Last Thursday Jeph and I packed a picnic dinner and headed over the hill to the Marin Art and Garden Center (MAGC), in Ross, for the weekly farmer’s market, where there was also a band playing on the lawn. We’ve been walking downtown to our local San Rafael farmer’s market every week since moving here, and enjoying it, but also want to visit some of the other markets nearby. This was great because it introduced us to a new part of the area: Ross and Kentfield. On the short drive over Wolf Grade, meandering down a few side streets, we saw some lovely properties – great Sunday drive/bike/walk potential.

I read about the concert (part of a summer concert series) while looking around on the MAGC website, and was excited by the idea of a picnic accompanied by live music. What’s not to like about eating outside, on the grass, in the beautiful early evening warmth and setting sun, with a band playing? Apparently, many other people love the idea too, because the parking lot was full. Not a big deal; we found a spot up the street and walked back, picnic basket and supplies in hand.

After getting our weekly veggies and fruits on, we found a central spot on the lawn with a good mix of sun and shade. Out came the tapestry to sit on and appetizers: white wine, flatbread, and baba ghannouj (homemade, of course.) Jeph wondered if it was kosher to drink wine in this public setting – my response was that this is Marin County, the gateway to wine country, and people love to drink wine here. And, I was right, because, as we enjoyed ours and looked around, there were many others doing the same! One lesson learned, though, is that it is tricky to balance wine glasses on a picnic. So, next time we’ll either bring more sensible glasses (but that’s not as fun), or a flat surface to serve as a little table (I’m sure Jeph can fashion something.)

We had no idea what to expect from the band, “Rich Fike & Friends” (would love to give them a shout out here, but unable to find a website for them), and were quite pleasantly surprised. They were really good and did a bunch of fun classic rock and reggae – perfect for a lawn picnic.

Our main course was one of my personal favorites for picnic fare: Panzanella, also known as “bread salad.” I’ve been making it since my mid twenties. The recipe, cut from a newspaper, is tattered and faded, and not even really necessary at this point. As good food can do, preparing and eating this dish brings back memories of other fun times (a hot summer afternoon at Walden Pond, a windy day at Delores Park with family visiting from back east.)

As we enjoyed our meal and the music and looked around at the families and groups of friends doing the same – kids running around, pregnant moms, grandparents, old friends catching up – I celebrated the fact that this is where we have chosen to make our home and begin growing roots. The scene all around me there was confirmation of a wise choice!