darling little beets at the Bayview Farmer’s Market

This past weekend, my husband and I had the good fortune to join our friends Aaron and Charlotte on Whidbey Island. Charlotte’s parents, John and Teddy, own a remarkable beachfront property and were kind enough to open up their home to us for a relaxing three-day adventure. Each morning, after fruit and coffee by the water, we took the boat out to catch crabs. I harvested mussels off the beach. In the afternoon, we drank some good wine, and cooked up a big feast for dinner. Evenings were spent outside, counting the stars by the campfire. We made sticky peanut butter S’mores. Photos of all that to come.

lush apricots for sale

But one morning, after breakfasting at a local diner, we stopped by the Bayview Farmer’s market for fruit, vegetables, some meat (in the form of Santa Maria BBQ) and a cake to round out our evening meal. The Bayview Farmer’s Market has live music, and there were couples dancing on the gravel by the main stage. The atmosphere was relaxed–people stopped to examine the produce, shuffled past with smiles and: “Please, excuse me…”, dog owners stopped to pet other dogs.

Santa Maria BBQ

Though we’d eaten just moments before, my husband and I were drawn to the stand selling Santa Maria BBQ. Some quick research led to links that explained this style of BBQ originated from central California. Oftentimes, people think of the signature well-seasoned piece of tri-tip smoked over red oak wood. It’s usually sliced thin, piled on a roll, and served with beans and sometimes salsa. We purchased some ribs and some tri-tip, and pulled pieces of meat from the steaming paper sack, enjoying a bite as we walked around the market.

an assortment of big, homey bar cookies

hand-knit tea cozies for sale

bouquets of rainbow chard

Bayview is a crafts and food market, similar to the Ballard Farmer’s market we have here in Seattle. Stands filled with fruit pies and tarts stood alongside stands that offered all-natural hand soaps and lotions, tea cozies, and candles. Teddy purchased some colorful gift cards hand drawn and printed up by a 10 year old local boy.

pluots (cross between plums and apricots) from Tiny’s Organic

pies

a sweet pair dancing to the live music

To go with the baskets of local strawberries we purchased, we bought an angel food cake so we could have it with cream after dinner. Photos of that to come, tomorrow.