Judie Mackie
This is the fifth time this year we have had four Saturdays in one month. The other months were March, June, and August. It is this unique Saturday when only one of our three Market Place family of markets is open. The Fernandina Beach Market Place farmers is the only one that is open every Saturday of the year, and it is open in historic downtown from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine. In celebration of the city's Bicentennial, this week we are calling attention to some international baked goods that came to Fernandina over 200 years ago and can still be found at today's farmers market.
By 1825, when Fernandina was incorporated as a city, her bustling port had quite the reputation as a melting pot of transient sailors, merchants, privateers, and traders from across the Atlantic and around the world. Among these voyagers were the French and Spanish, but also Greek seafarers and Ottoman merchants, whose maritime routes connected ancient culinary traditions to the New World. These transient visitors of the time introduced delicacies like spanakopita, pita bread, crispy pita chips, brioche, and baguettes to the region. The variety of bread in the farmers market today displays the cultural diversity in early 19th-century Fernandina.
Greek Islands, our newest vendor, is now a weekly vendor at the farmers market. He offers delicious gyros and brings amazing baked products such as tiropita, spanakopita, and baklava saragli. Tiropita is the original Greek triangle pie with only feta cheese; it wasn’t called spanakopita until spinach was added. Baklava saragli is a delicious baklava made with pistachios and rolled rather than cut into squares.
Ferra Bakery also brings baklava and spanakopita, as well as the Italian flatbread focaccia, sourdough bread believed to have originated in ancient Egypt, and the soft French brioche bread, quite the opposite of the crunchy baguette brought to Fernandina's market by chef Bill of Island Kitchen. Friends Products offers pita bread and chips inspired by generations of family recipes from Palestine, in addition to their delicious plant-based garlic dips. The Fernandina Beach Market Place farmers market celebrates a global array of foods, connecting its rich history as a trading hub to the diversity of today’s local and international offerings.
Other international treats you will find Saturday include Greek stuffed grape leaves, or dolma, and green and kalamata olives. Look for salsas, guacamole, and ceviche from the King of All Guacamole, and African Love Kitchen’s sambusa, vegan vegetables, and flavored chicken inspired by Tanzanian chef Ibrahim Mayhem.
Bring your Thanksgiving guests to N. Seventh St. in downtown Fernandina, between Centre and Alachua Streets, so they can experience firsthand the charming attraction of our small-town community. You may want to walk off a few Thanksgiving calories by enjoying a stroll along the eclectic architecture of our seaside Victorian village. Step into the unique boutiques, shop at one of our fine jewelry stores, and grab a meal or snack at one of the amazing restaurants.
If you’re looking for more action, you’ll find family-friendly activities such as playing a round of mini-golf, visiting the Amelia Island Museum of History, trying your hand at duckpin bowling, or taking a relaxing boat ride to Cumberland Island with Amelia River Cruises. Stay for the day and enjoy an early dinner, live music from many of our downtown establishments, or a Pirate’s Punch from Florida’s oldest continuously operating saloon. Well-behaved, leashed pets are welcome to join you at the market as well as at most dining establishments with patio seating.
Market Place music this week is being provided by Chuck Hall, The Banjo Man. The Wildlight Market Place will be open in Yulee on Dec. 7 with a visit from Old St. Nick, and the Fernandina Beach Arts Market will be open every Saturday in December for your shop-small and shop-local convenience. For more information, be sure to follow or like the Fernandina Beach Market Place online or on social media.
Judie Mackie can be reached by email to Judie@PirateCommunications.com.