Farmers market day

Farmers market days are pretty busy around here.  During the summer there are vegetables to be harvested and washed, herbs to be cleaned and packaged, and baked goods to prepare.  Our vegetables are behind schedule this year due to other commitments, like an off farm job and a little man to take care of.  Today my day will start much like any other with my large mug of coffee which will accompany me to take care of whatever animals DH hasn't had the opportunity to tend to in between bottles, breakfast and morning play time.  Inside to clean off the kitchen table and baking cabinet of all the accumulations from the past couple of days.  Any morning dishes will be washed and the dishwasher and drying rack will be emptied of any of their clean dishes from the past day or so and readied for the next batches of dishes.
Then the organized chaos begins.  Any frozen fruit that I will be using for my baking will be removed from the freezer (or collected from the garden later in the summer) and placed on the table or immediately into the bowls from which it will be mixed.  Sticks of butter are removed from the refrigerator or freezer and placed on the table to soften.  Any eggs which are required to be at room temperature for various recipes are added to the supplies.  Fore the record, my kitchen table only seats six people.

Breads which have to rise are made first and placed in covered bowls on the kitchen table to rise.  Next comes the pie crusts.  I find that my crusts come out flakier if I chill them prior to baking.  Double batches of crust are made, the bottom crust rolled out on the baking rack, placed in the pie plate while the top crust stays in its bowl, both are then relegated to the refrigerator until the fillings are complete.  Bowls washed from the batches of bread are re-used for pie fillings.  Pies are completed and placed in the oven while the bread is removed from its first rise, placed in bread pans for its second rise.  Bowls washed again are re-used for whatever other delicious creation I am making for that days market.  Cookies, doughnuts, cannolis, breakfast bars, fruit tarts, dinner rolls, specialty breads - it doesn't helpt to write this post on an empty stomach.

Cooling racks replace covered bowls; defrosting butter and fruit is replaced by packages of freshly baked cookies.  Labels are meticulously prepared to be sure that all ingredients are reflected as allergies are commonplace nowadays.   Wrapping and packaging is completed and everything is packed into the car on top of the tables, the canopy, the bins fully of jellies and preserves, the box of other crafts and the bin full of supplies for the booth.  It is an organized chaos and on summer days the kitchen can get a little extra warm, but it is a labor of love.