Confessions

One of the best advantages of being a vendor at a farmers market is first pick before customers begin to arrive. Sunday it became apparent that strawberries where at market for the first time this year as numerous fellow vendors were hustling back to their barely erected stands, a few boxes of ruby nuggets peeking out of their ubiquitous green boxes, as I pulled into my spot.There is no way to buy only one box of berries unless they get immediately stashed out of sight and grasp. Even on the walk from the berry vendor back to home base I’m bound to eat one for myself and share when encountering wide-eyed friends spying them for the first time.For the first few weeks of the season berries are snapped up in the first hour of market. My extra box gets extended in consolation to customers who lament their tardiness in lieu of a leisurely morning prior to heading out. “Oh darn, if I knew strawberries were here, I would have left sooner,” is the secret password.Ten minutes after the close of market a lady walked up to my stand, looked around, pointed to my boxes of strawberries which were set protectively between coolers while I was packing up for the day, and said to me, “I’ll take those last two boxes of berries.”It took a bit of explaining and putting them inside my vehicle to convince her that no, the berries were not for sale.In the same indignant tone of voice used by customers who also show up too early in the morning and expect to purchase produce while farmers are trying to get set up, she said, “I thought this was a farmers market.”I wasn’t budging, reminding her that farmers need to eat, too. “I grow meat, not strawberries. So just like you, I need to buy them. I bought these. They are mine.  I am taking them home.” She stood there with an expression of incredulity until silently admitting defeat before walking off.That’s not to say I didn’t share my score as a box was dropped off for my neighbor to enjoy. “I’ve got them on my lap and am eating them all,” came a text later in the evening.I, too, was tempted to consume the pint in one sitting decadently dipping each one in thick, creamy yogurt, but I was also tired, leaving most set aside until the next day.What to make?Strawberries can be used in so many ways, both sweet and savory. Try sliced strawberries in a salad or make a ramp & strawberry vinaigrette dressing for your greens or lightly steamed asparagus. (find the recipe here) A few berries, a dollop of yogurt and a handful of ice cubes in a blender and you’ve got yourself a smoothie.Got kids? Get them in on the act of making fresh ice cream using the hottest gadget that doubles as a kitchen gadget and sporting equipment—an ice cream ball. Everyone is selling these balls in which you put ingredients—cream, berries, sugar & vanilla--in one end, ice and rock salt in the other and then go kick it around for a while.My all-time favorite for the first strawberries of the season is shortcake with freshly whipped cream. Unfortunately, Monday morning found me without ingredients for shortcake or vanilla for whipped cream. Not to be defeated, I still made my whipped cream opting for an adult version by adding a splash of Twin Valley Distillers bourbon which only added to the decadence of the first strawberries of the season.This Saturday the Westfield Montgomery market opens at 9:00 am giving Central Farm Market patrons a fourth market where you can purchase fresh, locally-grown strawberries along with a wide variety of seasonal, fresh produce and meats, prepared foods and even some bourbon if you want to whip up a batch of adult whipped cream.