I'm not a Vegan and I've never played one on TV, nor have I recently
stayed at a Holiday Inn Express.
When I visit the Haile Farmers' Market
I don't go with the intention of buying something from one of the
several vendors offering Vegan products. I have my favorites and
staples: Caprihaven Dairy Goats; Cypress Point Creamery; Tree City
Coffee; Firefly Farm and Cross Creek Honey. Additionally, there's
always a good chance that one of the local growers will have some
appealing produce which can include Southern Peas, Romanesco,
scallions, peppers, carrots and other things depending upon the season.
Recently I've added another favorite; Sweet
Thursdays Cafe, another cottage kitchen making something
worth getting.
Having something to add to a morning-break cup of coffee is pleasant
and biscotti are frequently the perfect thing. Christy the owner and
baker of Sweet Thurdays makes a damn good biscotto which is like a step
back to childhood when you dunked everything . . . well . . . I did!
This week I chose two 2 packs of her Double Chocolate. Last week it was
Cherry Chocolate. I have never cared much for hard bits of stuff in
dunkable confections, so nuts, typical to many commercial biscottis,
while acceptable, don't win full favor. I was pleased with Christy's
offerings.
Lest anyone question the relationship between Coffee and Bikes . . .
My local grocery store is a mile and a half away. Guess I'm a common
sight because far fewer people ask about my bike/trailer arrangement.
Now, those who ask, are interested to know how it all works as a
possible practical application
for their lifestyle. The combination of a serviceable bike, inexpensive
panniers and a sturdy trailer makes living without a car, at the least,
manageable and generally joyful. It is, though, the trailer that makes
it a successful arrangement.
For anyone confronting the cost of driving and considering
alternatives, the use of a Burley Travoy as your lifestyle companion is
a valid option. It'll haul 60 pounds and do so without undue stress. My
three mile grocery store round trip includes a quarter-mile of wooded
singletrack with a
short, steep decline at the end. The Travoy handles the roots, sand and
decline flawlessly.
It performs flawlessly, in part,
because of the flexible coupling that handles twists and turns and ups
and downs.
The hitch folds downward with no more than a twist of the wrist making
the Travoy a very usable, maneuverable shopping cart.
The Travoy will handle up to 60 pounds and that amounts to a lot of
essential stuff.
Typically, I visit the nearby Saturday morning Farmers' Market in Haile
Village. Some of the residents of the Haile community were vociferous
in
their resistance to extending Archer Braid Trail though their
community. The irony is that there are few places more inviting to
bicycles than Haile Village.
In this period of people working at being "green" and Earth
friendly, the majority of
the
vendors in local, open-air markets are the essence of green. They are,
after all, the food chain.
Cypress
Point Creamery
makes cheese on their farm near Gainesville. I'm certain the decision
to do
something productive came from Nancy because John clearly spent too
many years breathing recycled air aboard submarines. The clear air of
north central Florida has allowed him to return to a near full level of
competence and together they make damn good stuff. Hardly a weekend
passes when I do not pick-up some of their cheeses.
Another local purveyor of good stuff are the good people of Kuma's
Playpen Ranch. It is here where I get my fresh goat milk to make bread.
It is obvious who makes things work here considering that as a younger
man Thomas had no idea that being a Navy Medic meant serving
with
the Marines. Takes time for those of us from that era to find our way.
In the South, beans are peas and peas are English Peas. Adding to the
mild confusion is the additional fact, that all the wide variety of
southern peas are in fact all Southern Peas. They originated in India,
found their way to Africa and have become a staple of Southern cooking
becoming known as field peas, crowder peas,
cowpeas, blackeyes
and
more than fifty local names. Horticulturists prefer the name Southern
Peas for all of 'em. Southern cooks care not at all about their
preferred name and KNOW that one does not taste the same as
the
other. Among the most refined tastes, White Acre Peas are the best.
I've
never asked the name of the gentleman who sells White Acres Peas at
Haile,
but he grows and sells the best . . . no argument.
Grocery stores cater to our desire for convenience. My perspective on
what's convenient has changed significantly since putting aside
automobiles as a necessary part of daily life. Going a little
out
of the way isn't actually going out of the way anymore. It's just more
time spent riding and that's a good thing.
The
produce people are a short distance from the Farmer's Market
at 91st and Archer Road every Saturday and Sunday. It may not
be
as convenient to stop there as a quick trip to the grocery store, but
it's a more rewarding experience and they have the best in-season
melons.
Obviously, there are limits to what and how much can be hauled using
the Travoy, but testing the limits and possibilities is a part of the
adventure.
Plants, of course, do not test the weight limit, but can provide
potentially useful camouflage.
Needed to take my PC to the PC fixer. With lots of packing material and
moderately deflated tires to minimize bounce it was easily transported
round-trip.
Other bulky stuff is also manageable and feline approved.
Living without a car in a relatively flat place with moderate winter
temperatures is easy, but handling the things that make cars useful
requires some planning. Adding the Travoy to my bicycle accessories was
a good choice. Few things are as well designed and functional are
Burley's Travoy.
“The
59th Street Bridge Song “ by Simon and Garfunkel could be the theme
song for a bicycle lifestyle. “Slow down, you move too fast, you've got
to make the morning last. Just kickin' down the cobble-stones, lookin'
for fun and feelin' groovy.” There are so many things that would
otherwise slip past if I was traveling at the posted speed. Accepting
the slower pace is part of a process requiring that you anticipate some
things and let go of others. It’s not solely about slowing forward
progress, but that’s the first step. Aboard a carbon fiber road bike I
would be much less aware of the simple things because the reason for
spending all that money is to go faster, an obvious conflict.
Several places and things have converged recently. Here they are.
Across
Archer Road from the 91st Street end of ABT are those Produce People.
They’ve been there for “six or seven years” and in the produce business
for “about 20 years.” Every Saturday and Sunday they set up their gear
and present a nice selection of locally acquired produce. If it isn’t
good they don’t sell it, so the selection is more seasonally limited
than the nearby Publix. Recently, I bought a watermelon. It was damn
good. I also have to thank my Travoy for making such a purchase
possible! The tomatoes I also purchased were not as pretty as the ones
available at Publix either, but they were also not treated with
“supplemental ethylene to hasten ripening within a lot.” (http://nwrec.hort.oregonstate.edu/tomato.html)
The result? They were damn good too!
At
12 MPH it’s much easier to stop and chat and learn something about such
places and discover that when not on the southwest side of G’ville they
ply their trade on the east side of town leaving G’ville for Hawthorne.
Even though
much of the resistance to creation of a portion of ABT came from within
the Haile Plantation community, Haile Village is pretty much bike
friendly so visiting the Saturday
Morning Farmers’ Market is a regular thing. It can be a bit
too tony at times, but many of the things available there are well
worth getting.
I discovered the fine people of Cypress
Point Creamery a few weeks ago and have kept some of
their cheese as my “table cheese of choice.” Their cheeses are made
from nothing but Jersey milk (no, not New Jersey) and the results are
worth the effort to go each weekend and select something. Their
Loblolly (a Tomme) is wonderful!
Nearby are the folks from Caprihaven Dairy Goat Products. They weren’t
of particular interest until I realized I could buy goat milk from
them. Might not be a revelation to anyone else, but it was a voilà
moment for me. Why? The reason(s) follow.
Ingredients:
1 pound flour (1/2 and 1/2 unbleached bread and whole wheat. Measuring
by weight is the only way I can handle bread making)
2 Tablespoons chilled butter cut into pieces
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup goat milk
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup liquid sweetener (Have been using Agave nectar, but honey and
other liquids will also work, though taste will vary)
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast.
Yep, bread, and I have decided that it is the goat milk that makes the
stuff so good. Now, I will be buying my goat milk in a Mason jar. If
anyone needs the whole description for how to make the bread, lemme
know in the Comments and I’ll give you my process.
