On My Plate: Farm fresh goodies found at Josh’s Farmers Market

By Gosh! Josh,

Farm fresh goodies found at Josh’s Farmers Market

BY » Trevor Burton PHOTOGRAPHY BY » Trevor Burton

For a decade or so my wife, Mary Ellen, and I have been faithful customers at Josh’s Farmers Market on Williamson Road in Mooresville. I love all the goodies available there; fresh vegetables, fresh dairy products, fresh seafood and, occasionally, freshly cooked barbecue and freshly made donuts. You’ll notice that the word, “fresh,” gets used a lot. That’s not marketing hype. Josh Graham spends a lot of early morning time hauling food from around the state to his market.

As I’ve mentioned, there’s a plethora of great choices to be made, but it’s the eggs that get me all excited. Here’s why. On Sunday morning at our house, we have a breakfast tradition. It consists of bacon and Josh’s eggs accompanied by oatcakes from my hometown back in England.

Josh’s eggs are a thing of great beauty. They are from hens on a family farm in Mount Ulla in Rowan County. You’ve seen the phrase, “free range,” on supermarket eggs. It really doesn’t tell you too much. On the other hand, Josh’s hens are truly at home,

home on the range. They are grass fed, pastured hens that spend their day doing what chickens are supposed to do; hanging out and digging around to complement their diets with bugs, earthworms and other wild stuff you find in pastures. And that shows through in their eggs. The eggs are probably extra nutritious but it’s the flavor that gets me.

It is frequently said that

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“Josh’s hens are truly at home, home on the range. They are grass fed, pastured hens that spend their day doing what chickens are supposed to do; hanging out and digging around to complement their diets with bugs, earthworms and other wild stuff you find in pastures.”

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people eat with their eyes first. People usually get to see the food before they taste it. A good visual appearance shapes their experience even before they taste the food. Pop the yolk on one of Josh’s eggs and, slowly, out runs a deep golden liquid. You know you’re in for a good time before the egg even gets onto your fork. Get a piece of bacon and a morsel of oatcake, add some egg and you’re in Heaven in Mooresville.

So, I guess we should talk about oatcakes. I was brought up with them. They are a specialty of “The Potteries” area of England, the city of Stoke-on-Trent in the midlands of the country. An oatcake is made from oatmeal, flour and yeast to form a dense pancake. They are cooked on a griddle. Back in the day, on Sunday mornings, oatcakes used to be sold directly to customers on the street from the windows of row houses. Potteries oatcakes have been copied and imitated throughout the rest of the country, but nothing beats the real thing. Whenever Mary Ellen and I go across the pond to visit family, we stock up on oatcakes and fill our freezer when we return.

Getting back to that

Sunday morning pleasure peak; in a pinch, we’ve tried breakfast with store-bought eggs but they just don’t match up. Josh’s eggs are a key, indispensable ingredient. You could say we’re in a rut, I prefer to think that we’re in an area of comfortable certitude. Josh’s Farmers Market has established itself as an integral part of our community. Selfishly, Josh’s eggs have established themselves as an integral part of my Sunday morning breakfast—along with, of course, bacon and oatcakes. Some coffee in a mug made in The Potteries doesn’t hurt, either.

Josh’s Farmers Market 189 Williamson Road, Mooresville Joshsfarmersmarket.com

Eggs (from Josh’s Farmers Market), bacon and oatcakes are a Sunday morning staple at Trevor Burton’s house.

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CHECK OUT THESE OTHER AREA FARMERS MARKETS! on my PLATE

Davidson Farmers Market This particular market is now working to connect customers and vendors through weekly offerings and scheduled pick-up times. Check their Facebook and Instagram accounts each week to see featured produce and other products. www.davidsonfarmersmarket.org The Evening Farmers Market in Downtown Statesville Every Thursday through October beginning at 3:30 p.m. Pecan Park in Historic Downtown Statesville www.theeveningfarmersmarket.com

Huntersville Growers Market Saturdays from 8 a.m.-noon Veterans Park at Main & Maxwell Streets in Huntersville www.huntersville.org/252/ Growers-Market Denver Farmers Market Saturdays from 8 a.m.-noon Pursuit Church, 3618 Hwy. 16 Business, Denver Lincolnton Market Saturdays from 8 a.m.-noon 225 West Water Street, Lincolnton www.lincolncountyfarmersmarket.com

The Market at DSS 1136 East Main Street, Lincolnton Thursdays from 8 a.m.-noon www.lincolncountyfarmersmarket.com Troutman Farmers Market Tuesdays from 4-7 p.m. Troutman ESC Park, 338 North Ave., Troutman www.facebook.com/ TroutmanFarmersMarket

Editor’s Note: At press time, some of these markets are operating by pick-up appointments only, so be sure to check their websites before visiting.

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