“Variety is the spice of life, that gives it all its flavor,” is a verse attributed to William Cowper’s poem, “The Task (1975)
Of course, we all know that the meaning behind this expression is that life would be boring if everything were the same all the time. Cowper’s poem compares unseasoned food—which is bland—with an unexciting life, in which nothing new ever happens. Variety does to our lives what spice does to food and musicians do with their music. It makes it more fun, more interesting and more meaningful.
That being said, there is nothing boring about the Saratoga Farmer’s Market that is centrally located at West Valley College in Silicon Valley. Cecile and I frequent the market every Saturday morning. It has become one of our favorite rituals where we buy fresh organic produce at the peak of freshness, fresh orange juice, fresh bread and French pastries from Adorable French Bakeries from Santa Cruz, fresh Oren’s Authentic Israeli Hummus and Romanian eggplant spread and Pita bread, and alternate between rotisserie chicken hot off the spit from the Roti Rotie food truck, vegetable crepes, to Bahn mi (Vietnamese sandwich), or a breakfast burrito and tacos, from our favorite Mexican food stall, for immediate consumption or take-out lunch.
Like most farmer’s markets around the country, the Saratoga Farmer's Market gives consumers the opportunity to buy direct from local and regional farmers and growers and offers a venue for local artisans, bakers, crafters and food trucks to sell their products.
Other than our favorites mentioned above, consumers can choose from an array of foods like grass-fed beef, a variety of Chinese dumplings including pot stickers, Indian food, milk, eggs, homemade breads, cakes, pies, cookies, nut butters, olives, cheese, quiche, fresh and smoked fish, soaps, fresh flowers, etc.
There are plenty of free samples, friendly vendors and a diverse, colorful multi-cultural group of people to share this communal experience. It is much more pleasurable to stroll amidst outdoor stalls of fresh, colorful produce than rolling your cart around a grocery store with artificial lights and piped in music. It gives one a taste of small-town living in the midst of our busy high tech metropolis.
Before I forget, this colorful ambiance wouldn’t be complete without being serenaded by a multi-talented group of musicians from different genre’s. This last week Dwight Shackelford, a friend from an East Bay meditation center we used to frequent, and his fellow musician, Ron Augustinsky (drop the sky and add an e and you have our last name), who call themselves Bayou Noir named after Bayou Black in Dwight's hometown of Houma, Louisianna.
Dwight also has a four-piece electric band group called Les Amis Zydeco (The Friends) which has its roots in the swamps of deep south Louisiana as well as the Bay Area Cajun/Zydeco dance scene that was formed in the East Bay in 2003.
Bayou Noir performed at La Rinconada Country Club in Los Gatos Tuesday evening, March 5 for members and their guests in celebration of Mardi Gras.
Photo of Dwight performing a Cajun Accordion (aka, button or squeezebox or melodeon). The set up is the same as the sound of four harmonicas, all in the same key with different octaves
