Whew. I guess with it being Labor Day weekend and school starting and all, summer really is over, but what a summer - attendance at the Market was up, all that rain at the beginning was so crazy, once the produce got going it went gangbusters, etc. Our twin towns are full of people once again, though, and that means folks - especially new residents - are going to be looking for something to do that's busy, fun, and involving food. Market at the Square, duh.
Just because summer's over doesn't mean the Market is - our season runs through November 8, which means you can access fresh, local food until practically Thanksgiving - longer if you hit the co-op right across the parking lot, since they work with many of the Market vendors:
Co-op produce manager Jessy and General Manager Jacqueline take their haul of Market-purchased local produce back to Common Ground's new location at Lincoln Square Village
Here's what's on deck for Week 17 of Market at the Square:
Sweet Corn. We can see the end of the season from here, but in the meantime you must come out and avail yourself of a for-now plentiful sweet corn supply. Two major vendors I spoke with are planning on bringing large loads, so there should be plenty, even for the late crowd. Sick of eating it (is such a thing possible?)? Boil it, cut it off the cob, and freeze it in freezer bags. It tastes wicked good in January.
The season's last Moo Mobile. If you haven't tried the homemade ice cream from the Sidney Dairy Barn's Moo Mobile, this is the weekend to give it a shot, because after this Saturday, they're gone from the Market until next year. The chocolate is my fave, and the ice cream sandwiches have been a huge hit with the younger set. The Moo Mobile is in row five - you can't miss it.
Bagels and granola. It's not easy to find a good bagel in this town lately, but if you're not above toasting your own, Stewart's bagels will make you happy, indeed. Their granola/granola bars are powerfully good, too. They're also in row five, but they're only at the Market every other week.
Rain barrels. It's been unspeakably dry here for weeks - which, considering how wet it was earlier this year, seems to be a particularly cruel joke - and the water rates are going up, up, up. Maybe it's time to invest in one of these? If you visit Austin and Sarah, whose booth is in row 4 at the south end, they'll tell you how the barrels work and give you testimonials from local folks who've installed them and use them.
Weather forecast from the WILL guys is looking positive. Hopefully we'll see you there!
One more thing - I need some feedback. What do wish you could find at the Market that you've seen at other markets? Leave a comment or email me. Thanks!
7 comments:
Someone who makes baskets--like ones you could put your market purchases in as you shop.
i like to get all my salsa ingredients at the farmer's market, but i have to go to the grocery store for cilantro, so... cilantro plz!
port-a-pots...if I'm there with my 6 year old and am loaded down with produce, getting into the mall is difficult (impossible if I have my dog), so I resort to the gas station across the street which isn't really fair to their business.
I'd love to see the city bring their battery recycling tubes to the market each week. I think the response would be fantastic.
Rapini (broccoli rabe), savoy or any loose headed cabbage, parsnips, cilantro, would be lovely.
Any chance you could entice the flower guy back, whose stall was on the Illnois street side of the market? We miss his high quality, well designed, flower bouquets and the big bunches of curly willow.
I would like to have the option at vendors who sell by weight to pile up my tomatoes, beans, whatever in a provided dish/basket. Have the vendor subtract the weight of the dish/basket off the total weight. Then I could more easily avoid plastic bags and use the canvas ones I bring every time. (This was done at the co-op I grew up with ... you brought your own containers and weighed them but at the Market it seems more like it could be infrastructure.) If the dishes/baskets were provided by the Market, that would help encourage all vendors to offer that option.
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