Food, Books and Health Are the Focus of Fiddleheads In Litchfield

LITCHFIELD —With health concerns such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes on the rise, people are seeking out more healthful fare — not just to limit the impact of "bad" foods but also to increase the benefits of "good" foods.

The new Fiddleheads Market in Litchfield hopes to help consumers not only to find those healthful foods, but also to make it easier for busy individuals and families to eat and enjoy them.

The store is owned by Stephanie Weaver, a Litchfield attorney and the owner of the Litchfield Athletic Club, and by caterer/personal chef Anne Freeman. They call Fiddleheads a community market where the goal is to sell healthy and organic foods, to be an outlet for local farmers, and to offer both cooking lessons and precooked foods.

The shelves are stocked with health-food staples such as bulk nuts, seeds, grains, snacks, supplements, produce, "free trade" coffees and healthy cleaning products.

Locally produced products include maple syrup, eggs, beef, chicken, jams and jellies, raw milk, cheeses and soaps. The recent warm weather will most certainly bring locally grown greens and veggies.

There are two full-time chefs on staff in addition to Freeman, and they put out an abundance of hot and cold foods at the salad bar (the only one in Litchfield), including three fresh, store-made soups each day.

There’s also a grab-and-go section stocked with healthy sandwiches, which can be enjoyed in the store’s "community room," which has a free wireless internet hookup. The walls currently feature photos by a local photographer.

The store is decorated in colors that are warm, earthy and soothing (avocados and eggplants come to mind). The lighting isn’t jarring as it is in many grocery stores —which can be a welcome relief at the end of a work day.

Books are for sale here. Most of them are about food, cooking and nutrition, but bestsellers and rare and out-of-print titles can also be ordered through the store. Fiddleheads hopes to fill in the void left by the closing of Litchfield’s only bookstore.

Cooking classes, book signings and lectures may help make the store something of a community gathering place. The idea of bringing people together is appealing, Weaver said, in this fast-paced world.

It gives us the opportunity to renew relationships with the food, the land and each other.