Days Of Bounty

On Saturday Ken and I drove to Vermont to visit friends in Brattleboro. While we were there they took us to their local farmer's market, the likes of which I have never seen. It was amazing and my photos do not begin to capture the bounty of items for sale, food available, or fresh produce heaped in baskets. Artisans offered their wares in booths that circled a grassy area where people gathered to talk and eat ~

We lunched on Thai food, a BLT made with locally grown products and fresh-baked bread, fresh-squeezed lemonade, and homemade cookies ~

Basket after basket of fresh produce made my mouth water ~

On Sunday I called my friend in town who has offered to share the bounty of her garden. She starts work each spring, hand tilling the soil and adding only natural ingredients for enrichment. This year she constructed a system of hoses she can keep in place, which eases the work of watering. She says that after five years she has the garden she dreamed of. On one side grows garlic, onions, cabbage, squash, cucumbers, and green beans (not seen just off to the left) ~

On the other side grows Swiss chard, kale, beets, potatoes, carrots, and corn (which isn't ready to harvest yet) ~

There is a separate plot for tomatoes, which aren't ready yet either. We came home last night with vegetables to have with dinner every night this week ~

Nothing defines late August better than a harvest of friendship and fresh vegetables.