My Youth and the Springs Farmers' Market

As an Italian-American, food has been a central part of my life since before I can remember living my life. While we were eating breakfast, my family would discuss what we would have for dinner with the same level of thought and consideration that newly minted parents give when naming their child. Not only did the conversation center on what was going to be served, but also how it was going to be prepared and where all of the ingredients were going to be purchased. This didn’t seem odd to me as all of my relatives did the same thing.

Many summers of my youth were spent living at my grandparents' house on Main Street in Amagansett. To make ends meet, my parents would rent our home for the summer. For me, it was an adventure – a new room to move into, an easy walk into the village, and my friend Patience Tyler lived just down the sidewalk. She and I would spend our summer together before we were old enough to work. Every day she would ask me what my family was having for dinner, and every day I would tell her something Italian – spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna, peas and macaroni, chicken parmesan. Even when we had something as innocuous as steak, burgers or hot dogs, there was always something Italian slipped in – fried beet stems or an anti-pasta.

Dinner time in the summer was a madhouse. As we got older, my mother never knew which kid was bring home a friend to eat. On the weekends, dinner was an all-night affair out on our brick patio, where we listened to Frank Sinatra and spent time between courses playing yard games. On those steamy summer evenings when my grandfather was alive, he would break out his mandolin and Dolores Ancona would sing all the classics.

It was not unusual for me to return home after a long day working at the Lobster Roll in Amagansett to see friends of mine sitting at the dinner table talking to my parents. I had no idea that they were even coming out. My siblings Dawn and Peter were also known to have friends out and/or friends just show up. My father would sit at the breakfast table and watch various people emerge from various bedrooms – none of whom he knew were spending the night - and mumble that it was like living in a g-d damn hotel. Of course, he and my mom loved almost every minute of it, most of the time.

Thinking back, I don’t know how my mother handled it all. The food bill must have been enormous. She would start cooking on Friday morning and not stop until Sunday evening. The good thing was that most of the “guests” helped out by cleaning up the dishes, running errands when asked, and doing the odd chore around the house. They were treated like family in every respect, including being given tasks of weeding the gardens, trimming the hedge, or shopping at the grocery store.

So here is the non-sequitur for the day: The Springs Farmers Market. Thinking about summers and food, well, what can I say. The Springs Farmers Market is located at Ashwag Hall on Saturday mornings during the summer and into the fall. Since I have my own garden (please visit my prior blog post), I do not need to shop there for my vegetables; however, this Farmers Market has so much to offer. For the past several years I have made a mad dash the Saturday before Labor Day weekend to stock up on the best olive oil and vinegar by Arlotta Foods before they ran out. I buy a case of mixed oils to get me through the year. I also purchase a few bottles of vinegar. Although the market stays open into the fall, some of the vendors stop selling their wares after Labor Day and I can’t risk missing out! The fig balsamic is to die for, as is the white balsamic and regular balsamic. The basil, garlic, lemon, rosemary and orange olive oils are delectable and are great on pasta, salads, meats, fish and veggies. I highly recommend that you visit them this weekend before it's too late!

Of course, I purchased some of the other offerings as well: fresh mozzarella to pair with freshly baked baguettes, my newly acquired oils and vinegar, and tomatoes and basil from my garden. I also scored some late summer peaches, croissants, and a few ears of corn (my corn isn’t ready yet). There are vendors for seafood, flowers, baked goods, meats, Italian delicacies, fruits, local sea salt and more. Plus, as an added bonus, there is live entertainment by Steve Tekulsky and friends. In short, it is a feast for all of your senses. So, start your long weekend stocking up at the Springs Farmers' Market, you won’t be disappointed. And from my family to yours, I hope you all have a safe and special Labor Day.