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Thursday
26th August 2004
The pleasures of the market place
- You all know by now that I am an enthusiast for farmers' markets far
and wide. It is a one of the more positive developments in food
producing and selling, a movement that brings
consumers and growers, organic and otherwise together in a mutually
beneficial relationship. It is a world-wide phenomenon, but huge in the
US and Europe. The British Isles are not lagging either with new markets
opening on almost a weekly basis. Hardly any neck of the woods in these
islands is now
without access to fresh, locally produced food. More and more consumers
are finding their way to these venues and are often surprised by the
excellent quality and good value to be had (and even the fun that can
be involved in dealing directly with the originators of their food).
Although markets are now fairly widespread, the cities and large towns are being particularly well served. I had the pleasant experience recently of looking after some relatives from London. They thoroughly enjoyed my vegetables, with the children particularly wiring into the spuds (four varieties including the Negga Tatties - all "flowery", none "waxy"as is the purported British taste). When they asked, "Mum why can't we get potatoes like these at home?", I was glad to do a quick search on the Web, using the links on my Where to Buy page, and tell the mum where and when her nearest farmers' market was. She is eager also to get salad similar to what I served up to the adults (too much to expect children to be enthusiastic about "rabbit food"!) - a selection of leaves, crunchy, fresh, different colours (my favourite, an oval leaf with burgundy spots) and laced with rocket, parsley and mustard. My city visitors will, I'm sure, easily get great quality vegetables and other produce in the London markets (of which there are over 30 at last count!), but they would be hard-pressed to get mackeral as fresh and delicious as I served up, 3 hours out of the water, line-caught (makes a difference to the netted, smothered fish), some quickly hot-smoked. But that's one of the great joys of living by the sea and being able to catch your own. (I will soon give you a recipe for the much-maligned pollack which can be caught in our waters here all the year round).
I've just heard of encouraging new developments in
farmers' markets in Dublin. Recently opened and run by Dun
Laoghaire/Rathdown County Council, they could be a model for the future.
Here is the schedule; - Friday, Dalkey; Saturday, Marley
Park/Rathfarmham and Sunday, Dun Laoghaire People's Park. All are open
from 10am to 5pm on those days and are organised by Jackie Spillane, a co-ordinator employed by the county council.
Jackie has a background in artisan foods including a stint running her own
jam business. Traders are treated like human beings by the council
(unlike some!) and, startlingly, are
supplied with matching umbrellas free of charge. It all looks
very smart and colourful and the quality of the produce is brillant with
Ms Spillane accepting stalls on the basis of quality, with a preference for
Irish and organic. Check the Where to Buy.. page for the latest market updates. I'm delighted to see that the page is being downloaded and printed by many site visitors. |