By Lyle Estill
Tread softly and carry a Big Spoon
Last Saturday I rousted my two teenage sons early so that we could attend the opening day of the new Pittsboro Farmer’s Market. As we sped toward Chatham Mills I explained how important it was that we do our part for the foodshed by playing the role of “eaters.”
They were not impressed. Nor were they surprised that we were one week early, and that there was no new Farmer’s Market to attend. [It opens this Saturday April 16.]
Undaunted, I pushed on to Carrboro–to a market I have never attended. It was an extreme use of fuel–much further than I would ever normally drive for such a task– but I was in the mood to seize the day.
My first booth in Carrboro was Big Spoon. They had a selection of homemade nut butters that took me back to last fall, when a bunch of us shelled, roasted, and pureed peanuts grown at Piedmont Biofarm. Apparently they bottle up their wares at Ninth St. Bakery when baked goods are not coming off the line.
I bought a jar of peanut cashew–cashew nuts being one thing I miss horribly on my hundred-mile diet. What can I say? I was at the Carrboro Farmer’s Market. I was in a weird mood.
We made the rounds, loaded up on some chicken from Castle Rock Gardens–whom we recognized as a Slow Money participant--and we bought a bunch of bedding plants to force our own hand in the garden.
When we arrived home I cracked the Big Spoon for a sample on hot toast. Arlo loaded up a banana (his diet is not quite local yet–although I did point out that our bananas would be ready in the fall). Zafer vanished with just the jar and a spoon.
That was the last I saw of it. I fished the empty jar out of the recycle bin for Tami to photograph.
I thought it made a bold statement about the quality of the product. And I’m delighted to have Big Spoon doing their thing in Durham.