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Tag Archives: Charlottesville City Market

there is no place like home…

22 Tuesday Dec 2020

Posted by home, garden, life in artisan products, Christmas, farmer's market, Holiday, home, Lifestyle, March, The New Normal, WordPress

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

2020, blogging, Charlottesville City Market, farmer's market, Pandemic

Since March of this year, all life as before changed. Home became more of a sanctuary than ever before.

Typically, I sparsely listen national news, and I continued my usual routine sans mask or gloves. Then, as I prepared for another year of our farmer’s market, I quickly noticed that store shelves were bare…supplies were naught. Flour was no where to be found. WHAT??

By April, the drama unfolded as our market morphed into an online pre-order, pre-pay, drive through venue. I froze and let two weeks of market commence before I snapped to and opened the required accounts to participate.

Then the bizarre happened. Small production turned into huge…the community discovered my products and ordered in mass. I nearly had a stroke the first week, as orders poured in. I must produce and keep up! I must scramble for common supplies! Yes, MOI. Little old MOI!! A One-Woman operation since 2000! Click, Click, Click…people love shopping online.

Apparently, my foods/flowers became a source of comfort for hundreds. Revenue doubled. When I was able to find canning jars, I produced numerous batches of jams and chutneys. What became a rage in the fall was my Hot Fudge Sauce…women reported that they were simply opening the jar and eating straight away with a spoon. Forget warming it. At least stress eating is healthier at the farmer’s market.

One would not think that buttermilk biscuits, pimento cheese, and blueberry scones would be in high demand week after week. Nor would seasonal jams and preserves vanish immediately upon offer. Pestos sold through the seasons, as did the peonies during May. I could go on, but alas, this is a short blog this first day of winter.

There was a grand hunger.

Families loaded the kids and dogs (and one cat) into their automobiles and through the Saturday market they drove, trunks open, ready to receive local wares. I quickly surmised that this was an excuse for a family outing from the safety of their cars. Everyone was on their best behavior.

I entertained myself by counting the number of whisper-quiet Teslas that drove through. Affluent residents abound in this town, and we local producers are grateful. Oh, so grateful. This mutual support kept us all sane.

Then the summer wore on into fall.

Needless to say, I was so busy keeping up, I did not photograph any of these weekly happenings.

“Make hay while the sun shines” became my mantra. Normally I stop market the end of October, but this year sales revenue never slowed, so I rode the wave until December 19th.

As I blog today for the first time in months, I sit exhausted at the keyboard. Yesterday, I spent another five hours in the kitchen preparing the last orders before Christmas. I see that WordPress has changed its blogging format and I haven’t a clue how to insert photographs. So this will be an image-less blog, except for my descriptions.

And it may be my last blog if I cannot figure out the madness of WordPress’ engineers. Don’t fix things if they are not broken! Guess they have too much time on their hands. Meanwhile…

The best thoughts I can muster now are:

“There is a fine line between order and chaos”
and
all life is temporary.

I choose to think this too shall pass and we will emerge as the butterfly, more beautiful than the caterpillar and able to fly.

So readers, how have you spent the last few months of 2020?
Do share in the comments section.

Copyright 2020 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

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pies and peonies

15 Monday May 2017

Posted by home, garden, life in Charlottesville, city market, environment, flower farming, garden, key lime pie, Lifestyle, shop local, spring flowers, sustainable lifestyle, Virginia

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Charlottesville, Charlottesville City Market, farmer's market, garden, key lime pie, May, sharing bounty

Saturday’s market began as a quiet, misty morning. Following many days of rain, the variation was agreeable. Being Mother’s Day weekend, I took many pies and buckets of fragrant peonies, conditioned all week-long for prime time.

Early sales were unremarkable and I was beginning to fret. Then a high school friend of my older sister and trusted real estate broker in this area arrived to collect the KLpie and peonies I reserved for her as a gift. After battling breast cancer, endless chemo, and reconstruction in the past three years, her cancer had returned with a vengeance and she told me during a phone conversation that she is terminal. This morning her walk was strong, her eyes bright, and she greeted me with a warm hug and a joke about the side effects of medical marijuana. That was an emotional visit. She is the mainstay of her large family and will be greatly missed by family and young grandchildren who will never know her sense of humor. I will never understand why bad things happen to good people. Never.

Later that morning, I noticed a couple who I recognized from television. I had never seen them at market before. They were the parents of a Virginia Tech student who was brutally murdered after a UVA concert in 2009. When the remains were finally discovered in a field south of town the family had closure, yet the mother has never stopped petitioning for her foundation Save the Next Girl.
This morning, the mother was dressed head to toe in black and looked so profoundly sad. When they passed me for the second time, I reached for my clippers and trimmed a few of my prettiest peonies and caught up to her. Not knowing what I would say, all that came out was, “we have never met…” and I choked up, gave her a hug and walked away, but not before she said, “God bless you.”

Returning to my booth with tears in my eyes, I quickly spotted the owner of the restaurant where I sell my KLpies. He was with his new wife and their one month old daughter, who slept snugly at her breast. He is a big fan of my pimento cheese and came for another tub. Why he did not spring for a sleeve of my beautiful peonies, I do not know. After they walked off, I grabbed another bunch of my peonies and caught up with them. She was delighted and he seemed touched too. Some men can be so —.

Back at my booth again, a three-generation family arrived asking details about my Key Lime pie. Following my spiel and their purchase, I noticed the rather frail elder in the group was clearly disengaged. I pulled out a pretty single flower and walked to her and said, “Happy Mother’s Day!” Her face lit up, she nearly blushed, and the entire family grinned from ear to ear. Flowers are amazing mood boosters!

I ended this day of intense pie and peony sales at noon. In fact, when I later counted my till, this was the largest grossing day in my entire seventeen years at City Market! Furthermore, I cannot remember a more emotional one.

Simple gestures reap great rewards and today I was reminded of this rule. I recuperate with a warm heart and hope that both my gardening and kitchen efforts made a small difference in the lives of those who I encountered.

I am blessed to know health, the simplicity of routine choices, and delight in greeting the wild birds who have sanctuary in my gardens.

The Best Key Lime Pie on the Planet 2009

2015 Peony city market May

Copyright © 2017 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

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August begins a time of edits

03 Monday Aug 2015

Posted by home, garden, life in August, Back Yard Birds, blessings, Bluebirds, P Allen Smith Garden Home, sustainable lifestyle

≈ 22 Comments

Tags

Albemarle County, August garden, Central Virginia, change of seasons, Charlottesville, Charlottesville City Market, feeding wild birds, garden, garden chores, home, life, P Allen Smith

The month of August is bittersweet.

This year summer evolves especially fast. Spring was long and cool, delaying daffodil bloom long enough to sell cut stems at the April farmers market.

these beauties knock me out

these beauties knock me out every April.  I have a habit of rescuing or inheriting daffodils from abandoned properties or those departed, so I never know the names of each flower, yet every spring, I look forward to their many faces and scents, as my collection now numbers over 2,500.

By mid-May temperatures were in the 90’s, heavy rains fell, then the high humidity set in. Despite this challenging conditions, the peony harvest was especially abundant in May; over 600 stems were sold at market, necessitating the purchase of an additional refrigerator for the basement. 2015 Peony city market May

I did enjoy four days of respite at P Allen Smith’s Moss Mountain Farm outside Little Rock, Arkansas. During the growing season, I tiptoe out of my gardens to catch a flight to this gardener’s dream land as a guest, only to return a few days later to a needy garden…”weed me, harvest me, plant me, mow me, feed me, dig me…”

Allen and I in the one-are garden; a special friend in a special place (pallensmith.com)

Allen and I in his one-acre veggie garden at Moss Mountain Farm in May; a special friend in a special place (pallensmith.com)

these Iris graced my gardens this year. Another rescued beauty who now enjoyes life here

back in Virginia, these Iris graced my gardens during May of this year. Another rescued beauty who now enjoys life here

and this rescued Iris blooms right along side. Both flowers have a heavenly scent

and this rescued Iris blooms right along side the deep purple variety. Both flowers have a heavenly scent and bloomed continuously for three weeks during May!

one proud stand of glory

one proud stand of glory

tiger lily

this is an old heirloom, scentless variety of tiger lily (tigrinum), native to China but long ago naturalized in America…these originals came from my mother’s gardens. Bulbs may be cooked and eaten, tasting something like an artichoke, although I have never found the need to imbibe. Prolific black bulbils produced in the axils of the leaves may be shared with friends, though they take years to mature. Blooms appear in July, are 3′-5′ tall and rarely need staking. Butterflies adore the flowers during a rainy month.

oakleaf hydrangea

prolific Oakleaf hydrangea (paniculata) thrives here at Swallowtail Cottage, and produces abundant offspring from seed, which now fill an entire lower shrub border. There are approximately forty-five species and varieties grown in America.

And now it is August. Both heirloom tiger lilies and Davidii phlox bloom cycles are finished and spent stems are removed. The lush Oakleaf hydrangea bloom is merely a memory. Why? It seems, we gardeners wait with such anticipation for bloom time, only to have it pass seemingly overnight…every season.

Naked ladies suddenly appear in my August garden and seduce the eye with every gaze...

Another native of South Africa, Lycoris squamigera or Naked Ladies suddenly appear in my August garden and seduce the eye with every gaze…they make a pretty cut flower, with elegant long stems and a pleasant scent…

Formosa lily

Another late summer bloomer is the Formosa Lily (formosanum). White, funnel-shaped and fragrant with 1-10 flowers produced per stalk that grows to 6′. Easily self sows here in zone 6. Native to Formosa. My first seed pod came from Tufton, a former property of Thomas Jefferson.

Generous rains produced stunning, abundant blooms this season on the spiraea, hellebore, and Lemon lilies.

Lemon lilies in the lower garden

Lemon lilies in the lower garden

Delayed are the two main 2015 outdoor projects: the oil stain project of the new 90′ privacy fence (both sides) and the necessary reconditioning of the terrace masonry wall.

P1040006

looming, yet very necessary, the 90′ long privacy fence needs a coat of oil based natural stain (both sides) in order to preserve the blond appearance. Frequent rain and high dew points continue to prevent moi from swinging the brush…

block wall on terrace demands attention this year. Dry Lock Extreme and new coat of paint will restore...I'm hoping...

the 30′ block/parged terrace wall demands attention this year. Dry Lok Extreme and new coats of paint will restore…I’m hoping…

Are any of you considering home ownership? This post will be a reality check for you. Since buying this place back in 2001, the projects both large and small, inside and out, are endless. Some days/years I think I am making progress, others, I think I am in a rapid backslide…

Wild birds bring much relief and beauty on a daily basis to my gardens. This year I am hosting hummingbirds, and they come in droves for their plain sugar-water fix and enjoy sips from the Crocosmia.

hummer enjoys a sip from the crocosmia in the kitchen herb garden

hummer enjoys a sip from the Crocosmia from the kitchen herb garden in 2014. Did you know that Crocosmia is an herb from South Africa belonging to the Iris family? I rescued these corms and enjoy seeing them thrive.

in 2014 the hummers enjoyed sips from the pineapple sage...

in 2013 the hummers enjoyed sips from the pineapple sage…

Hummers enjoy the convenience of a perch design on this sugar syrup feeder in 2015

hummingbirds enjoy the convenience of a perch on this sugar syrup feeder in 2015. Photo was taken through solar film and glass, so a wee bit soft…

I feed numerous other wild birds here at Swallowtail Cottage, yet the Bluebirds chose not to nest here again this year. They come in to feed, and I hear their song whilst gardening, yet only a pair of black cap chickadees occupied the BB boxes this season while either a titmouse or carolina wren raised young in the wren box.

nestling bluebirds day nine ~ Swallowtail Cottage. Would you feed them GMO food?

nestling bluebirds day nine ~ Swallowtail Cottage 2013. Would you feed them GMO food?

So begins August here in central Virginia. I expect the arborist later this month for our annual chore of topping/shearing the Leyland cypress hedges; I will be glad to see the bagworms vanish into the chipper.

sheering tops of Leylands and icky pyracanta in foreground

annual shearing of tops and sides of Leyland cypress, as 135 surround my property’s perimeter

P1010484

One glorious yellow swallowtail graces my garden and poses cooperatively on the verbena. These flutterbyes inspired the name of my property…Swallowtail Cottage. Still awaiting the Monarchs…

Queen Ann’s Lace, hyssop, cleome, hostas, and roses continue to color the landscape as summer winds down for another season. Butterflies nectar on the verbena and Joe Pye Weed. Fat cucumbers dangle from the arched cattle panels, while sweet basil, tomatoes, hot peppers, kale and herbs fill the raised beds. Soon I will harvest my first crop of Lilliput melons, as they meander across the lower butterfly garden. 2015 has been an abundant growing season. Full of edibles, friends, happy memories, and hard work.

end of summer bouquet

end of summer bouquet

And soon, yes soon I will breathe a bit easier; I will sleep a wee bit longer as garden/market chores lighten. As biting insects depart, when there is a chill in the crisp air, I will once again enjoy my lower patio and reflect on another year as a homeowner/gardener.

Did you know that we will lose one hour of daylight in August? While I am still the busy bee today, the planet continues its orbit. Our gardens respond, and indeed so do we. Best now to consider the color of this year’s flannel sheets, while continuing to mow, weed those persistent invasives, and get a handle on those unfinished outdoor projects…

If you have a moment, would love to hear from you either by the click of the “like” button or speak in the comments section. Does my blog make a difference? Cheers!

Copyright © 2015 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

why not kale…pesto?

08 Saturday Jun 2013

Posted by home, garden, life in environment, farmer's market, healthy food, Home Depot, Lifestyle, quick meals, quick recipes, recipes, Stretch Gardening, sustainable lifestyle, Virginia

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

Charlottesville City Market, chive flowers, easy recipes, farmer's market, fast food, food, Home Depot, kale, pesto, stretch gardening, vegetarian

Readers who follow my blog know I adore kale.

an earlier pasta dish with blanched kale and chive flowers

an earlier pasta dish with blanched kale and chive flowers. If you have gone Keto, substitute spiral veggies for pasta.

Truly, I eat kale every day—fall and winter—steamed for four minutes, drizzled with olive oil and often topped with two farm raised eggs, easy over. Adding variety to this super-food, I decided to make one of my favorite dishes—pesto.
Why not kale pesto?
Indeed, this dish will knock your socks off.

Diane’s Recipe for Fresh Kale Pesto

Find a large bunch of fresh curly kale, either from your garden or from a local farmer. Strip the leaves off the vein and tear leaves into pieces. Rinse kale, while bringing a pot of water to a boil. In a large bowl, add cold water and a few scoops of ice cubes. Set this bowl near the pot of boiling water. When water is boiling, add kale in batches and blanch for 30-45 seconds, or until kale is bright green. Using a spider, lift blanched kale out and plunge into the bowl of ice water. Repeat process until all kale is blanched and iced.

fresh from the local grower ~ 9 stems

fresh from the local grower, Whisper Hill Farm ~ 9 stems

ice bath

ice bath

blanching kale until bright green ~ 30 seconds

blanching kale until bright green ~ 30-45 seconds

icing kale to stop cooking

ice kale to stop cooking

squeeze water out of kale with hands

squeeze water out of kale using hands

almond and pecan stash

almond and pecan stash ~ always store nuts either in the fridge or freezer

Squeeze iced kale with hands and place all kale into the bowl of a food processor. Add 1/4 C sliced almonds, 1/4 C pecans, 1 t. Himalayan salt, black pepper to taste, 1/2 C virgin olive oil, juice from a whole fresh lime (I use a citrus press), and pulse entire contents, scraping sides of bowl a few times during processing. Add additional olive oil until smooth consistency is achieved.

kale pesto fully processed

kale pesto fully processed

Meanwhile, boil your favorite pasta or spiral some zucchini, reusing the blanching water. In this instance I used a combination of organic Casarecce and linguine. When pasta is al dente, remove it from the water using the spider. DO NOT RINSE. SAVE hot pasta water.

al dente Casarecce and linguini

al dente Casarecce and linguine

Mix pesto into pasta or veggie noodles, adding additional olive oil and a few tablespoons of pasta water to dish until desired consistency is reached. Add a large knob (20g) of room temperature sweet butter and gently toss adding freshly grated Parmesan just before serving.

cooked pasta, nob of butter, kale pesto, toss adding additional pasta water as needed

cooked pasta, knob of butter, kale pesto, toss adding additional pasta water and olive oil as needed. 

I promise this recipe will make a believer out of you. A real tasty dish that will have your friends talking. Serve with your favorite beverage and sexy tomatoes if in season. Serves 6.

If you are processing a lot of kale from your gardens in spring, simply place pesto into 8 oz. containers and freeze. Omit the cheese until consuming.

completed dish doused with fresh parmesean

completed dish doused with fresh Parmesan

PS I adore pesto and make three signature pestos from home-grown herbs: French tarragon with pecans, chive artichoke with walnuts in the early spring, and classic basil with walnuts during the summer months. Those recipes may be found by typing “pesto” into the search bar on this blog.

This new kale pesto rounds out my repertoire and I hope you will enjoy them all. There is more to life than basil pesto!

Bon Appetit!

Copyright © 2013 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

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colors of city market part III

06 Sunday May 2012

Posted by home, garden, life in color, farmer's market, Lifestyle, season, spring, sustainable lifestyle

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Buy Fresh Buy Local, Charlottesville City Market, dog cookies, farmer's market, peonies, plants

OK this will complete spring’s market photos:

Please slide you mouse over these images for further description…

heirloom peonies from my home place on Long Island growing nicely here in zone 6 in central Virginia

And please remember to support your local growers and producers!

Copyright © 2012 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

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colors of city market part II

29 Sunday Apr 2012

Posted by home, garden, life in farmer's market, Lifestyle, season, spring flowers, sustainable lifestyle

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Buy Fresh Buy Local, Charlottesville, Charlottesville City Market, entrepreneurial spirit, farmer s market, farmer's market, good times, happy spring, travel, Virginia

I could not resist taking my camera again yesterday to our local farmer’s market.

The following views are even more representative of the entrepreneurial spirit that lives at farmer’s markets! Why would we shop any where else???

Enjoy these images and remember to slide your mouse over the photos for further description and thank you for your continued comments!

Happy Spring!

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Good times were had by all!

Copyright © 2012 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

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colors of city market part I

23 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by home, garden, life in farmer's market, Lifestyle, Poetry, spring flowers, sustainable lifestyle

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

Buy Fresh Buy Local, Charlottesville City Market, design, farmer's market, poetry, shopping, support local businesses, vacation

Buy Fresh Buy Local® ~ Support local businesses.

Have you visited your local farmer’s market recently?

Things are happening there!

You know the drill…glide your mouse over images for further information. 😉

Don’t wait for someone to bring you flowers. Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul. ~ Mario Quintana

Copyright © 2012 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

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the thing about service

08 Thursday Sep 2011

Posted by home, garden, life in dog, donut, farmer's market, service

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Charlottesville City Market, dog, donut, humor, service

Last Saturday, while attending our local farmers’ market, I observed the most amazing sight. In the busy crowd strolled a magnificent golden Labrador in company with his mistress. This was a service dog, clearly marked by his vest, yet in his mouth, he held an oil soaked bag containing a recently fried donut.

Normally, one would think that this potent and tempting scent would cause the bearer to salivate, if not consume the treat bag and all. Yet this professional canine was truly in service. As the two strolled by, I quickly borrowed a camera and caught up with the pair, asking if I could record this event. Mistress approved, stating that “this was his job” and that he worked at the Pentagon. I promised not to put his image on the Internet, per her request.

As I snapped the shot, the dog and I made eye contact, and in those deep chocolate-brown eyes speckled with dazzling highlights, we connected for a second, and his tail wagged in approval. I was in awe, as this seemed to epitomize service in the truest sense.

 

a freshly fried donut 

 

Copyright © 2011 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

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Check out HGTV where two of my garden designs are featured…

I was featured on HGTVGardens.com!

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Essay Titles

  • “this too shall pass”
  • there is no place like home…
  • the perfect Tiny House
  • Miracles everywhere
  • And so it goes…
  • Transform, transition, resilience
  • An Artist’s Way
  • Sunday’s monster project
  • Meanwhile
  • how fragile we are
  • what I learned about Keto
  • small steps
  • do no harm…
  • will this convince you?
  • Plastics…a soapbox tale
  • Let’s clean up our act
  • 2020…are we ready?
  • All I want for Christmas
  • Thanksgiving…remembering love
  • At last
  • Keto “potatoes”
  • When critters call
  • Keto bread revisited
  • My report on Keto
  • for the love of rock, II
  • give a gardener a cool summer day…
  • Oh July, July
  • Kale, the ultimate chip
  • gone Keto
  • she’s baaaack!
  • Perhaps missed
  • for the love of rock
  • the anatomy of a popover
  • the garden visitor
  • what blooms this week
  • porch envy
  • Summer in Virginia
  • timing is everything
  • pies and peonies
  • words cross centuries
  • zen and now
  • April brings flowers and…chores!
  • Kudos, followers
  • this week’s reading challenge…
  • February dreaming…
  • kitty love
  • the dormant season
  • Soothing, quick comfort food for winter days
  • ahh, November
  • August garden

Seasonal Topics by Month

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