Hello! Is it me you're looking for? I wasn't sure what to write. Space is the final frontier after all, so why not explore it now (the space on this page, that is).
It's summertime here in Iowa. In fact, it's probably summertime where you are, too. ;) That can only mean one thing: It's time to get outside! It also means it's HOT, and HUMID, and it's a good idea to drink water like a camel. So, one pleasant Saturday morning, I woke my mom up and begged her to join me at the Downtown Farmer's Market.
People say the Downtown Farmer's Market is huge, but after circling the downtown area like carnivorous birds, we decided to park far, far away, and walk down to the heart of the market. It was beautiful, and eye-catching, and...wonderful! Mom told me it was like being at the street markets in downtown New York. It reminded me of Galena, IL.
There were vendors lining the streets for blocks selling everything from jewelry and woodwork, to organic produce and reservations for doggie day-camps. There were dozens of food vendors, many of them local cafe's and restaurants (like The Blue Strawberry) selling everything from ice-cold lemonade, home-made banana bread, and steaming pita pocket sandwhiches filled with meat. What I saw next made my mouth drop. It was...::dunt dunt duuuunnntt:: home-made ICE-CREAM! Yes, yes, I saw it with my own eyes. It seemed as if there were 15+ people waiting to scoop up the delicious creaminess for $3.00 a styrofoam cup.
Really, it was amazing. There were about 4 or 5 younger women handling the cash, and serving out the cups. Some worked behind-the-scenes. One man worked with two enormous ice-cream makers. These old-fashioned ice-and-salt churners produced nearly five gallons of ice-cream each!
So, after getting a balloon creation from the incredible Papa Balloon artist in Greene Square Park, we returned to the stand just as they were closing up. We found out this was their very first farmer's market. One young woman said they shipped the wooden ice-cream barrals from Pennslyvania. One ice-cream maker cost nearly $4000.00. Amazing.
I wanted to ask "How did the health department say 'yes'?" But see, they were making the ice-cream right there. It was fresh, it wasn't made in an unauthorized plant. How much fresher can you get?
The whole experience is encouraging. One of the vendors I met said a food license isn't terribly expensive. It's possible to have ice-cream at a Farmer's Market. I can, too. But, for now, I'm still experimenting with recipes in the kitchen. My big question now is how to swirl in flavors so that the "swirl" isn't a "clump." Any suggestions?
There's more exciting news so I'm yours 'til the ice creams! =D
Never give up on your dreams. The best is yet to come.
