This foodie can’t remember the days when farmers’ markets weren’t so ubiquitous. I love to buy top-notch produce straight from the growers and talk recipes or gardening tips with them.
I just returned from our local FM with the following produce:
Blenheim apricots - an ugly little apricot that beats all other 'cots, taste-wise. They’ll only be in season for a week or two, and then we’ll have to wait a year to taste them again.
First of the season black figs - sticky and pulpy and honey-flavored.
White nectarines - juicy and sugary. Makes good nectarine/habanero salsa.
Cavaillon melon - canteloupe-sized, green-striped white melons. The flavor is much more complex and delectable than a canteloupe. Alas, I can’t grow these in my own yard due to whitefly infestation.
Sungold cherry tomatoes - these orange fruit are the last word in sweet cherry tomatoes. Luckily, I have two plants in my raised beds and I’ll see if I can produce a crop of my own.
A samosa from the Indian foods booth. This and some apricots made lunch today.
What about your area? Have you any unique farmers’ markets/artisan booths to tell us about?
When I was a kid (back in the 60’s) in Orinda, CA, there was a guy who would drive a produce truck through our neighborhood and sell stuff from it; my mom would always buy from him when he came by because she grew up on a farm and was rather appalled by the quality of produce in the stores…
Look, I know that the borders of the forums are often fuzzy, and I know that food questions generally go in Cafe Society, but … this seems to me to belong in IMHO, as it’s a sort of “tell me about” places.
Hence, I’m moving the thread to a more appropriate forum.
There used to be a nice one in Nashville, until they tore it down and built the new one, which is just an outdoor mall for overpriced crap.
The best ones are in smaller towns. I love the smell of almost overripe peaches and strawberries.
Going to farmer’s markets is nice, but I think running a stall in one wouldn’t be nearly so… then again it depends on where you are. I know some farmers in S. Alberta who would rather not sell their produce through them; mostly to do with the 12am mad-paced harvesting and crossing their fingers hoping they will be able to sell it all and not bring back 500lbs of produce that they can’t store. It’s nice. but I wouldn’t want to make a living at it.
Oh yes store produce also comes from farms; it isn’t grown in test-tubes in sub-terranian gulags . It’s just grown and harvested a little different that’s all.
We have a great one in Sparks, Nevada. It’s got live music, food booths from local restaurants, craft booths and produce. It takes up several blocks and is near the Century Movie theater which has an interactive fountain…for the kids to play in. It’s like one huge party and it’s every Thursday night in the summer.
I’d like to think that the FM in San Francisco is the muthalode farmers’ market. They have an oyster bar booth! You stand at an ice-covered table order oysters on the half shell, fresh out of the Tomales Bay, and slurp them down. The quantity and quality of produce, meats and fish to be seen there are beyond description. There’s often some local chef doing a cooking demonstration, and some great hippie craftspeople. When we go there, it’s usually an all-day expedition.
I LOVE our Farmers Market.
It’s not big, not fancy, but I love the serendipity of planning dinner around whatever I find at the market. Sometimes you can score cheap shrimp caught that morning.
The lemonade is unbelievable, and there’s a My Big Fat Greek Tent that sells unbelievable, giant gyros and sphaghetti ice cream, which is vanilla ice cream our of a soft-serve spout that dispenses it in long linguine like strands, topped with “sauce” (strawberry preserves).
There’s live music, and even if it’s not good, there’s a giggly exaggerated folksy Judy Collins aspect to it.
Oh and did I mention the crepe stand? Unfrigginbelievable. They use fresh basil, pesto, fresh mushrooms, all sorts of delicious stuff.
Our market has a stringent anti-country crafts policy, and although that’s fine when it comes to the absence of crocheted toilet paper covers and peach pits painted and winger like little angels, it would be nice to have a bit more variety.
The jurying process is so snobbish that all they offer is pottery, jewelry and soap.
Finally, though, someone’s wisened up and offered gourmet dog biscuits for the many pooches that come through.
Bleh, our farmers market is crap. It seems to cater nearly exclusively to health nuts who don’t mind paying $40/kg for some pre packaged, organic lettuce or upper-middle class soccer moms who like to feel they can cook without going to all that effort of learning. Granted the produce is slightly fresher but the hike in price is not worth it.
Our farmer’s market here in Topeka is held on Saturday. It used to be strictly produce, but two years ago the powers that be decided to unbend and started letting the arts and crafts in, also prepared foods like pies, rolls, cookies, and so on. And there are at least three places selling coffee and breakfast items.
The effect of the change has been an increase in attendance. There are nearly double the booths there used to be. And a lot more vendors are offering potted plants, flowers, herbs, and so on. Today there were several booths with an incredible variety of day lillies. I’ve been going every week just to enjoy looking around, and I always end up buying something.
. It’s just grown and harvested a little different that’s all.