Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Our neighborhood farmer's market


Though we generally get a lot of fruits and veggies to eat between my garden and my parents' garden, we love going to the farmer's market for things we can't do in our own gardens. Lucky for us, our wonderful neighborhood farmer's market is just a few blocks away.


This is our favorite baker from Praline Bakery in Bethesda, MD. Her baby just sleeps or hangs out while she sells the most delicious selection of yummies. I always try to get her breakfast croissants or the beautiful apple tart, but if you don't get there early, there are slim pickings. Today we were late because I went for a run and watered the garden first, so that dictated what we were able to have for breakfast. I undid the 300 calories I'd burned the moment I saw (and asked for, drooling...) the moist and spongy chocolate pound cake. My husband picked up a few of his favorite, the lemon drop cookies - sort of lemon Madelaine-like, lightly iced cookies. Older daughter particularly loves this booth, but it is her loss today as she's at a sleepover.


Here, my younger daughter at her favorite booth. There are two booths run by Amish families. They travel about 2.5 hours or so to get here faithfully every weekend. Lyric loves the peach lemonade and trying samples of homemade cheese. One of the families used to sell an amazing herb cheese, but they stopped making it. They do now sell homemade yogurt, which is a treat we'll need to try next time.

In the past couple of years, this family began selling freshly grilled (Can you imagine what an amazing sight and smell?) hamburgers and sausages. There's quite a line forming.
Today we tried a grilled sausage and when we couldn't decide upon how to top it, we asked how the vendor enjoyed it - freshly grated horseradish and ketchup (both homemade, of course). It was quite a delicious combination. Please DO try this at home.


I do have other new favorites. There is a new artisan sausage vendor who makes amazing spicy tasso, and I LOVE their prosciutto biscuits. I usually buy a bag and make a Southern gravy to eat them with. The prosciutto I used in last week's GTTC sandwiches were also from this booth.
After snapping some of these photos and sharing about what I have just a 10 minute walk away, I suppose we're really lucky to live where we do. It's a pretty cool spring-to-fall Saturday morning routine. Do you have a farmer's market near you? What's it like?

14 comments:

  1. Mmmm lots of yummy stuff especially homemade food. You are lucky living near a farmer market just a few blocks away.

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  2. We have a huge international farmers market near my house - it is full of wondrous things, but is kind of a pain to get in and out of it. I must prefer these smaller outdoor markets - it is how the one I just referred to started.

    The prosciutto biscuits sound marvelous!

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  3. You just made me so hungry! I think I will be dining out more in the next few weeks while hubby replaces our sink. I think that's a valid excuse, don't you?

    Our farmers market has not received my patronage this summer. I hope to get out there to get pumpkins though.I can't imagine halloween without those orange orbs.

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  4. It sounds like you have a very nice market in your area...and those prosciutto biscuits sound delicious. We have a small farmers market that we sometimes visit, often just to see what everyone is growing and selling or to find that special herb to plant in our own gardens.

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  5. How lovely to have that market so close. Sounds like you have quite a variety of items. I only made it once to the one in our town. Not real big, but still pretty good. No is "grilling" anything, although I wish they would.

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  6. We have several farmers markets nearby, but unfortunately I don't frequent them. Mostly because we have trucks on the side of the road selling fruits and veggies and they're cheaper and closer to home.

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  7. Yes we do have farmer's market. But I seldom go. They are far for me (lucky you!). I remember we have only vege produce in such markets. Those cakes, cookies and food are usually only seen in flea markets here. Hey, peach lemonade sounds good. Have a great weekend Wendy!

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  8. That all sounds fantastic! I know we used to have an every-other-weekend farmer's market about 10 minutes up the road, but I never remember to go check it out, so I'm not even sure if they still do it or not. I have seen a lot of other farmer's markets popping up around the island though, which makes me happy because I'm assuming (optimistically) that the increase in supply is due to an increase in demand.

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  9. Portland LOVES its farmers' markets! We have them on Saturdays, Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, so there is no excuse for not eating fresh. Most of the smaller, outlying markets are winding down this month, but the main one downtown stays open through November.

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  10. We have a farmer's market not too far from where we live. It is not as extensive as the one you describe, but it's getting more interesting every year. There's a man who sells delicious grass fed beef, a guy who grows and sells his own oysters and clams, several bakeries, and plenty of fruit and veggie vendors. In the fall, I make a point of stocking up on local garlic, which I use in my home made tomato sauce, and well into the winter. That lemonade sounds amazing!

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  11. That looks interesting! We have night markets here every Saturday. It is interesting too but in a different way. You mentioned Sniffovision in Jame's blog. If it is available, all of us would be craving for the spicy sausage you show above.

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  12. It must be real fun to browse through such market places and buy farm fresh items.

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  13. Hi Wendy, My mouth is watering. What delicious temptations. I'm lucky in that I've got three Farmers' markets to choose from. Saturday morning in my town and a nearby one. Then a Wednesday market at the nearby one. Lately though I've been going to a roadside market open all day every day. Their corn on the cob is to die for. Great post!

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  14. We have a farmer's market within a 5 minute drive of us. It's wonderful to have access to yummy local produce and good. Delicious.

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