I Heart Portsmouth, NH

This past Saturday, as part of Jim's annual Birthday Fortnight (we usually just do Birthday Week, but we've been so busy that I granted him an extra 7 days--my right as Goddess of Birthday Week), we took off in the morning for a drive to Maine. The first order of business, however, was a stop in Portsmouth, NH. For our family, that usually means breakfast at The Friendly Toast. Great place for pancakes, killer French toast, and tasty Eggs Benedict. (Be sure to feed the meter in the lot out back, though; on our previous visit, I ended up owing the city of Portsmouth a whopping big $10--or maybe it was $20--because we'd overstayed the timer.)

I usually love walking around the Portsmouth downtown, one of the best examples of urban preservation/renewal/"town centerishness" in New England--shops, restaurants, coffee bars, benches to sit on. (Okay, it's almost theme-parkish, but I still love it.) But this Saturday, we instead went in search of the Portsmouth edition of the Seacoast Farmers' Markets, being held in the parking lot of City Hall. Which is NOT within walking distance of the town center area, unless you REALLY like to walk. Fortunately, we drove--I'm no fool. (Most of the time.)

We stocked up on organic everything--corn, tomatoes, melons, sugar snap peas. I love New England--where else in America do you see a sign on more than one stand one week before October that says "We'll have corn next week!"? In the rest of the country, corn season has come and gone, gone, gone.

According to the website, the Farmers' Market will be repeated every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. until the first week of November. So you still have time to get that corn, which should be ready for picking any day now. (And tell 'em Alison sent you--they'll have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, but I'm guessing they'll be polite about it.)

Portsmouth--check it out, and I'm guessing you'll heart it, too.