Groovy. Local. Food.

Wow. Two very quick Saturdays down at the Reston Farmers Market. Hard to believe how fast the week has flown. Seems like just yesterday my deck was piled with 3 feet of snow.

Now it’s covered with tomato, basil, rosemary and lettuce plants. Ahhh, much better.

The market and even our stand got some local publicity this week. Here’s an article about the market with a photo of moi hawking our wares. Pretty cool, as I had several people tell me today they recognized me from the local paper.

Here’s the link.

I’ve started off this post with a cute kid photo — Eli — the 10-month-old son of Matt and Mary, the owners of Chesley Vegetable Farms. He hangs out, usually eating, sleeping and observing during the market’s four hours — although they arrive about 6:30 a.m. and leave around 1 p.m. Their trip down from Frederick, Md., is another 1.5 hours. So, needless to say, they’re dedicated.

So, what are we selling?  Right now we’ve got some great strawberries, rhubarb to go with those strawberries. I’ve been hearing about many a planned strawberry-rhubarb pie. We’re also have apples and apple cider we’re selling, stored from last fall — they’re great and have been going fast.

During these first few weeks of the market — as plants grow in the fields — the focus is on selling plants — tomatoes, herbs and some flowers — so everyone can get their gardens going. You name the herb and we’ve probably got it, along with plenty of advice on how to grow it.

I’ll hoping to expand my deck garden this year to a couple more peppers and a much better selection of herbs. More updates to come.

So far, the weather has been pretty agreeable with today’s temps in the mid-70s.

Customers are especially enthusiastic — apparently the winter was a long one for everyone.

Throughout the market there’s been plenty of asparagus, spinach, bok choy and some greenhouse tomatoes. I picked up some eggs and fresh salsa today and scored some great strawberries and asparagus.

I’m infusing some of the strawberries with tequila — I did this last year and I have to say I made the best margarita I’ve ever had. The process takes a few weeks but I hope to have a good rotation going.

That rotation also will include some ice creams. Working on those ideas now. I’d like to use strawberries and incorporate some herbs. I’ll have to gather up some taste-testers.

I’ve also witnessed heavy consumption of cookies, kettlecorn and chocolate croissants for breakfast — with a fresh lemonade. You can’t beat those market breakfasts, right?

I’ve got a few other posts to come between now and next week so keep an eye on your inbox.

Cheers …