Photo credit: The Sun/Algerina Perna

There are more than farmers at the farmers' markets in Maryland, that's for certain.

There are pastry chefs, flower-sellers, a guy who makes products out of the wax his bees produce. There is a woman who sells sachets and home-made dried herb combinations. And there is a guy selling polished slaps of wood that make beautiful cutting boards. There is a woman selling hot dogs and fresh coffee. And a church lady selling sweet potato pies.

I go to the farmers' market with my money in my pocket. Maybe just a $10 bill some Saturdays, and when it is gone, it is gone. And I often get more than I can easily carry.

I stuff the green peppers I buy. I bake the eggplant. I wrap the cantelope in slices of ham and serve them to the guests on my deck. I buy boxes of over-ripe Italian tomatoes and make roasted tomatoes and freeze them, pulling them out when I need a fancy cocktail party treat. I slice the kernals off of ears of corn and make corn and scallop chowder.

I live all summer long on tomato sandwiches and fresh corn on the cob.

I have such a feeling of gratitude toward these farmers. Their hard work makes my life better and sweeter in so many ways.

Here's a link to a list of farmers' markets in Maryland.