May 26 @ The Westport Farmers' Market: Guest Chef, Bar Sugo

With the fragrance of simmering basil on one end and vendors setting up to the Talking Heads on the other, there was a palpable energy to opening day of the Westport Farmers’ Market last Thursday. And this week promises the same, sans the Talking Heads, perhaps. 

Instead, Julie Moffat will lead a short class in qigong for shoppers who want to destress. Qigong is an ancient Chinese health care system that integrates posture, breathing, and focused intention. Gentle movements are adaptable for people of all age groups and abilities. Julie’s sessions are hugely popular and we invite you to join her at the market this Thursday, the 26^th, from 1:00 to 1:30. 

Fragrance will once-again fill the air, of course – from the vendors’ booths to the make-shift kitchen of Bar Sugo, this week’s featured chef/restaurant. Bar Sugo is a Norwalk icon that celebrates the art of simple Italian fare using farm-fresh ingredients just like Nona did. Chef Pasquale Pascarella will lead a demonstration at noon on pasta making; get a seat early, what’s not to love about a free sample of handcrafted pasta?

And speaking of features, this week we begin a new vendor spotlight series, with Bien Cuit and Aradia Farms, bread maker and meat farmer, respectively, as our first. Bien Cuit hails from Brooklyn, where Chef Zachary Golpher and his wife and business partner, Kate Wheatcroft, create an exciting palette of pastries and breads with grains and ingredients grown in upstate New York, Quebec, and New England. Employing ancient techniques of slow-batch bread making and fermentation, Bien Cuit honors a world history of pastry and bread making, and the Westport Farmers’ Market is thrilled to welcome them to our community.  

You’ll recognize the friendly faces of mother/daughter team Vivian and Morgan Templeton from Aradia Farms of Southbury, Connecticut every week, too. Vivian and Morgan have been a fixture at the WFM for a few years now, and it’s no wonder: with a commitment to feeding heritage pigs with organic vegetables and fruits, and cattle that is grass fed year-round, shoppers of Aradia meats know what their meat has eaten. Aradia follows NOFA standards and has signed the CT NOFA Farmers’ Pledge. Visit them each week for pork, poultry, beef, eggs, and maple syrup (and check out their new line of Aradient skin care and soap!).

While you will find both Bien Cuit and Aradia at the library end of the market, remember to visit all of the great vendors and stop by the information booth in the center for your Friend of the Market bag. For just $40, you can support the Westport Farmers’ Market and, in turn, receive discounts from each of over 40 vendors. Plus, that bag . . . 

Looking forward to seeing you this and every Thursday from 10 to 2 p.m. Sign up for our newsletter at westportfarmersmarket.com for recipes, events, and more. 

Good food and energy abounds at the Westport Farmers’ Market. Join us every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.