Despite the sizzling summer heat, neighbors came out in droves for the Nocatee Farmers Market.
The first of its kind in the Town of Nocatee, the farmers market held last weekend offered residents of Ponte Vedra and its surrounding areas the opportunity to shop for fresh produce without having to travel to St. Augustine or Jacksonville.
Off Crosswater Parkway, roughly 30 blue and white tents guided patrons to the multitude of goodies available for purchase. Parked cars lined both sides of the street as residents stopped to pick up everything from fresh fruits and vegetables, to specialty olive oils, to handmade arts and crafts.
Eloise Patterson showcased her handmade glycerin soaps. Shaped like fruits and vegetables, each of the soaps looked as pretty as any of the fresh produce they were patterned after—lemons, cantaloupes, cucumbers, radishes and even a collection of rose petals.
Cindy Butler kept cool under her tent while showcasing art that included a collection of quirky sayings painted on driftwood. The stark white lettering on the old wood with sayings like “You can’t fix stupid” and “Give me patience but please hurry” were very popular with passersby. Butler’s artwork also included paintings of the Florida landscape.
Larry Eisenburg, creator of Front of the House Gourmet Olive Tapanade, drew a huge crowd with beautifully crafted Hungarian blown glass bottles of olive oil and samples of his original olive tapenade. The concoction, which includes capers, garlic, fresh herbs, lemon juice, black and green olives and pimentos, is perfect for spreading on sandwiches or as a dip for breads and vegetables. Front of the House also offers a vegan version of the tapenade, for those who do not want the anchovy filets in the original recipe.
To brighten up the already festive atmosphere, Anchored in Love was on hand creating a beautiful bluegrass soundtrack to the outdoor extravaganza.
While this is not going to be a weekly event, it sets the stage for a fantastic future in farmers markets for Nocatee and Ponte Vedra.
December 28th 2008 - 10:54PM