Wow. Seriously, wow. Just around a thousand of you ventured to Atlantic Wharf for the Eat Boutique Fall Market yesterday. I really have very few words to describe all those positive vibes and good spirits that flowed through our tent on the very first day of Autumn. I guess I’ll just say, for now, thank you. Really, thank you.
Actually, I don’t know if I can stop at thank you.
Frankly, I got all teary today thinking about you. My sister made Shelby’s Perfect Pancakes (thanks, sis!) while I read all the tweets and emails from the Market. And then I called some of the volunteers to express my gratitude for their help during what turned out to be our biggest event yet. And then I called some of my close friends who came out to support my little business, friends who I could barely say hello to due to the lines at our table. But just seeing them made me feel a little less nervous.
And most importantly, I remembered all my new friends, those of you who said you’ve read this site for a while and wanted to come out to meet us and the makers. Thank you to each of you. I know you’re here, I see the traffic logs, but very little compares to a face-to-face hello. Our little chats made me a lot less nervous.
My last BIG thank you goes to Atlantic Wharf. They let us use their beautiful green space right on the water. Thanks to Julia, Audrey, Adam, Brian (especially Brian!), Joe and the entire Atlantic Wharf team. I recommend that space wholeheartedly.
There are lots of photos from the day and there’s also a little film in the works, and we’ll get to those soon enough. For now, I want to share what I did to rest up and relax after this busy three-month roller coaster of planning. Before we enter the busy holiday gift season and the planning for the Eat Boutique Holiday Market on December 9, I wanted to just enjoy the gorgeous second day of Fall. There were six big things on the agenda:
1. I took a long walk in the fields of my local farm. I picked the last of the rusty-colored sunflowers (only the ones that the bees had already devoured).
2. I spent several hours outside with my second favorite being on this planet, my dog Ruby, who kindly put on her sad eyes for this photo.
3. I enjoyed some freshly made burrata from Fiore di Nonno and rye crackers from Castleton Crackers – both makers from the Fall Market. I chopped up some late season tomatoes with garden basil and lime juice to squeeze some vegetables into my antipasti plate.
4. I splurged. I bought a bottle of American “Champagne” and drank it. Most All of it.
5. The garden was on its last legs so I picked as many eggplant as I could find buried in the hay. I preserved my last batch in oil, so I think I’ll make little fried eggplant dishes to store in the freezer.
6. Even as the garden lay basically dying, my cilantro seeds got everywhere and these little sprouts had peeked up along the stones. They smelled fresh and new. I yanked them to top a chili later this week and was reminded that, even as things end, new things are always ready to take root, sprout and grow. I considered it a good sign.
Thanks again, everyone!
Photo styled and taken by Maggie Battista (using an iPhone and Instagram).
Eat Boutique discovers the best small batch foods by boutique food makers. We share recipes, maker stories and city guides to eating boutique. We host tasting events and markets for food makers, cookbook authors and food fans. We craft seasonal, regional gift and tasting boxes and sell individual items that you can order today.
