Great Escape to an Amish Adventure

September always brings cooler temperatures, school beginnings, and our annual trip to the North St. Mary’s County Farmers Market in Charlotte Hall, Md. My friends have a basement freezer and stock up for the winter with beans, tomatoes, corn and squash. Lacking the freezer space, I’m more of an “in-the-moment” shopper. I make a pot of market-fresh ratatouille and feast for days.

The Amish market is held in front of the library parking lot. This year, because of the heavy rains and flooded roads, the market was less well-stocked than previously, and a few regulars weren’t in attendance. But those who were had plenty of quality produce. One offered fresh basil plants, which seasoned my ratatouille. The rest will go into pesto.

Several vendors sold corn—freshly picked that morning—at $5 for a dozen ears! Another had fresh bread. In addition to white, wheat and rye, there were imaginative tomato basil and bacon cheddar loaves. Some stands displayed jars of preserves and home-canned bread and butter pickles.

And there was the whoopie pie and apron lady! I almost cleaned her out of pumpkin and chocolate whoopie pies, because I was purchasing for a friend as well. When I asked her for the name of her booth, she looked at me blankly and said, “It’s just me. I always sell here.” I suppressed a chuckle—anywhere else, she’d have a website, a Facebook page and her 140-character statements down.

The market is the trip highlight, but not the only attraction. There’s the flea market on Three Notch Road: more than 150 vendors on nine acres, says the ad! Some vendors sell from permanent structures and others set up temporary tables. You can buy anything from tube socks to used books to retro bric-a-brac.

My friends were tempted by a mirrored oak bureau. One of my favorites is Morning Star, a little shop that sells vintage handbags, antique pottery and costume jewelry. I found a purple lucite bracelet that matched my blouse and an art nouveau hand mirror.

We habitually lunch at St. Mary’s Landing, a roadside discovery of my foodie friend. She always orders their specialty ham stuffed with kale and peppers. I love their soft shell crab sandwich (it’s the right time of year). Sometimes we go to an Amish quilt store, and one year we tried to find an Amish general store. But this year, tired and happy, we just headed home.