John Buehler tells the story that once he finished college and needed a job, he convinced his father to get into the wine business. His dad was, among other things, General MacArthur’s former chief of staff, so organizing the new challenge was neither daunting nor unattractive to the senior Buehler.

As most folks know, the farmers’ market isn’t all about fruits, veggies and flowers. Each week, the produce offerings are supplemented by an array of beautifully handcrafted wares, ranging from soaps and candles to corn brooms and baskets.

I hate to gloat, but for those of you who opted to forgo the chilly rain and wind this past Saturday, you missed one helluvah show at the Portsmouth market. In addition to fall’s usual suspects of root vegetables, squashes, gourds, hearty greens, and apples, this week’s harvest included colorful peppers of every size and spice range, red chard, rainbow chard, baby lettuces, mustard greens, basil, cilantro, corn, watermelon,  red cabbage, green beans, yellow wax beans, shell beans, green and purple kale, ripe tomatoes, potatoes, beet greens, eggplant, salad turnips, baby leeks, colorful blossoms, and so much more. Even the farmers themselves seemed a bit surprised by the bounty.

A favorite cousin from Cape Cod came to visit last week, and we made a bit of a dent in the wine cellar.  Since he and his wife were around for just one night, we made the most of it. Argentinian Chardonnay, then Champagne helped us bear day three of downpours in the middle of our favorite part of the year. When the second bottle was emptied, we built a fire in the fireplace and decided indoors wasn’t such a bad thing.