ask the vendor for ideas.
Besides the colorful displays of fruits and vegetables at the market this week, you can find unusual crafts including yard art made from recycled wood, tote bags made from recycled bird seed bags, goat milk soaps, hats and aprons. Have you stopped to look at the felted creations Fran Decker has created, including the mouse thumb pin cushion?
Even when the morning is hot, the sweet and savory breads, cookies and desserts available are hard to pass up. Fresh bread topped with pimento cheese or one of the jams or prepared salsas is a great after-market snack. Picking up a bouquet of fresh flowers or a small group of zinnias is the your just reward for the weekly trip to the Salisbury Market.
The Salisbury Farmers Market is located at the corner of Main and Bank streets and is open Wednesday from 7 a.m. until 1 p.m. and Saturday from 7a.m. until noon. Check out information from the vendors on the market webpage www.salisburyfarmersmarket.com.