Living in a Village

Market Time Buckle Up!

One of our sons recently returned from Coventry, England. He had been living in the village of Coventry for over a year while doing research at Warwick College. Having previously lived in New York city, he found village life a drastic change to say the least. After settling into the rhythm of a small village, to his surprise he found that NYC and Coventry shared a common denominator, cars are not needed to navigate either city on a daily basis. In NYC people move about by mass transit (subways) or they walk. In Coventry, Michael used his bicycle and he walked. In many parts of NYC people still shop daily at small neighborhood markets on their way home from work. In Coventry Michael did the same. Meal planning is spontaneous and inspired by what is available and looks tasty. He found this lifestyle to be  pleasant and in many ways relaxing after being at 'the office' all day.
There is a belief among foodies that shopping for produce on a more frequent basis, encourages us to prepare our veggies and fruit simply and with the inspiration of the seasons. Supper might feature  cut up apples, cheese and fresh bread with steamed broccoli and grapes for dessert. Because seasonal offerings are in abundance we are more apt to experiment with recipes which feature the in season veggies and fruits once we tire of the simple preparations.

Though I can not say I have access to a village market within walking distance of my (ahem) cottage, I do have the blessing of a grocery store fully stocked with seasonal produce. Beyond this I have the great joy of shopping twice weekly at two very fine farmer's markets, Bean's Creek on Thursdays from 3pm to 7pm and Coffee County Farmer's Market held on Saturday mornings from 6am until 12pm. In between times it is fun to search out local fruit and veggie stands and acquaint myself with the owners becoming a regular customer.

Doorstep Bakery celebrates fresh, local, and seasonal produce where fresh bread is a daily pleasure.