For years, my wife and I have been hearing the “local is better” mantra, but like many people, we’re set in our ways. We do most of our shopping at a local grocery store, and are content to do so. But as we were planning our menu last weekend, and found ourselves putting the same old, same old on our shopping list, an idea struck us: Let’s skip the grocery store and eat local for two days.
The thought invigorated us. Not only would we be exposed to new foods, we’d eat healthier, as most local provisions are grown organically. “We are wild and crazy,” my wife said.
I suggested we start our adventure on Google, which killed the “wild and crazy” vibe, but we needed information. We quickly learned that the Chattanooga Market is not the only game in town when it comes to locally produced fruits, vegetables, baked goods and meats. No matter where you live, there’s a farmer’s market nearby. What’s more, many are open at times other than Saturday morning. For example, the Main Street Market springs to life in downtown Chattanooga every Wednesday afternoon from 4 to 6.
We were pleased to learn about a farmer’s market in Ringgold, Ga., where we live. I insisted we also go to Crabtree Farms, one of the champions of the local food movement, to pick blueberries and blackberries. “We are wild and crazy,” I said, picturing us plucking fresh fruit in a sun-dappled field as birds sang and a cool breeze blew through my wife’s hair.
“Leave the ‘wild and crazy’ comments to me,” she said.
My wife considers sleeping in on Saturdays a matter of principle, but I was able to negotiate a start time of 8:30. We also settled on a budget, just like we do when planning a trip to the grocery store. We did not, however, make a list of things we wanted to buy. Instead, we’d go in blind and grab what looked good.
Open Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. near the Catoosa County Courthouse, the Ringgold Market is smaller than I had imagined it would be. However, as I looked at the line of about a dozen booths, Yoda’s words to Luke Skywalker in “The Empire Strikes Back” echoed through my head: “Size matters not.”
He was right. I had been anticipating a vegetarian weekend, so imagine my excitement as I walked up to the Devil Dawg Farms booth and spotted a pair of deep freezers next to owner Nick Lemley. The contents of the units did not disappoint: Lemley had center cut chops, tenderloins, baby back ribs, ham, bacon, hot and mild sausages, bratwurst and more, all wrapped in white butcher’s paper. What he did not have in those freezers was just as exciting: Lemley does not feed his livestock pesticides, hormones, steroids or antibiotics. What’s more, he cuts and cures everything himself.
“We’re eating meat tonight!” I said, my mouthwatering at the thought of slapping an inch-thick chop on our grill. We also bought some fresh-off-the-pig bacon.
Located next to Devil Dawg, Chickamauga-based Lee and Gordon Greens caught our eye with their HUMONGOUS heads of Bibb lettuce. Lee and Gordon produce everything hydroponically, which means they grow their greens in a mineral nutrient solution, not soil. They also leave the roots on the plants, which keeps the leaves fresh longer. I gave the lady four bucks, and she stuffed a grocery bag with spring greens.
Our next stop was the Possum Creek Herb Farm booth. If you’re going to buy herbs, you need to know what you’re what doing. Since we were clueless, we simply spent a few minutes marveling at the variety of herbs they had on hand and how wonderful they smelled. The chocolate mint made a strong impression on me. “You can chop those up and put them in brownies,” the lady said. We didn’t buy anything, but we resolved to learn more about how we can use herbs in cooking and to make tea. (We ARE wild and crazy!)
While the next booth had nothing to do with food, we gave the lady who runs The Paper Pimpernel Paper Flower Shoppe some of our money anyway. Owner Darcee Nevin said it takes her about 15 minutes to create one of her vibrant blossoms, and her table was groaning under the weight of her large selection. Her artistic ability is extraordinary, as is the attention to detail she invests in each one. I bought my wife a four-stem arrangement in a small vase. Farmer’s markets are full of pleasant surprises.
They are also full of farm-grown vegetables. As my wife and I headed back to her Murano, each of us was carrying bags heavy with patty pan squash, green beans, banana peppers and more.
We had lingered at the Ringgold market, so by the time we made it to Crabtree, the temperature had already topped 100. We braved the heat, though, and picked enough blueberries to make the trip worthwhile. Unfortunately, the early birds had picked the blackberry bushes clean, leaving only bright red berries for ripening over the next week.
If you’ve never been to Crabtree, put it on your to-do list. Located near downtown Chattanooga, in the Clifton Hills neighborhood, Crabtree exists to promote sustainable agriculture. Their farm stand is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and offers produce, plants, organic potting mix, worm castings, herbs and more.
Part of the fun of going to Crabtree is turning onto East 30th Street, making your way through an ordinary Chattanooga neighborhood and then passing through a gate and seeing the farm. Somehow, amid that urban sprawl, is a small farm surrounded by a ring of trees.
Chattanooga is full of pleasant surprises, too.
Going to a farmer’s market is well and good, but you have to follow through at home. My wife and I grilled the chops that night, and will never forget biting into the juicy meat, which she’d seasoned with Applewood rub. The green beans complemented the chops nicely, but what really brought home the entire experience was the cheesecake my wife had made, complete with a sugary sweet blueberry topping. I had bitten into one of the tart berries earlier, and had doubted she could do anything edible with them, but I was happy to be wrong.
Sunday, the other vegetables joined the bacon and some store-bought chicken, cheese, eggs and dressing in a salad. We could have purchased the rest of the ingredients at the Chattanooga Market that afternoon, but we decided to take advantage of the convenience of our local grocery.
Although we’ll continue to do most of our shopping there, our local farmer’s market is going to become a regular stop. Lemley won us over with his chops and thick strips of hickory cured bacon, the lettuce from Lee and Gordon was crisper than anything we’ve bought in a regular store, and we want to experiment with the herbs.
My wife is right: We ARE wild and crazy!
Email David Laprad at dlaprad@hamiltoncountyherald.com.