The Wonders of Boulder County Farmers’ Market
Established in 1987, the Boulder County Farmers’ market is undoubtedly one of the coolest hidden gems in Boulder. An obvious reasons for this is because it is overflowing with incredible, locally sourced products. With its wide variety of local vendors, it’s challenging to leave empty handed; you can find anything from seasonal veggies, freshly baked bread, homegrown honey, woodfire pizza…the list goes on and on. In addition to it’s wonderful food and cozy-quaint atmosphere, it also provides a unique sense of family in our funky little hodge-podge city.
On September 29, I had the opportunity to spend some time walking around the farmer’s market and talking with some of the vendors. I found it fascinating that behind each of the small businesses lies a story of passion, determination, and love.
First Stop: Sauci Living
“Sauce captures the terrain, climate and tastes of the people, evoking adventure and an inspiration to travel,” says Mick Follari, founder of Sauci living. Follari’s pop up shop at the market is sandwiched between a fresh produce stand and a local honey stand. Follari founded his gourmet sauce company three years ago, which was inspired by his unique love for traveling and food. Sauci Living was founded on the principle that food is an adventure-it holds memories from the land that it came from.
Follari specializes in four sauces that encompass the flavors of different places around the globe: Sauci Romesco from Catalonia, Sauci Verde from Peru (my favorite), Sauci Gin+Scal influenced by Asian flavors, and Sauci Piri-Piri, inspired by the tastes of Africa. This truly isn’t your ordinary sauce company. Follari is committed to using high-quality, healthy ingredients that promote sustainable farming and environmental consciousness. Not to mention they are absolutely delicious and beautifully versatile. The Sauci Living website also contains some amazing looking recipes that I’m sure to try, and I hope you will too. After buying myself a jar of the Sauci Verde, I paired it with locally sourced cucumbers that I also bought at the farmers’ market, and it was an unforgettable combination. Be sure to check out Sauci Living the next time you go to the farmers’ market.
Second Stop: Highland Honey
You may think you’ve had honey, but I promise you’ve never had honey like this. Highland Honey’s greatness stems from the source: extremely well-kept bees. The founder, Tim Brod, is an expert beekeeper in Boulder County. His story has been featured on many websites and platforms such as Voyage Denver, Boulder Weekly, HG Boulder County, The Beekeeper, Elephant Journey, and more. Brod is passionate about curating quality honey, and according to him and experts alike, what we see in most grocery stores is highly processed, aldultured honey. According to an article from VoyageDenver, this means that, “The vast majority of honey sold [in the United States] has been heated and filtered to suppress the crystallization of the honey.” However, this attempt to manufacture honey so that it maintains its high viscosity (the state of being thick, sticky, and semifluid in consistency, due to internal friction) is not effective over time. To put it simply, with the United States’ vague labeling laws and lack of proper oversight, America has turned honey into a “cheap commodity” Brod said.
Highland Honey fixes this problem. Similar to the mission of Sauci Living, Highland Honey aims to create honey that is a taste of the land, and in this case, that land is Boulder County.
One unique aspect of Highland Honey that sets it apart is that it is sold as creamed honey. It resembles the texture of sticky, spreadable peanut butter. Creaming the honey entails a natural process that breaks down its crystals into small, fixed pieces. The results of this process are unbelievable–the honey never crystallizes further. In other words, the smooth texture of the honey never changes. I’m sure you’ve experienced the unmatched frustration of trying to force dry, crystallized honey out of a store-bought bottle. With Highland Honey, this issue is simply unheard of.
Another unique element that Highland Honey brings to the table is that they infuse their honey with botanical remedies such as flowers, roots, and herbs to support vitality and overall health. This is an excellent and easy way to absorb the benefits of nutrient-dense plants that you might not regularly consume such as ginger, turmeric, lavender, and more. Other herb-infused products carried by Highland Honey include the ‘Breathe Easy’ honey blend, ‘Rejuvenate’ blend, ‘Super Berry’, ‘Nervous Relief’, and ‘Female Vitality’. I purchased the Nervous Relief creamed honey because for one, it was delicious, but more importantly, I think that any college student could benefit from using a holistic method such as this to reduce anxiety and stress. I added a spoonful of honey to a warm cup of chamomile tea, and it was amazing.
Definitely stop by Highland Honey during your next visit to the farmers’ market, or be sure to check out the Highland Honey website.
Third Stop: Stubborn Roots Farm
Stubborn Roots Farm is a local produce vendor that grows all of the essentials: broccoli, carrots, onions, radishes, squash, fruits, leafy greens, tomatoes, and so much more. Founders Calvin and Bradi Bali shared one of the most inspiring stories I heard that day at the market. Calvin explained how he and his wife Bradi managed large scale farms for years, until one day they decided to take a risk and follow their dreams by starting their very own produce company.
Located between Fort Collins and Timnath, Stubborn Roots’ thrives under the motto, “Healthy soil, healthy food, healthy community.” When growing produce, the first most important rule (just like the order of Stubborn Roots’ motto) is maintaining healthy soil. Healthy soil is what produces healthy plants, which is a strong belief held by Stubborn Roots’ founders.
The Stubborn Roots tent is located towards the end of the long line of pop-up shops, making it one of the first things you see when entering the farmers’ market. The bursting colors of beautiful produce certainly grabbed my attention as I began venturing through the market. It didn’t take long for me to conclude that store-bought produce simply can’t compete with the vibrancy of local fruits and vegetables. Stubborn Roots only uses materials that are listed in the Organic Materials Raw Institute (OMRI), but their efforts don’t stop there. The couple states on the Stubborn Roots website that they go above organic farming regulations and follow their own rule: “if our kids can’t eat our fruit or vegetables right off the plant, we are not using it.”
A lot of college students (myself included) forget the importance of incorporating veggies into their diet, so I decided to pick out a handful of vegetables from the stand and curate simple recipes from them. I grabbed spinach, kale, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and acorn squash to work with. Below I’m going to share with you some of those recipes so you can try them yourself.
Quick Sauteed Garlic Spinach
Ingredients
3 cups spinach
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon butter
Pinch of salt
Instructions
Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and let it simmer for about 20 seconds while stirring. Add spinach and pinch of salt, stirring constantly until spinach is wilted to your liking.
Simple Roasted Acorn Squash
Ingredients
1 acorn squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
Cut the squash either in half lengthwise or into slices. Drizzle with olive oil and season with the spices, rubbing it in to coat the squash evenly. Roast at 400 degrees fahrenheit for about 30 minutes.
Easy Kale Chips
Ingredients
1 bunch of kale
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
½ tablespoon salt
Instructions
Tear the kale into bite sized pieces and place them in a bowl. Toss with olive oil and salt. Next, spread kale pieces flat and evenly on a baking sheet (might need two). Roast at 400 degrees fahrenheit for about 15 minutes or until crispy.
Seared Balsamic Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon fresh or dried basil
Instructions
Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add cherry tomatoes along with spices and garlic. Stir until slightly blistered, around 3 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar and honey and let it simmer while stirring for about five more minutes. Crush the tomatoes as they soften. After the tomatoes have been mostly crushed and a chunky sauce-like consistency has been formed, use the tomato mixture however you like. I like to scoop the mixture onto crusty bread and top it with feta or parmesan cheese.
Recipeless Cucumber Water
All you need here are 1-2 cucumbers and about a gallon of water. Slice the cucumbers and place them in a large pitcher, and then fill it up with water. Let refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and enjoy fresh, crisp cucumber water throughout the week.
I hope that by sharing some of the highlights from my experience at the Boulder County farmers’ market that you feel inspired to go check it out for yourself. The last weekend of the farmers’ market is November 20th, as stated on the Boulder County Farmers’ Market website. While there is still some time left to go, hurry up and take advantage of the communal atmosphere, delicious food, and unique products because it won’t be back until April 3, 2022!
