The remaining weeks of shopping at the Saturday morning farmers markets are getting fewer. We really try and make it every week at this point in the year, knowing that the long stretch of no outdoor markets is just ahead.
This past week, we took photos of what we bought (including the Dahlias, shown above, $4.) as an inspiration and reminder to squeeze in a visit before they close up shop for 2007. Here's what we brought home...
DELICIOUS French Breakfast Radishes, $2
Red Hen Baguette, which we ate for lunch when we got home, spread with butter and the radishes above, thinly sliced
More Dahlias!
Mini pumpkins, 2 for $1, just for fun
A few bunches of basil, for pesto and bruschetta
SCRUMPTIOUS Yellow Tomatoes, for the bruschetta mentioned above and sandwiches all week, $3
And, finally, another small bunch of flowers that we don't know the name of, $4 (and they are lasting really well by the way!)
All of the above was purchased last Saturday at the Farmers Market in the Lincoln Park High parking lot. We also recommend and enjoy the Green City Market. For more Chicago Farmers Market locations and info, check here.
What are your usual buys at the Farmers Market? Let us know your where, when and what's in the comments below...
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Comments (6)
The mystery blossoms in the bottom shot would be cool even all by themselves, but I really like the interaction of the cool red of the flowers, the warm red of the poster, the orange frame & the yellow robe: it reminds me of a bowl of Trix, the best-looking kids' cereal ever. The way the near-clash of the hot, vibrant colors is offset by the blue of the vase is just a bonus. Nice.
globe amaranth! I got some & asked what they were b/c they were so fun & straw-feeling.
A head's up: if you're looking for cold-season produce, the Green City Market doesn't close at the end of October, it just moves from its summer location at the south end of Lincoln Park to The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum (2430 N. Cannon Drive). You can probably expect greenhouse and hoophouse grown lettuce mix, arugula, spinach, etc.
And - I've heard the globe amaranth also called "gomphrena."
almost every time that I buy flowers at the farmers market. They start getting fuzzy and gross and I throw them away. This resently happened witht the globe amaranth that I bought. Any tips?
I've been enjoying a long and "fruitful" Summer of frequenting the farmers market. From the opening day of Green City Market on a drizzly day in May, picking out fresh asparagus and plant seedlings, to my weekly trip to Tuesday's Federal Plaza market. I've tried pretty earnestly to purchase all of my produce from the market this summer... and it has made me so much more creative and appreciative of the true flavor of locally grown produce. I did cheat a little bit - still buying bananas, avocados and oranges at the store as we don't grow those in the midwest. We still have a few more weeks until they close... be sure to check out the cute boys and produce at Nichols Farm, the amazing Sage & Rosemary soap from the Soap Artesians booth and the divine mushrooms from River Valley Ranch.
Out here in New England we're buying beautiful gladiolas that last for a week or more (and a steal at 3 for $2), lots of basil, and potatoes and carrots to start our fall soups. We've been talking of stocking up on the amazingly spiced local organic pork sausage available at our Saturday market, but at $7 a pound we haven't quite made the outlay yet.