Bye bye strawberries and rhubarb - HELLO ARTICHOKES & RASPBERRIES!

dear shoppers, There are many perks to being a volunteer at the farmer's market. One of them is being among the first to see what the farmers are harvesting week to week.

This Saturday, for instance, if you were helping to unload the vendors bright and early, you would be treated to the first blushing apricots of the season as well as rose-red raspberries. (You could even have a farmer set some aside for you until you came back for a proper shop: Perk No. 2).

Yes, we've left rhubarb and strawberries behind for the time being and now we are ushering in the "phase 2" fruits.  This is the time of year when I look at the calendar and essentially freak out at how fast the summer is whizzing past. "There is NO way I am going to eat an apricot BEFORE having dipped a top in the ocean," I tell myself.  And yet…\

In addition to hitting the beach, I  was also planning on making David Lebovitz's strawberry frozen yogurt with Sohha yogurt - but I guess I have to shift gears...to another David Lebovitz recipe - for tart raspberry ice cream, also from The Perfect Scoop.  I found this adapted recipe on the felt&honey blog which looks about right:  fresh eggs, heavy cream and lots of market raspberries....

Neversink Farm will indeed have artichokes this week...so get to the market early. While at the tent why not sign up for his farm to table dinner at the farm happening next week. I will be there!

The two rotating or occasional vendors to look out for tomorrow are: Honey Locust Farmhouse & Spice Revolution which has been extra inventive lately with her chocolate creations.

Don't forget to hit the Hastings FLEA on Sunday. If you haven't been yet it's a great place to hang out with family or friends.  There's live music, face painting, artists selling their wares and some funky antiques too. And, the Penny Lick ice cream cart to boot! All the fun starts at 10 a.m.

We hope to have new shirts in all sizes very soon. By the way, did you know all market volunteers get a free shirt:  Perk No. 3.

Are you getting the hint?

The knife sharpener is here NEXT WEEK.

See you at the market...

Pascale