Bravisimo! - The Tuesday Farmers Market Begins

By Dana Bradford

The Pastures of Rose Creek

After hitting up the market on Saturdays, by the time Tuesday rolls around you realize the fridge is looking rather bare…the cupboards are no longer stocked and there is no more bread to even make a lousy peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Well, look no further than the Oconee Farmers – TUESDAY – Market.  Which, kicked off this past Tuesday with 21 vendors selling everything from a variety of leafy greens, root vegetables, various meats, breads, granola…even deserts!  

And if having it already prepared and packaged for you is not your “bag” – you can grow your own by purchasing a wide array of live plants and herbs also sold at the Tuesday Market.

Moreover – the icing on the cake – it’s at a great location and time!  You can find the market and all of its various vendors each Tuesday through fall, 4-7 p.m.

The signs will lead you there - on the lawn of the Watkinsville First Christian Church at the corner of Main Street and Simonton Bridge Road, downtown Watkinsville – making it a nice and convenient one-stop-shop on your way home.

Presto Change-o… e Delizioso!

And sometimes that’s just what you need – a one-stop-shop – where the perfect meal magically appears before you.  All you have to do is go home, reheat, relax…enjoy.

And that’s exactly what is offered to you with Mr. Pasta & Il Gelato, a new stand at the Tuesday and Saturday Oconee Farmers Markets.  

This booth is owned and run by Juan and Diana Rubin – a charming couple from Argentina with a deep running Italian heritage…well, on Diana’s side, as she corrected me on Tuesday.  

Although the family’s Italian roots come from Diana – Juan is the one who has honed the artistry and skill of Italian cheffing.   The couple’s booth features a variety of divine homemade, hand crafted pastas and pasta sauce, lasagnas, cannellonis…and yes, even gelato.

But, Diana is not complaining!  “I really, really love it,” she related on Tuesday.  And why wouldn’t she? She gets to freely enjoy the food that she grew up with so intimately, prepared from scratch by the loving and skilled hands of her husband.

Taste the Love…

But, preparing Italian food is not new to Juan, who cheffed at the Italian restaurant owned and operated for 15 years by the couple in South Florida.  About 4 years ago, they decided to head north and retire close to their daughter in Watkinsville. 

Joining up with the Oconee Farmers Market and sharing their passion for good food from the Old World seemed like the logical next chapter.  And we’re not complaining either!  

Take it from me and many other satisfied customers – they have it going on!  I recently tried the Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Cannellonis with the Stracciatella Gelato….heavenly!  The dish is so creamy and velvety…it just melts in your mouth as pure foodie bliss.

And the gelato!...well, you’ll have to get Diana to tell you how it’s pronounced…stra-cha-tell-a – a cream based, vanilla-y ice cream with chocolate drizzled and stretched over the top.  When Diana says it the word seems to stretch and flow like the chocolate that so delicately balances the creamy gelato.

The couple also owns the Il Gelato “factory” where they produce deliciously fresh flavors of gelato which they sell locally to restaurants like The National and La Dolce Vita, to bakeries like, The Granary and of course at the local Oconee Farmers Market.

The pastas, on the other hand, are made exclusively for the Oconee Farmers Market and are made from scratch, using the freshest ingredients possible.  

“When you make your own pasta and sauce from scratch,” Juan said, “you can taste the difference.  You can taste the love.”

Taste the love this Saturday at the Oconee Farmers Market from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. in front of the Courthouse.  And now on Tuesdays at the First Christian Church 4-7p.m.  There you will find among the Rubins, a host of quality and varied vendors to prepare your weekend’s menu.

What You’ll Find This Saturday:

• Lettuce
• Collards
• Mustards
• Turnips
• Carrots
• Radishes
• Kale
• Arugula
• Beets
• Herbs
• Farm fresh eggs
• Local wildflower and sourwood honey
• Grass-fed beef
• Pasture raised pork and chicken
• Breads
• Cakes
• Pies
• Jams and jellies
• Breakfast treats including scones, muffins, and coffee cakes
• Pasta
• Gelato
• Granolas
• Honeyed peanut butter
• Peanuts
• Kettlecorn
• Lemonade
• Vegetarian cat and dog treats
• Plants for both garden and landscape
• Blacksmith crafts
• Handmade jewelry
• Gourd instruments
• Birdhouses
• Squirrel feeders
• Pottery
• Free coffee and ice water