By De Anna Hoyle | Pagosa Farmers Market
During this harvest season and the final month of the outdoor Pagosa Farmers Market, we again invite everyone out this Saturday for a cooking demonstration utilizing locally grown produce.
You will see more variety and quantity as the growing season slows down, but the harvesting is plentiful. Fresh flower bouquets have been especially beautiful this year, as you can probably imagine with all the wildflowers in the area. Come for a delightful array of products that make perfect gifts as well, such as herbal products and handcrafted sewn items of all kinds.
Chef Derek Dietz is currently creating delicious dishes at a local retreat center (Tara Mandala) and will offer an hour of demonstration beginning around 9:30 a.m. On the menu will be gazpacho soup, a cool summer delight. Made with tomatoes, cucumber and bell pepper as the main ingredients, then blended with onion, garlic and spices, we are in for a treat.
Dietz, originally from Philadelphia, Pa., graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 2009 and has been cooking professionally since, owning a farm-to-table restaurant in the Denver area. More recently, Dietz was giving back to poverty-stricken areas in South America and cooking in soup kitchens for kids. We are thrilled to host Dietz and appreciate his time and expertise to offer this cooking demo to the community.
Arrangements are being made for a couple more cooking and food demonstrations during the month of September, so make sure you visit the Pagosa Farmers Market every Saturday, which runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
In visiting the farmers market you may hear live music from the adjacent vending area on the east side of town. The market row runs near the mountainside and there is plenty of parking toward the back.
It is a perfect time to visit vendors who are part of the Pagosa Online Market year-round as it enters its second year at at PagosaFarmersMarket.net. Our hope is to continue to add cottage industry vendors who can provide us with baked goods, candies and toffee, bread, honey and holiday fair.
For those who use SNAP benefits and seniors who qualify for market vouchers, we welcome you and hope you will take advantage of these last weeks for fresh produce from our local growers. From cabbage to zucchini, peaches to potatoes, it is an especially great time to eat locally and with more variety. SNAP customers get Double Up Bucks for the first $20 SNAP purchase. The Area Agency on Aging offers seniors who qualify a $25 voucher, and Debbie can assist you if you call her at (970) 403-2164.
We are grateful for all of you who continue to support growers, producers and makers here in our own little slice of heaven, and look forward to seeing you this Saturday morning for our cooking demonstration with Dietz.
