Are you preparing for the 4th of July holiday? Well, the Fernandina Beach Market Place farmers market may have just what you need to celebrate Independence Day!

Start out with traditional appetizers such as Deviled Eggs made from farm fresh yard eggs found at booths by Naturals Springs Dairy (ten or 20 count) or Boatright Farms (available in 12 or 18 count packages). Simply Savory Gourmet offers over 40 flavors of easy to mix sweet, savory, or spicy dip packages. Pair one or two of those dips with a variety of freshly harvested vegetables found at any of our seasonal produce vendors and you will have a tasty platter that will delight, and impress, your guests.

If you want to show off why Fernandina Beach is famous for our local, wild caught shrimp, be sure to pre-order yours from Eddie or Debbie Chesser, of Chesser Seafood, at (904) 509-3337 or (904) 485-6853. This booth will sell out before 11:00 a.m.

Perhaps a steaming tray of homemade hot wings tempts your taste buds? Check out the B and D Hot Sauce Company booth. Danny, the “D” in B and D, has a simple recipe for cooking up 40 wings, with two sticks of butter, and 1/2 of a bottle of their “Hot” smoked bird pepper sauce, or Batch #5 (milder), for delicious wings. If you prefer to grill them, his spice rub is superb. Stop by their booth and Danny will give you the complete recipe.

All summertime picnics need fresh slices of tomatoes and cucumbers and you will find plenty at Kings Kountry Produce, as well as blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, and watermelon. To really impress your picnic partners, get to the market early and ask Tommy King if he has any yellow flesh watermelons. On the outside, this watermelon has a traditional appearance, but when you slice it open the watermelon is yellow – and every bit as tasty as you’d expect.

Finally, your 4th of July isn’t complete without a fresh baked pie. Stop by Me, Myself and Pies, and pick out your favorite savory, creamy, custard, or fruit pie. This week’s specialty is homemade apple pie.

From our families to yours, we’d like to wish you all a very happy and safe 4th of July, Happy Independence Day!