Tanasbourne market, day 1!

"Where do you want us to put the compost?"
Words I have longed to say after the closing bell of the Farmer's Market. Whole Foods graciously accepted my compost of paper plates, napkins, and even sampler toothpicks (yep, they compost). Not to mention the eggshells and lemon rinds from your fresh-made lemon curd in there. Everyone used the proper bin--so I thank you for not making me dig out a plastic fork! My knives and forks are labelled "biodegradable" and made from veggie starches, however, they take quite a while to break down and Whole Foods would rather they not go in. (I feel the same way about my small home compost pile).

In fact, there is some debate about how to classify biodegradable utensils. Only after I ordered 1,000 forks, trusting blindly in the word "biodegradable", did I start learning that there is a difference. Forks called "biodegradable" will biodegrade faster than plastic.. but not by much. When they say "compostable" it's much more likely they will break down in a reasonable time. Word in the blogosphere has it that NY has a label for items that qualify and compost in a set amount of time. If only we had a national, regulated classification. Someday!

So, Wednesday was great! We had dark clouds (and no rain) that kept the serious crowds at bay, but I got a great spot between the music and the lady who makes the beautiful plate/bowl/superglue bird baths. Luckily my set-designer friend, Katelan, was working with me and suggested we take down 1 of our 3 sidewalls to the tent. We opened it up to the artsy lady's side and it was like a breath of fresh air--we could see everybody! It was fun to cook on propane (and very hot).. The crepes made up really fast on those burners compared to the electric skillets I have at Orenco, but I love the greenness and safety of electricity, so I have no intentions of switching except at markets such as Tanasbourne where electricity is not available.

To the woman who won 2 free crepes--you must have gone home a moment too soon--hope to see you next time!