An Old Friend Comes to Town...

An old friend from Virginia has come to town. The Grand Opening of The Fresh Market on August 18th was a long awaited event. The intersection of Routes 9 and 155 has been transformed and the landscaping alone is a colorful feast for the eyes.

I waited until the initial excitement subsided before paying my "old friend" a visit. Last Wednesday evening I saw many vacant parking spaces and took that as the perfect time to stop in and see the new store. The moment I walked in the front door ... I took a quantum leap back to the early 2000's and back to Virginia Beach. The store was identical to the one I used to frequent. Wonderful !

My tastes in food have changed in the past five years, but Fresh Market was still appealing. I went in to browse ... but soon my cart was becoming a testimony of my new culinary preferences. I bought organic apples and peaches, dried figs grown in California .. not half way around the world in Turkey. I ground some fragrant Fair Trade coffee beans in lieu of the mesmerizing artificially flavored blends like; 'Chocolate Cherry Kiss" or "Caramel Vanilla Macchiato" ... ahhh, but they were tempting !

I was disappointed not to find any organic cheeses... so I traveled around to the gourmet oil and vinegar section. I have long ago abandoned bottled salad dressing in favor of creating my own. A surprisingly easy task if you follow your taste instead of a recipe. The bottle of avocado oil was my first choice. A fragrant healthy choice that unlike olive oil, can be used to cook at high temperatures in addition to using for salads or hummus. Even at $12 a bottle - it is far cheaper than an investment in chemical laden commercial dressings. My second "investment" was a can of walnut oil. I'll add a note about that later. But it too is another healthy tasty option, even at a pricey $9 a can.

At the checkout I was again transported down memory lane as I pushed my funky little two basket cart behind the counter where the cashier stood and she unloaded my cart as she checked out & bagged the items. I had a nice array of treats that would last a long time ... all for less than the cost of a night out on the town.

As I stood in my kitchen later that evening, placing California dried figs, walnut oil, organic apple cider vinegar and a pinch of Mrs. Dash into my blender ... I was content. I would enjoy my dinner salad all the more because the food represented who I have become ... and my visit to Fresh Market reminded me of good times from my far away past.

Bon appetit et bonne sante...
Apetite del bon e buona salute...
Bon apetite und gute Gesundheit...






WELCOME FRESH MARKET !!