This Week: Weeds

Oak Park Farmer's Market - 7/7/07

'tis a busy day last Saturday at the Oak Park Farmer's Market. First, I whisked my wife off to the bowls of Pilgrim Church (whose parking lot hosts the market). There, she took to her assigned task, mixer, which is really a hauler of a commercial mixing bowl back and fourth--luckily as a pie baker, she's a bit more handy with the Hobart. Second, I hit the stands, Vicki's Genesis Growers for herbs, tomatoes; Tomato Mountain for Sun Golds; Hardin for the first red peaches; Skibbe for blackberries; Sandhill for beets and fennel. Then, I waited around the Nicholl's stand for Suzy and Randy. The more time, the more I found: thin round Asian cukes, currents, new potatoes, the last of the spring strawberries, and the weeds. A farm product I can relate, pursulane, amaranth and lamb's quarters. As Mrs. Nicholls sez, "we have seven types of edible weeds on the farm." Only four more to try. Suzy and Randy showed and we split our six pounds of English peas. I ran all of the fragile stuff home.

Picked up the kidz and took my position in the donut brigade. The sun, the donut stand at the Oak Park Farmer's Market is mostly covered, but the seat of the cashier, my seat, stood exactly in the line of the sun. It was like a laser guided riffle kept its red dot on me all morning. I baked. And baked. A few seconds before puking, I took a break. Thankfully, we sold all of the supply of donuts by about 11:00 AM. Dropped the rest of the stuff off. The day did not get any cooler as we escorted daughter #1 to the Panic at the Disco show at Milwaukee's Summerfest.

Of course, there was frozen custard.