A Brief List of Reasons Why You Should Attend the Farmers' Market, Part 1

So, as you all probably know, I work part-time at a chocolate shop. Which is the best. Truly. But being able to work the Farmers' Market is probably one of my favorite parts of the week. So. Here is why you should come to the Farmers' Market on Saturdays--a list of vendors who are my friends, bosses, and general awesome people who you need to know.

1). The Chocolate Conspiracy. Yep, that's right. I'm gonna just go ahead and put my primary job as #1. Seriously. Chocolate. Raw, organic chocolate. It's amazing. At the markets we sell chocolate sauce--coconut based, because we don't do dairy, gluten, or soy; and bars, which are honey-sweetened and delicious. Honestly, it kind of breaks my heart inside when I ask people if they want a sample and they're like, no, I don't like chocolate or No, thanks. There is really no situation where you win more than a situation where you're getting a free sample of chocolate. It's not like it costs you anything! I'm giving you food. Chocolate food. Even if you don't like chocolate, take it to someone who does. They will be grateful.

AJ--my boss--is really incredible to work with. He went to school to be a nutritionist with the dream of creating a healthy dessert shop, but once he started experimenting with chocolate, he knew that was where it was at. And he's really good at what he does. The chocolate he makes is totally unique to any other kind of chocolate I've ever had, and I'm not just saying that because I work for him. It's really, really amazing.

And yes. I do eat a lot of his chocolate. Because I like it.

Bein' Cute and Sellin' Chocolate 

2) Mamachari Kombucha. So. Kombucha is a fermented tea beverage which is chock-full of probiotics and good bacteria. It's kind of weird, at first, but I will preach the benefits of kombucha until I turn blue in the face. In fact, I do--it's my other part-time job. Christy, the brewmaster, is one of those ebullient, sarcastic people you can't help but want to be friends with. Locally, she is known as the effervescent empress, and I think it's a fitting title for someone who knows how to ferment tea without getting eaten by the skoby. 

Skobys aren't actually carnivorous. 

Doesn't mean I'm not maybe a little suspicious, anyway. It's a good thing I know Christy loves me, because otherwise I'd be terrified of her feeding me to a skoby if I slacked off at work. Which I don't, because I'm a good employee. 

Christy's kombucha is basically very different from the stuff you might acquire at Whole Foods, but in a good way. It's a lot stronger and more fermented-tasting, which I like. And it literally saved my stomach from digesting itself in a fit of nervous, PTSD anxiety-induced rage. After everything that happened with my marriage falling apart, basically all I could eat for weeks without wanting to die was quinoa. My stomach just did not want to digest solid food. It rebelled every time I fed it something that had substance. It got to the point that I would go to bed with a bottle of pepto-bismol next to me, like some poorly-conceived addict. That all changed when I started working for AJ, and he let me have a bottle of Christy's 'booch. 

At first, I was like--eh? Weird. But then, that night, my stomach did not try to kill me. I actually digested things. And so when I went to work I bought another bottle, curious to see if my stomach's sudden functionality was just a fluke. 

It wasn't. Needless to say, I drank the stuff consistently for months until my stomach relaxed. And now I drink it because I like it. It's seriously tasty. My personal favorite is the rooibos flavor. 

Drinkin' Booch makes you cute. Like us.

Honesty's the Best Policy. Just sayin'.

3). Vive Juicery. Oh, man. Don't even get me started about Vive. Their juice is probably the most addictive juice that I have ever consumed--in a good way. I first met Brittany, who co-owns Vive with her husband, Bryce; when Brittany was helping AJ with his website design. I had no idea she made juice, but I learned at the Winter Market when I would see AJ toting these distinctive bottles of brightly colored juice around--making me extremely jealous and thirsty. 

So I decided to see what all the fuss was about. It took me about two seconds to realize that Guys, This Juice is The Real Deal after trying my first sip. It's all cold-pressed and chock-full of all those healthy things like vitamins and minerals because it's veggie and fruit juice. It's wonderful because some of their juices are savory, some are sweet, but none of them are cloying the way store-bought juices are. My personal favorite is the Local Love, which is a beet juice accented with carrot, apple, swiss chard (right?) lemon, and ginger. And it's the most vibrant color. I'm obsessed. 

You really have not had JUICE until you've had Vive. I'm not even getting paid to say any of this. I talk about this juice for no money at all. The best part about it is it's just down the street from where I got my undergrad, and so I'm planning on badgering all my currently-enrolled friends to go there and study and drink lots of juice and be healthy. You're welcome, guys. 

Dat Beet Juice Tho

4). The Queen's Tea. If, for some reason, you don't want booch or juice, GO SEE THE QUEEN'S TEA PEOPLE. Actually, even if you get booch and juice, just go see them anyway and just count on having a really full bladder every time you come to the market.

 Their teas are perfect. Run by another local-food-power-couple, Mike and Seth are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. And their teas deliver. Their booth is just south of AJ's, and they are the best market neighbors. I mean, any time I get thirsty I just pop over there and get iced tea, which is truly a blessing on the hot summer Saturdays the market is known for. I've not had a flavor of tea from them that I did not like. 

Plus--awesome name. 

They're just so happy! I think all that tea has something to do with it. 

5). Laziz Hummus. If you see people walking around with shirts that say "hummusexual," they are representing a little business called Laziz. And seriously, that hummus is good enough that it really does deserve its own sexual orientation denomination. Derek and Moudy--another local food power couple--make the hummus the way Moudy's grandma used to make it, and it's not like any hummus you've ever had. I mean, I thought I knew what good hummus was before I tried Laziz. Now I see that I was living in ignorance, because it really is...the Best. Hummus. Ever. 

No, really. Ever. I've heard people who are talented chefs praise the hummus, saying basically that they can't make hummus that's as good as the stuff these guys make. It's impressive. Texturally, tastewise--I've got a little bit of drool in the corner of my mouth just thinking about it--it cannot be beat. I challenge anyone to bring me a better hummus than the stuff from Laziz. 

Plus--those awesome hummusexual shirts? A certain percentage goes towards helping Marriage Equality, and I think that's one of the worthiest causes I know. 

Now--don't you just feel silly for not coming to the market today? You should. Luckily for you, there's a market next week. And the next week. And the next. And there will be more reasons for you to attend the market on here, soon. 

See you next Saturday. Riiiiiiight? ;)