A Day Devoted to the Locality of the Upper Valley

This Saturday presented me with an localiscious day of shopping for Upper Valley produce at the Norwich Farmer's Market, picking organic strawberries at Cedar Circle Farm with all-time best friend "A," feasting on the aforementioned goods at dinner time, and joining a selection of close friends for a locally brewed pint of lager, "Bock to the Trails", and food discussion at the Norwich Inn's Jasper Murdock's Alehouse/Pub. I simply could not think of a better way to spend the eve of the eve of the summer solstice, and I wanted to share some of the pictures that captured a portion of it. 

 

At the Norwich farmer's market I was first presented with Luna Bleu's stand, from which I selected a pre-packaged bag of tender-looking baby arugula.

From there I proceeded to Crossroad Farm and discovered first of the season's sugar snap peas, which looked, and proved to be, too sweet and crisp to pass up.

 

After meandering my way through several stands of crafts, meats, and baked goods - none of which had an allure for me that day - I found myself at Orford's Echo Hill Farm where I limited myself to a brilliantly green and rounded head of Boston Lettuce and a snow-white variety of turnip I knew to be a crunchfully delightful addition to any salad.

My final stop was at Your Farm, which had a selection of all of the above products, but I made a direct line towards their first-of-the-season's beets, which, despite their bright pink exteriors, presented a beautifully ringed cross-cut when I cut into them that same evening.

It just so happened that Saturday was also the day I started a house-sitting duty for some acquaintances also in Norwich, so I was on my own for dinner. Incidentally one of my go-to-options when I do find myself cooking for one is a salad, which is exactly what I had in mind for that evening. While the picture does not at all do justice to my dinner salad - also including shavings of raw asparagus from the garden of my homestay's garden, my homemade honey and cider vinegar dressing, and the strawberries of my day's "labor" - each bite presented a deliciously flavorful medley of crispness, tenderness, and freshness, which as friend "N" would say "nearly brought a tear to my eye."

My beer accommpanied by exceptional company was the absolute perfect end to a glorious day!