Coastal Alabama Farmers & Fishermens Market

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Located in Foley, Alabama


Cooking Fresh Peas

You toilers of the sea and fields and vineyards

meet the weavers and the potters and gatherers of spices

 

Back in my college days, more years ago than I care to think about, like so many others of my generation, I became enamored with the writings of Kalhil Gibran and I still have several of his books and read them occasionally, particularly when I want a good quote or I want to find solace and quiet in the evening.  The Prophet, which was first published in 1923, is considered his masterpiece, translated into more than twenty languages, and has sold more than five million copies in the United States.  The Chicago Post wrote of The Prophet, “Cadenced and vibrant with feeling, the words of Kahlil Gibran bring to one’s ears (a) majestic rhythm.” 

Relating to a Farmers’ Market, Gibran wrote,

“To you the earth yields her fruit, and you shall not want if you but know how to fill your hands. 

It is in exchanging the gifts of the earth that you shall find abundance and be satisfied.

When in the market place you toilers of the sea and fields and vineyards meet the weavers and the potters and gatherers of spices.”

Such a poetic expression of the work of vendors who come to Coastal Alabama Farmers and Fishermens Market and to Forland’s Family Farm.  Speaking of weavers and potters, one aspect of the Market that I enjoy each week is the variety of vendors, not just food vendors.  Alice Noyes of Handwoven by Design fits the words of Kalhil Gibran and I enjoy looking at her baskets and pottery and have purchased several pieces of pottery and baskets from her.  Of course, there are several other such vendors – painters, jewelry makers, candle makers.  We are incredibly fortune to have such diversity in a single place. 

Recipe of the Week: 

Recently, fresh peas started showing up at the Market and I purchased a bag of already shelled pink-eyes.  By the way, many of my childhood memories are filled with summers spent in rural West Alabama, picking peas in the morning, shelling peas all afternoon, and then having been excused from chores, being too exhausted to play while my mother, grandmother, and aunts blanched and prepared the peas for freezing.  But, that’s another blog. 

Here’s what I did with the first bag of peas I bought at the Market.

 

Cooking Fresh Peas

Ingredients

1 slice of bacon, diced (George Family Farm)

1 cup, unsalted chicken broth

1 small onion, diced (available from numerous vendors)

1 bag of shelled peas (Forland’s or other vendors)

Filtered water

Thyme (from plant purchased from Lilly)

Sea salt

Hot sauce, pepper sauce, or Tony’s Tejas Salsa

 

Directions

 

1, In a pot, cook bacon over medium heat.

2. As the bacon starts getting wilted, add onions.  Stir often

3. After the bacon and onions are cooked thoroughly, turn the heat to high.

4. Watch carefully to prevent burning, but you want the bottom of the pan to have debris turning brown.

5. Pour in chicken broth and deglaze the pan with the bacon and onions still in the pan.

6. Turn the heat to low. 

7. Add water to even with the top of the peas.

8. Sprinkle with sea salt and add 2-3 sprigs of thyme.

9.  Cook slowly until peas are tender.  ~ 20 minutes.

10.Adjust salt to taste and serve with hot sauce, pepper sauce, or Tony’s Tejas Salsa.

 

I like eat fresh peas with mixed grain rice as a meal and enjoy with a glass of red wine.

 

Enjoy.  See you at the Market.

 

Bob Zeanah

Author of No Anchor (published November 2015)

Available online from Amazon or Barnes and Noble or Books a Million

Author of Work to Do (published July 2014)

Available online from Amazon or Barnes & Noble or Books a Million

14410 Oak Street

Magnolia Springs AL  36555

251-752-5174 mobile device

bobzeanah@gmail.com

www.bobzeanah.com 

 

 

 




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