After being so isolated at our last location we were happy to be closer to “civilization” at our next RV park, North River Campground NC in Shawboro.

Our cozy set up at North River Campground NC

This RV park was fabulous and beautiful. Surrounded by woods for nature’s beauty the park also offered a long list of amenities including a salt water pool, a pizza restaurant, security gate, convenience store, laundry, a boat ramp, mini golf, a stocked 5 acre lake to fish in and much more.

This was a fun place. We made new friends here who gave us lots of great tips about the area. And we even saw a mama bear and her little cubs as we drove out of the park gate. Unfortunately someone on a motorcycle was coming the opposite way and scared the sweet family back into the woods before I could get my photo. Still, it was a thrill to see them.

Farm market heaven

We chose North River because of its proximity to Kitty Hawk in the Outer Banks, or OBX as it’s lovingly known. (More about OBX in my next post.) But little did we know that we were in farm market heaven.

Powell’s Farm Market

Powell’s Roadside Market was a frequent stop for The Traveling Locavores

Lots to choose from at Powell’s Roadside Market

On our way back from marketing at Harris Teeter in Kitty Hawk we thought we knew the way, so we didn’t bother to use our GPS. After driving several miles further than we thought we should Steve finally made a U-turn. That’s when we spotted our first farm market, Powell’s. So, of course, we had to pull in. I was like a kid in a candy store. The jelly and jam section alone was a delight. I saw some that I just had to try like Damson Plum. And others that truly gave me pause. Toe Jam anyone? Or how about Traffic Jam? The ingredients sounded fabulous. Most berries. But somehow there was no way I could bring a slice of toast slathered with Toe Jam to my lips. So we just bought some of that Plum Jelly and a smaller jar of Hot Red Pepper Jelly.

Then we spied the candied nuts and quickly put a packages of Butter Toffee Virginia Peanuts in our basket. Along with a few fresh ripe peaches. A loaf of Lemon Cake and a long loaf of gorgeous braided Challah! They were out of scallops because it was late in the day. So we knew we had to return to try and buy some another day.

When we got back to Ladybug and unpacked our haul we immediately cut a couple of slices of the challah. Buttered them. And smeared that butter Challah with Damson Plum Jelly. Yummy yummy in our tummies!!! And then we made the mistake of opening the box of peanuts. They were so addictively good that we polished off the entire box that night. Oops.

Cinnamon Nut French Toast

Cinnamon Nut French Toast with Sausage

The next morning I made Cinnamon Nut French Toast from the Challah for brunch. It’s a dish we used to order at John G’s in Lantana, Florida that we loved. It’s really simple to make. I soaked thick slices of the challah in a mixture of eggs, milk, cinnamon and vanilla plus a pinch of salt. Then I heated some oil in my skillet over medium heat, drained the bread slices and added them to the skillet to cook on one side. While the first side was cooking I sprinkled the tops with sliced almonds and carefully flipped the slices to cook the other side. Once the French Toast was done and plated we drizzled pure maple syrup over the slices and enjoyed our brunch with some sausage links. Might even be better than John G’s!

Robert’s Ridge Farm Market

Robert’s Ridge Farm Market

Selecting our sweet white corn at Robert’s Ridge Farm Marlet

Our mission for after brunch was to go to Robert’s Ridge Farm Market for some sweet white corn. We were told by some new friends that Robert’s was the best place for corn. It is picked fresh every morning! When we got there it was a buzz with people selecting their corn. That pile was dwindling right before our eyes. While we waited we got to speak with the owner who told us that he would only be opened for one or possibly two more days. Due to cold weather his crop was half of what it had been in previous years. That meant he was only open for business half the usual number of days. Lucky for us we got to taste his amazing corn. Sweet as sugar and literally bursting with flavor in your mouth.

Our juicy, sweet, seedless watermelon straight from the farm stand

A luscious platter of local farm fresh fruit

Lovely fruit ready for the company of new friends

While we were at Robert’s we got a cute seedless watermelon and a ripe cantaloupe to serve that night since we were entertaining new friends. We also returned to Powell’s for more peanuts and those fresh off the boat scallops which were the best we’ve ever eaten.

Morris Farm Market

But wait. There’s more. We stopped at Morris Farm Market for fantastic peaches, tomatoes and cucumbers after a sightseeing trip to Kitty Hawk. As soon as we got back to North River Campground NC I turned that haul into a delectable salad for dinner.

Shiloh Market

Beautifully marbled Delmonico steaks from the Shiloh Market

Lean, beautiful boneless pork chops from Shiloh Market

“Green Cut” Sausages from Shiloh Market

And on our last day we ventured to the Shiloh Market for meat. To say this place was rustic would be a gross understatement. It is housed in what was once the Shiloh High School. This is a place where you can buy everything from motor oil to Delmonico steaks. We heard the meat there was awesome and cheap. And we were not misguided. We bought two gorgeous Delmonico steaks, four boneless pork chops and two packages of sausages, just because the name was intriguing. Have you ever heard of Green Cut sausages? From doing research I found out that chopped Swiss chard is added to the pork and seasoning mixture. I promise a recipe for the sausages is forthcoming.

When we daydreamed about RVing across the country we envisioned being about to taste America one bite at a time by buying our food at local farm stands and markets. This location perfectly fulfilled our vision.