Let's Get Fresh: Broadway Star Eats Her Way Through the BFM
By Bob Workman on September 21, 2014 from Let’s Get Fresh via Connect-Bridgeport.com
Bob’s note: Last week the Market had a very special guest/volunteer/food critic in the form of Clarksburg native and Broadway star, Kirsten Wyatt. Kirsten has appeared in dozens of Broadway shows (including Annie, Shrek, Grease, Elf the Musical, and A Christmas Story among many others) as well as shows in many big cities around the country including Chicago, San Francisco, and St Louis. Kirsten is also very active in the local foods scene in her adopted home of Astoria, Queens, NYC. As a BFM volunteer Kirsten follows in the footsteps of her sister, Alissa, who is an unofficial member of the Market’s A-Team. While Alissa also lives in New York now (Hudson, NY, to be exact), the Wyatt sisters will always be West Virginia girls at heart. They will also always be close to my family’s collective hearts. The following is Kirsten’s Market story.
I grew up in Clarksburg, but have lived in New York City for the past 16 years pursuing my dream as an actress. It's been a pretty great adventure and I've been fortunate to make my living doing what I love in the big city. But every once in a while it feels great to come back home to West Virginia and reaffirm my roots. Of course I look forward to pepperoni rolls and my Dad's baked steak, but one of the best things about being home is seeing all the people you love.
So my first night back I'm out to dinner with my folks, Phil and Renee Wyatt, along with Bob and Deb Workman (who happens to be on the board of the Bridgeport Farmers Market) and their daughter Amanda (who is a frequent volunteer). And somehow, by the end of the evening, I had not only been talked into showing up at the market at 8 AM to volunteer, but to also write a guest blog for the market. So here I am.
As my luck would have it, it was pretty chilly the morning of my volunteer shift and I, of course, only packed tank tops. So after silently scrambling around my house and finding a long sleeved shirt that belonged to my dad and my mom's WVU hoodie, I arrived at the market at 7:59 AM appropriately bundled and ready for work. Amanda was waiting for me and thankfully brought coffee. Not long after, we found ourselves assembling tents and putting together tables and were very grateful for the work gloves we found in the storage truck because, boy, was it cold! One by one the vendors came in ready for a great day of selling their amazing wares - produce, honey, grass-fed beef, flowers, cupcakes and so much more. There were even dog biscuits! And by 10 AM the bell rang and we were open for business. I was amazed by how many customers were already waiting to be let in. It was really encouraging to see how much a part of the community this Market has become.
With the Market officially open and Amanda seeming to have everything under control at the BFM table, I decided it was my sacred duty as a volunteer to put myself on the line and sample every morsel of food the market had to offer...you know, before it got too crowded....I mean, ummmmm, what if something was poisonous? First up, more coffee and a fried green tomato and bacon omelet from the Bridgeport Conference Center. Wait. Are you kidding me?!? Fried green tomato IN an omelet? Done. That and marrying my husband are seriously the two easiest decisions I've ever made. No brainers.
As my luck would have it, it was pretty chilly the morning of my volunteer shift and I, of course, only packed tank tops. So after silently scrambling around my house and finding a long sleeved shirt that belonged to my dad and my mom's WVU hoodie, I arrived at the market at 7:59 AM appropriately bundled and ready for work. Amanda was waiting for me and thankfully brought coffee. Not long after, we found ourselves assembling tents and putting together tables and were very grateful for the work gloves we found in the storage truck because, boy, was it cold! One by one the vendors came in ready for a great day of selling their amazing wares - produce, honey, grass-fed beef, flowers, cupcakes and so much more. There were even dog biscuits! And by 10 AM the bell rang and we were open for business. I was amazed by how many customers were already waiting to be let in. It was really encouraging to see how much a part of the community this Market has become.
With the Market officially open and Amanda seeming to have everything under control at the BFM table, I decided it was my sacred duty as a volunteer to put myself on the line and sample every morsel of food the market had to offer...you know, before it got too crowded....I mean, ummmmm, what if something was poisonous? First up, more coffee and a fried green tomato and bacon omelet from the Bridgeport Conference Center. Wait. Are you kidding me?!? Fried green tomato IN an omelet? Done. That and marrying my husband are seriously the two easiest decisions I've ever made. No brainers.
With my tummy full, I wandered around to see who else needed a sampler and found my way to the honey vendors, A Wag of Bees. I am a big fan of honey as I have allergies and find that a daily dose of the local honey from wherever I am helps keep them at bay. I was complaining that since I had been in West Virginia I could really feel my allergies acting up and before I knew it I had a pinch of honey pollen in my palm to help ease my pain. Plus, it made a great snack! A win-win.
Then I stopped to chat with the folks at DNC Farms. We talked about the finer points of the Asian pear and I couldn't resist a little taste test. Delicious!
I figured I had done enough meandering and I should really head back to the volunteer table, but before I could get there the Chef’s Demo was about to begin. I couldn't miss that! Chef Pamela Stevens from Mia Margherita was making homemade spaghetti squash and ricotta ravioli with shiitake mushrooms, Swiss chard and tomatoes in a white wine sauce. Holy cow was this my lucky day!! I was not only going to get a lesson in making fresh pasta but I was going to get to be the beneficiary of Chef Pamela's hard work.
Okay. Listen to me. I have eaten some pretty amazing things in my life at some of the finest restaurants in the world. When I tell you that this magical ravioli ranks in the top 5 things I've eaten I'm not exaggerating. It was so good that I took the recipe and made it for dinner that night.
As the Chef’s Demo was finishing up and I was on my way back to the BFM table who do I run into but my Mom, who had just arrived to do some shopping. But first, of course, she was hungry and wanted a steak hoagie from the Mia Margherita tent. Well, being the good daughter I am I couldn't let her eat alone. That's just not right. So my belly was just going to have to make room for a steak hoagie!
Finally, I made it back to the volunteer table just as the market closed for the day. With a solid day of volunteering behind me and a very full belly, I was grateful for the opportunity to see the Bridgeport Farmers Market in action. I'm back in New York now, but can't wait for my next visit home so I can eat my way through... I mean, volunteer at The Bridgeport Farmers Market again. (See photos of Kirsten's BFM experience at the gallery link below.)
Until next week, Stay Fresh!
The Bridgeport Farmers Market Association is the seven member all volunteer board of directors that governs the Bridgeport Farmers Market. It is supported by a wonderful group of community volunteers who help in the setup and maintenance of the market. For more information on the Farmers Market or to see how you can help please e-mail us at bridgeportfarmersmarket@yahoo.comor, better yet, LIKE us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. You can also check out the Market’s own YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/BridgeportFarmersMktor for more BFM video content you can now go to http://vimeo.com/bridgeportfarmersmarket/videos
