It was wicked hot last Saturday. Probably the hottest it's ever been at the Market. Maybe hotter than it's ever been anywhere.^{(citation needed)} You deserve double the normal amount of thanks if you came out to shop and triple thanks if you helped set up or break down the Market. Such fortitude does not go unnoticed, friends. In thanks, we're going to keep this newsletter brief(ish).

Schedule Shmedule

We're sadly aware that for the past few weeks the list of vendors we've run in this newsletter and on the website has borne only passing resemblance to the crew that's actually shown up, and that can be disappointing for you. Blame it on that fifth Saturday we encountered back in July. We're hoping that everyone is back on track by this week, which is the third Saturday in August as well as the 13th Market of the season, so we're officially over halfway.

Here's who's scheduled to come this Saturday. (Maybe take it with a grain of salt.) Weekly: Big Sky Bread, Frecon Farms, Freeland Market, Fruitwood Farms, Green Zebra Farm, The Icery, Kia's Cakes, Lansdowne Community Youth Garden, MyHouse Cookies, Poniton Farm, and Wilsons Curiously Good Foods. Biweekly: Cottage Kitchen, Creative Shepherd Farm, Mediterra, Mitchell & Mitchell Wines, MoJo's Pop Co., Relishing Grannies, South Mountain Creamery, and Taste of Puebla.

Cottage Kitchen, makers of those fermented vegetable products that you've been gobbling up since they joined us for the first time on a trial basis a month ago, has been added to the regular 1/3 schedule, though their exact location at the Market may vary. On the flip side, 1/3 vendors Vera Pasta and Spotted Hill Farm are both unable to attend this week.

Note that South Mountain Creamery, in attendance this Saturday, will not be at the Market on September 3, which would be their next scheduled appearance. Most of their products are so perishable that an admonishment to "stock up!" wouldn't be wise. However, we're aware that some devotees of SMC have arranged weekly home delivery of milk and other goods. If having an actual milkman (let's make that milkperson) is something that appeals to you, talk to them.

Good Eggs

Possibly our favorite thing about the 1/3 Saturdays is that we can get eggs at the Market. South Mountain Creamery always has them and Creative Shepherd usually does. It feels better to know the eggs we're eating came from chickens that were raised in humane, even pleasant, environments. Spend 3 minutes reading about the conditions hens live in at industrial egg production facilities, and you'll agree that the FM eggs are worth the extra cost.

Grab a guilt-free couple dozen on Saturday so you can make that PA Dutch staple pickled (or red beet) eggs. We grew up with a big glass jar of these in the fridge pretty much year-round, made from canned beets, but why not try making them with fresh beets while they're piled high at various LFM stands? As if pickled eggs aren't fabulous enough, someone had the bright idea of taking them a step further to make deviled pickled eggs, which are so pretty you'd think there's some sort of magic involved. Seriously, look at them. Totes gorge. Want eat now.

Eggs are also the magic ingredient to hold together those fritters that you should be making right now. Yeah, we know we've enthused about fritters before, but, come on, they're a practically perfect food: they can be made from almost anything you have around, they're good hot or cold, and they're best when you fancy them up on your own plate with hot sauce, a squirt of sour cream mixed with Ranch or French dressing, guacamole, salsa verde, maple syrup (heck yes!), or whatever. Make them of corn, of zucchini, of corn and zucchini, or of pretty much all the vegetables. Or don't use a particular recipe at all, just familiarize yourself with the general ratios and technique and go to town. We've made these for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and poolside snack. They always disappear.

Housekeeping

We could really use some help this Saturday and the next several weeks with setting up and breaking down the Market. We're at peak vacation/college drop-off/Folk Fest absenteeism, so if you could spare a half hour at 7:45 am or 1:00 pm, we sure could use ya. If you want a Market Buck for helping, you can have one!

Next week is the last Saturday in August and thus Community Day #2. It's gonna be great. Plan on being there. And maybe bring some monetary or nonperishable donations for the community food bank, which we try to fill up every last Saturday.

Just a few weeks away is the first Lansdowne Arts on the Avenue Festival, an outdoor art and music festival (complete with food trucks and beer garden!), coming to Lansdowne Avenue on Sunday, September 11, from noon to 6:00 pm. Ink it on your calendar, peeps! Also, consider helping out with set up/takedown, as a table sitter, or as a mobile greeter. Just let Jeanne of the LEDC staff know you'd like to help.

Finally, Dog Day at the LFM will be the last Saturday in September, the 24th. Bring your dog, show off your dog, adopt a dog. It's the very best kind of day.