Preserving Summer

Farmer’s markets have gained a lot of popularity and have been popping up everywhere, it seems, over the past ten years or so. People can now get farm fresh fruits, meats, and vegetables in big cities or in the suburbs. While in New York City we tried to take advantage of the markets when ever possible, we would buy eggs, peas, carrots, potatoes, turkey meat, beef, and even lamb sausage. While we have been traveling we have seen some beautiful markets, with passionate growers and amazing produce. We recently visited  Maxwell and Marj Reade who embrace their local food since and preserve summer’s goodness in their home made jam.

In Ann Arbor, Michigan we found yet another glorious farmer’s market that was bustling with people. There were wonderful displays of pearl onions, overflowing wax beans and green beans, and deep purple eggplants that looked like a plump little babies just learning to sit up.  Luscious tomatoes were everywhere filling the air with a sweet acid tang. The occasional waft of basil played nicely with the tomatoe’s perfume.

As we made our way through the market we started to get hungry, how could you not when being surrounded by such delicious looking food? So, along with our Aunt Lynn, Brian and I planed out a lunch menu. We decided we just had to get some of the amazing tomatoes that were covering table after table of the market. We picked out a few heirloom that look juicy and meaty.

The first time I had an heirloom tomato was with Brian when we are in college. One of his friends had gotten a huge misshapen yellowish-gold flecked tomato from a market. We just sat together on the curb overlooking the Hudson River as it flowed past the campus and cut off pieces off the fresh fruit to snack on. Looking over the bounty of colorful large and odd shapes at the market reminded me of just how good a simple summer tomato can be.

To go with our tomatoes we thought that we would get a great cheese, and at the market Zingerman’s Creamery has a stand displaying many of their locally made cheeses. We decide after our time exploring Zingerman’s the day before that we would try the Triple Cream goat cheese.  When we visited the Creamery we got to look in on this cheese during the process of draining. It was so cool to see the progression that the cheese would be making over the next few days.

We got the tarragon version of the goat cheese because the fresh, strong anise smell of the herb seemed to fit well with our tomatoes.

Lastly we wanted to get some bread to go along with our meal. We went to a wonderful stand that had pretzels hanging behind the table and a bread display that got our attention. We explained to the gentleman behind the table what we had thus far for lunch and what bread he could recommended. He gave us a taste of his sauerkraut bread.

To make the sauerkaraut bread the baker adds in homemade sauerkraut to the dough before baking it. The taste we had was warm from being out in the sun; this made the patches of sauerkraut seem to melt away in our mouths. The tender and very sour bread was a wonderful snack, but I thought it was too strong of a flavor to go with our cheese and tomatoes. I picked out a ciabatta instead; this is a mild Italian bread that has a tender crust and airy inside.

This made for a lovely summer lunch!

On our way out of Ann Arbor’s farmer’s market we spotted some crab apples. Lynn’s father-in-law Maxwell Reade has been a passionate jam maker for years now and had been looking for some good crab apples. We bought everything the stand had!

Maxwell and his wife Marj live just behind Aunt Lynn and Marj’s son, our Uncle Lawry so we were able to just stroll over to deliver our market gift. Marj and Maxwell’s amazing house was surrounded by a wonderful garden.  A neighborhood friend was helping to keep up on some summer gardening maintenance. The green grass seemed to sparkle in the bright afternoon sun. Seeing their yard made me want a garden of my own, what a wonderful thing to look out the window and see such a bountiful sight.

When we entered the sun drench kitchen, Maxwell was hard at work on making jam. The counters of Maxwell and Marj’s kitchen were lined with pots, strainers, and jars; all standing at attention awaiting Maxwell’s sweet concoctions. No wonder hew was able to make so many wonderful jams, they had such a well-equipped kitchen!

When we visited, Maxwell was at work on a new creation: hibiscus jam. A neighbor had given him hibiscus tea, he explained “If you can make tea out of it you can also make it into jam!” Hibiscus is a flower that is commonly used for tea, but every time I have had the tea it has been very sour and tannic with no real flavor beyond these extreme tastes. Maxwell’s jam however was not like the teas I have had before. It was sweet and floral. For the first time I felt like I had a true understanding for the flavor of hibiscus.

It was a wonderful experience to spend time with people who are also so into food with avery special family. We walked away with our hibiscus jam, sumac jam, and crabapple jams all made fresh during our short visit.

Embracing summers sweet sunshine either at the market, in the garden, or just in the bounty of its amazing offerings; jams is a wonderful way to persevere the memories of the summer.

Since our visit we have sadly lost our dearly loved Marjorie. Her warm bright spirit will be a memory we carry with us through out our lives. She was a kind, passionate woman who had a zeal for life; she used her energy to helped those around her to enjoy every monument of their, too. The hospitality Marj and Maxwell showed me will be something I will never forget and will hold dear to my heart.

Farmer’s markets bring communities together and encourage people to take advantage of what they have around them. Marj took advantage of every day of her life, always finding enjoyment in the Ann Arbor community she called home.  She loved the farmer’s market and when she was no longer able to go, Lynn would be sure to tell her about what she saw and bring her berries, cherries, peaches, and especially, tomatoes. Marjorie Reade lived a full life and was surrounded be wonderful people who loved her very much. I am inspired by her stories, her will, the happiness she brought to so many others, and the joy she found in food!