Farmers Market
The non-profit Lake Chapala Farmers Market is celebrating its 11th anniversary this month with a calendar of events sure to delight your palate.
Throughout March there will be a series of market-to-table events. Four locally renowned chefs have been invited to create meals using only products from the market.
Accepting this challenge are Gerard Militello of Jitomate Gourmet, Jorge Arias of Machimá, Chef Massimo of Palé and Emmanuel Campoy of Emmanuel’s Kitchen.
The market, held in La Huerta Events center in west Ajijic, is open every Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
On Tuesday, March 9, the Sarape Group will entertain shoppers, while Quique Smith performs on Tuesday, March 16. Also on March 16, an art exhibit, “Vivit Terrae: a tribute to generations of farmers and the land,” will be on display during the market’s opening hours. This exhibition is the brainchild of Luis Pinedo, the creative director of Coxala Grafica, which opened in 2014 as a gathering point for Lakeside artists looking to collaborate, learn and share knowledge and ideas.
A “Chef to Table Masterclass” with Massimo from Palé Restaurant will be held on Tuesday, March 16, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Massimo, a 26-year-old from Spain, will share his Mediterranean fusion cuisine.
Learn how to make authentic Spanish gazpacho, tapas and pintxos (basque, including vegan and vegetarian options. The challenge is that all ingredients must come from the Farmers Market!
More challenges will be held later this month, so look for information in this column.
Also planned are Chef’s Challenge dinners, whose cost has yet to be announced. There is limited seating, so reservations for all Chef Challenge events should be made via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and be purchased prior to the day of the event. Tickets can be purchased at the Tuesday Farmers Market a week prior to the event, or via PayPal.
All Covid-19 protocols will be followed.
For more information, email Diana Suárez at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Open Circle
Dr. Enrique Lopez presents “How to Maintain Brain Wellness” at the next gathering of Open Circle, Sunday, March 7, 10:30 to noon in the Lake Chapala Society (LCS) gardens.
Lopez will provide practical tools and lifestyle tips for keeping the brain healthy and vital. Additionally, he will describe how a professional diagnoses and assesses cognitive disorders, and differentiates between normal aging and a cognitive disorder such as dementia.
Attendance is limited to those who have registered at opencircle.org.
LCS classes
Mudlarks Pottery: LCS members are invited to join the new schedule of learning and independent working in its studio on the South Campus.
Introduction To Ceramics will cover basic hand building techniques of construction, glazing, and finishing and meets Mondays and Fridays, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Open Studio is for those who have completed one month of Introduction to Ceramics and offers the chance to work independently. It meets Monday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Lake Chapala Birders
Lake Chapala Birders will continue with reduced-size bird walks, which must now be reserved by email (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) ahead of time. Masks must be worn and social distancing is required. There will be no group breakfast at the end of the walk. Maximum attendance will be ten people. Reserve a space by email at least 48 hours ahead of each bird walk: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Monday, March 8, the group meets to carpool, 8:30 a.m., at the Old Train Station in Chapala, leaving immediately to bird the “Chapala Lakeshore East” including the pumping station. Expect to see a good selection of shore birds in various habitats. The train station is on the Lakeshore road just east of Cristiania Park in Chapala.
Wednesday, March 17, the group will bird the “Los Arrieros” trail in Ixtlahuacan de los Membrillos, which includes an overlook of some thick overgrown bushes and a small forest of tall trees. Meet to carpool, 8:30 a.m., at the gas station on the Chapala-Guadalajara highway at the intersection of the Ajijic Libramiento.
For more information or to inform the group about sightings of birds or nests, call John Keeling at 376-766-1801, or visit chapala-birders.org.