Three years ago I visited the Brattleboro Winter Farmers' Market the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The weekend after Thanksgiving tends to be a rough weekend for market vendors, even in Seattle. Fridges are full of leftovers and many customers are out of town.
Three years ago there were very few customers and most of the vendors looked depressed. There wasn't much produce, either. It may have been the first year they tried holding a market through the winter, and I remember thinking that I hoped they would keep at it until folks got used to the idea of coming out to buy local produce even during the colder months, and farmers adjusted their planting schedules to a longer season.
Today I visited the market again and was excited by the change. The place was downright crowded and there were plenty of fresh vegetables. I even got some of the last of the year's tomatoes.
I met a vegetable named scorzonera that was completely new to me. It's related to salsify and burdock. Mother Earth News compares its flavor to oysters, but I actually thought of melon when I tasted it, only it wasn't quite as sweet.
There was prepared food as well, from breads, jams and cured meats to jars of pickles and mustard. Musicians played to a tabled area where eaters enjoyed Thai food and focaccia. There were crafts as well, in fact, folks in this area find it strange that there's such a raging controversy among Seattle market managers over the issue of whether or not craft vendors belong at local markets. The relaxed approach here goes both ways: The famous Putney Craft Tour (which includes my sister's fine work) also features a cheese maker.
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