42 JUNE 2021 | TheJournalNJ.com
the Asbury Fresh
Farmers Market
BY JULIA MORTIMER
My Visit to…
One weekend last month, I brainstormed
where I would go and
what I would write about. Saturday
came with clouds that blanketed the sky.
The idea of leaving my bed sounded overwhelmingly
unappealing. As I turned
over to close my eyes, ready to fall back
into a slumber, the little voice in my head
told me to get up and enjoy the weekend
the best I could. I decided to listen to that
little voice. So I threw on a pair of jeans
and headed down to Asbury. It was Saturday
after all, the day to enjoy self-care
time and revisit beautiful, local spots.
All week I had been looking forward
to visiting the Asbury Fresh Farmers Market
located off of Cookman Avenue in
Kennedy Park. I’m shocked I hadn't heard
of the market until recently because usually
for any type of weekend farmers market
in the area, I am there.
Despite the gloomy weather, I was
eager to see what interesting and unique
things each vendor had to offer. The beauty
of a farmers market is how hyperlocal
they are. You could be buying handmade jewelry from your neighbor or
beer brewed on Main Street.
lined with white tents and eager business owners underneath.
The Asbury Fresh Market takes place every Saturday from 10 am to 3
pm. If you want to know which vendors will be there on a given week, you
can check out AsburyFresh.com. The reason the market initially peaked
my interest is because a small jewelry business called Moody Little Baby
was going to be a vendor at this week's market. The woman behind the
table hand crafts beautiful and creative clay earrings.
Other vendors included Pine Coast Kombucha, Sprout House and
Green Standard Hemp, to name a few. I would sit here and list off everyone,
but you get the point.
Each vendor is unique, creative
and worth learning
more about.
After walking around
and chatting with local
business owners about
their passions, a friend and
I decided to grab lunch at
Marina Grille in Belmar.
The waterfront restaurant
is the ideal summer dining
spot if you are looking for a delicious meal and refreshing cocktails. We
decided to throw caution to the wind and get drinks and appetizers.
My friend and I both decided on the blackberry mojito, and it was
the perfect sweetness. For the appetizer ,we got the citrus calamari because
if there is calamari on the menu, I'm ordering it. This particular dish
was so delicious and refreshing with the added mandarin oranges, while
also being savory with the balsamic glaze.
For a meal, we split the rigatoni primavera. It didn't feel too heavy
because it was packed with vegetables. The sauce was creamy and had a
say it was just the right amount of comfort you're looking for in a pasta
dish, without feeling like you need to take a nap after. For our last round
of drinks, we switched it up and tried the strawberry mint cocktail, which
ended up being our favorite.
It was sweet and refreshing,
while not being
overly minty.
The farmers market
season is among us. Grab
your reusable bags and
head over to your local
farmers market because
it doesn't get any fresher
and more entertaining
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