The Monument Market- Georgetown, Texas
Over the last year or so since we started this little adventure, one thing I've noticed about this food trend is that it seems to have moved beyond a simple trend. I believe we may be on the cusp of full on food movement. Personally I feel this is something I applaud. For so long we in this country have been fed manufactured, overly processed, and just plain subpar items and have always simply accepted them as proper food. In years past I've even heard some talking heads suggest that to do otherwise, to prefer better quality food, is somehow elitist. More recently however, we have seen a move toward simpler times, a more back to basics approach to food.
Not surprisingly, another movement has followed, the Farm to Table movement. We are seeing an ever increasing number of community based farms and gardens as well as local farmers and artisans finally able to make a real go of it. While it is true that at the moment these products do come at something of a premium, as the movement increases we are likely to costs go down due to an increase in sales volume. I for one encourage this. Not only does it help support local producers and small businesses, but the more people we can get to participate the more likely it is that prices will continue to drop, thus making easier for average persons to afford high quality, healthy food for their families.
It's nice to know that every Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday we can hit up our local farmers markets and pick up farm fresh produce, raw meats, and even artisanal products like charcuterie and baked goods. One thing that has been missing from this movement is a more regular presence. A type of permanence. Well fellow Food Junkies, we now have that. The good folks at the Monument Cafe, long one of our favorite eateries, have now opened up a brick and mortar farmer'smarket. This is a good thing for the area because we now have access to farm fresh products seven days a week.
How does the Monument Market differ from a more traditional farmers market? Well, rather than buying direct from the producer, you buy from Monument. They have taken the time to set up relationships with farmers and other producers and bring items in directly. One nice feature of this arrangement is that you can use plastic. At most farmer's markets it's a cash only set up because you are buying directly from the farmer or producer. But because in this case you are buying from Monument, credit cards are welcomed.
In addition to the market, Monument has also opened up a biergarten on the premises as well. So now in addition to being able to come to the restaurant and enjoy a good meal, then being able to buy the produce they use in their food, you can now hang out for a little bit longer and catch some live music in the garden. Beer, wine, and burgers are served in the garden. We were able tostop by and hang out for a bit during the grand opening and had a great time.
While we were there we were able to pick up some produce: purple carrots, melon, and tomatoes. The tomatoes were great just to eat, but I did make a couple of things out of the melon and the carrots. For the melon I made smoothies using:
Roughly half of the melon per smoothie along with a banana, 3/4 of a cup of plain yogurt drained (I prefer Greek style yogurt), a little red grape juice (about 1/2 a cup) and about a tablespoon of mango powder (available at most Indian stores under the name amchur powder). The key to this smoothie is liquid. Remember that melons contain a high percentage of water so you need watch how much extra liquid you add, which is why I recommend draining the yogurt first.
For the carrots I decided to take nice simple approach and roast them:
I cleaned, pealed, and sliced the rough chopped the carrots along with some red potatoes and onions and added a drizzle of olive oil. Next I added a bit of salt, pepper and paprika, a little basil, and mixed everything together to coat all of the vegetables with the oil and spice. Then I added three sprigs of fresh rosemary and a few slices of bacon over the top and baked it at 375 for an hour.
In addition to farm fresh produce, and fresh meats, you can also get other locally produced items such as jams, beer, and wines. The Monument Market is a welcome addition to the burgeoning food movement in the area. We are glad for the increased access to farm fresh products and hope to see even more places like it opening up in the future.
-Matt
500 S. Austin Avenue
Georgetown, TX 78626
Hours:
Market 8:00am- 8:00pm Daily