Near home and in our global travels, farmers markets feed our food cravings and pique our culinary curiosity.
As March roars in like a lion and out like lamb, it’s the time of year that our thoughts turn to the fresh and fun local offers found at surrounding farmers markets in North Georgia.
What got us to thinking about the markets was one of our regular Saturday morning visits to the local Marietta Square Farmers’ Market on March 18. Now, to be transparent, we are huge farmers’ market fans, at home and on the road. In our travels, we always seek out local markets. Our visits include Montreal, Barcelona, Florence, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Seattle, Marietta and at roadside stands.
On this clear-but-cold-and-windy Saturday, we joined a small crowd visiting the determined vendors set up in the public parking lot at 41 Mill Street. Unlike many other surrounding community markets, Marietta’s Farmers’ Market is a year-round event. The Marietta markets is open every Saturday from 9 am to noon, regardless of the weather forecast.
We arrived underdressed for the cold, windy conditions. And we found many of the vendors adding extra anchors to their displays to hold everything in place. We fought and bought through our own discomfort, with a hot beverage, some planned purchases, and some unexpected finds from friendly merchants.
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Markets from Our Travels
We visit city and farmers markets on our travels. See our story on European farmers markets.
And that sums up why we love our local farmers’ markets. Besides getting a few things we want or need, we always discover some new local goods. And we meet friendly entrepreneurs who enthusiastically share the details of their products. Want a comparison? Try walking into your local grocery or retail store, finding a clerk, and asking about anything in store? It’s the complete opposite of the experience at local markets.
How We Discovered Black Garlic
That’s how we met Victoria, who with her husband is a founder and co-owner of Soul to Belly. We were walking by her stand when she invited us over to try her black garlic products. Now, we were NOT seeking or shopping for black garlic. In fact, we had NEVER heard of black garlic, beyond a mention on Food Network. But who could pass Victoria’s smiling face peaking from her knit hat and pink parka on this freezing Saturday morning. Fortunately, not us.
So Glenda and I wandered over. This was somewhat out of curiosity about the product and somewhat out of sympathy for Victoria’s shivering stance. Glenda and Victoria instantly started a Food Network worthy conversation using tasty words like umami. Before I knew it, I was licking a toothpick dipped in a dark, garlicky paste. And the next words coming out of my mouth were, “Ooooh, Mommy, that’s great!”
Now I was paying attention, and no longer noticing the cold. There were discussions of how black garlic was cooked to perfection low and slow over more than 30 DAYS. We learned that the entrepreneurial couple sold their home near Kennesaw in the depths of the pandemic to start their business. Then, they outgrew two cooking facilities and are now planning a third, larger production kitchen. And while they today sell only three garlic products — black garlic paste, black garlic salt, and and ultra-garlic powder — more are planned as they expand production capabilities.
We are now eager owners of bottles of black garlic paste and black garlic salt. And, thanks to Victoria’s encouragement, the helpful recipes at the Soul to Belly website, and Glenda’s own kitchen curiosity, I’m certain our foods will be black garlic infused beginning on Monday.
Thus, with our appetites whetted for black garlic and farmers’ markets, we’re eager for the return of some of our favorite seasonal markets, too. OK, Acworth, Kennesaw, Cartersville and others, ’tis the season! We’re eagerly watching for those “coming soon” notices and the first seasonal opening.
