Santa Fe Farmers Market

We got up bright and early last Saturday to head to the Santa Fe Farmers Market. It did not disappoint. We had read a bit about it through Stanley Crawford's essays, where he talked about the beginnings of the market. We expected it to be large, but I think we were all a bit blown away at its enormity. At least 20 booths were outside, with another 25 or so in a large warehouse-like building that had all the doors rolled up. Everyone there seemed happy and excited and ready to buy some great food. Most produce booths had greens galore, with lettuce, spinach, asparagus, and onions. Several booths had meat of all kinds- including one that had at least 15 kinds of sausage. About three had goat milk and cheese made into all kinds of delicious looking spreads and mixes. I bought some cheese that had dried tomatoes mixed in and it is delicious. Booths overflowing with baked goods were easy to spot, and easier to smell. Monica bought the most beautiful ciabatta loaf with leaves and onions baked into the top of it. Several of us purchased mini-quiches to be cooked for dinner that night. A few booths had handmade crafts, baskets, and lotions. Emily found an awesome basket and Leslie found the coolest tape dispenser that looked like a chicken. Everyone found something tasty to buy and our next few meals showed it. The market was exciting not only because of all the delicious food, but also because the people all seemed very happy to be there and excited that others were too. (Some vendors were maybe even a little too excited, as Emily and Monica found out.) We left laden with veggies and excited that Santa Fe had a vibrant market for local, mostly organic foods. -Katie Kilpatrick