South Mountain Creamery at the Saturday Farmers Market in Cooksville

Milk is the draw of the Saturday farmers market on Rte 97 in western Howard County. The milk -- and the cream, butter and cheeses -- from the South Mountain Creamery.

For me, the Sunday market in Oakland Mills brings vegetables close enough to Columbia. That market often has multiple farms, sometimes a flower and plant vendor, and as many as two bakeries -- including my favorite Bonaparte Bread. But the Saturday market in Cooksville was an easy stop on the way to pick peaches and blackberries at Larriland Farm, so we walked the parking lot to check it out. One farm stand. A bakery. Two women selling speciality dog treats. (http://www.franknbettys.com/).

It was the milk that drew Mrs. HowChow. I do most of our grocery shopping, and, ironically, I don't drink milk. My mother grew up in a dairy farming family and vowed not to force milk on her children. So I'm the dairy-farm progeny with no taste for the white stuff, even while Mrs. HowChow occasionally craves a cold glass, especially with cookies. Always with cookies.

South Mountain Creamery sells all types -- whole, 2% and a skim that they say tastes more like 1% than normal skim because they leave behind stuff that makes it taste like milk. In the whole, they have homogenized or "cream on top" milk that you can skim yourself to enjoy cream in your coffee. They were selling milk by the 16 oz glass if you want just refreshment. They also sell cheeses and butters -- plain and flavored. I bought a pound of butter, which was delicious spread that night on bread and on the corn that I bought from the farm stand (along with peppers and white eggplant). On Monday, I made garlic bread. Next time, I'll try the salted butter.

The woman from South Mountain said that their farm is open seven days a week with a store and an ice cream stand. In the afternoons (I think 4 pm), you can feed animals. It's a drive to Middletown near Frederick, but sounds like a fun little adventure.

Note: You pay a $1.50 deposit on the glass milk containers. Seems quite fair, but it does raise the initial price.

The Saturday Farmers' Market at Glenwood Library
9 am to 12:30 pm May to October (May 3-Oct. 25, 2008)
2350 State Road 97 (Roxbury Mills Road)
Cooksville, MD 21723
NEAR: Just south of I-70 on Rte 97. This is west of Rte 32

South Mountain Creamery
8305 Bolivar Road
Middletown, MD 21769
301-371-8565

NEAR: This is west of Frederick, so out of the county.