Organic Pink Lady Apples

I love featuring markets that are unexpectedly vibrant. As a desert, people don’t generally assume Las Vegas will offer much in terms of fresh, artisan food, but Kari Rose shows us otherwise.

Kari is the owner of Hip Chix a women’s & children’s clothing wholesaler that supplies to boutiques, salons and online websites. She also runs Little Hip Chix, a place where children learn about fashion and the basics of sewing.

Farmers Market Update: Las Vegas

by Kari Rose

Las Vegas

Who says Vegas has no culture? I am a native of Las Vegas and boy, has Vegas changed. Every time I tell someone I live in Vegas, they say, “Where?  On the strip?”

Vegas is more than hotels, showgirls and gambling. We have several communities with great shopping, restaurants, parks, theatre and farmers markets.

Farmers Market

Vegas farmers markets started here in 1999 in local community parks. Now, we’ve got a number of markets including one of my favorites, Fresh52 & Artesian Market (fresh52.com). This market is in two locations weekly: Summerlin and Henderson. The Summerlin location (Tivoli Village at Queensridge) is closest to my home and has become my Saturday ritual.

This market has 30-40 vendors and anywhere from 500-1500 shoppers weekly. One of the things I love about this location is how the market is nestled in a European Shopping village. In the summer, with the Vegas triple-digit temperatures, it is nice that there is an indoor walk-in area too.

This market features locally and California grown seasonal produce, baked goods, gourmet oils, salsa, spices, teas, nuts and handmade crafts.

Last weekend the Fresh52 & Artesian Market was quite festive.  I was greeted by Christmas carolers, Santa and Nutcracker characters promoting their upcoming performances at the Paris Hotel here.

Carolers

My first stop, Pink Lady apples from Bentzler Family Farms-Fresno, CA-Organic. So crisp and juicy. Next stop was D&D (Dan & Debbie Garrison) for some vegetables. This couple gathers fruits and vegetables from many farms in Fresno, CA (Yang Farms, Thao Produce & Bentzler Family Farms) throughout the week and brings them to Las Vegas.

One of my interesting finds was the exotic fruit, Budda Hand from Murray Family Farms in Bakersfield, CA. The Budda Hands were interesting looking and so fragrant you could smell them from several feet away.

Buddha's Hands

The indoor, walk-in portion of the market had lots to offer….

Fresh Produce

I was happy when I saw three heads of cauliflower waiting for me for my favorite weekly dish from Darya, Curried Roasted Cauliflower. I never liked cauliflower until I tried her recipe and now my daughter & I are hooked!

Cauliflower

There are a handful of locals producing homemade salsa, jam, honey, pasta, olive oil & balsamic vinegar. One of my favorite vendors is True Foods (truefoodslv.com). I stop by the booth each week to see Scott and pick up three containers of his salsa. He makes 5 styles: House, Scott’s Pico, Taco Shop Green, Death Salsa and Guacamolito. My favorite is the House (cilantro free) but his most popular is Guacamolito. When I spoke with him today I loved his salsa even more.

True Foods Salsa

He told me he met his wife at age 12—they were high school sweethearts, got married and both became middle school science teachers (with Master degrees). When they had a child, they decided to take turns taking a sabbatical from work so they could start their business and stay home to raise their child.

Right now Scott is taking his turn staying home, making salsa, and caring for their child. On the weekends, he and his wife sell their salsa at the farmers market. They also distribute to Whole Foods.

Salsas

Dried Fruit – Valley Best: Locally grown although the tropical are from California ()

Dried Fruits

Jams – Miguel’s Homemade Salsa & More: (Pahrump, NV), No preservatives, uses Las Vegas farmers market produce &  grandmother’s recipe.

Jams

Teas & Seasonings – Bloomin’ Desert Herb: 85% locally grown herbs-organic & fare trade

Dried Herbs

Honey – Pahrump Honey Company-est. 1999

Mesquite Honey

This honey is delicious! It’s pure, raw, desert honey from bees working the Great Basin Desert.
Bistro Blend:  Locally produced balsamic vinegar, olive oils and basting sauces—All oils and vinaigrettes are from Napa. I mix the Basil Garlic Parmesan Vinaigrette with their Meyer Lemon Olive Oil, toss it in my vegetables or drizzle it over mixed greens. Delicious!

I stopped to taste some great smelling sausage…

Sausages

Tassoni’s Italian Sausage – locally-made, no preservatives, MSG, or nitrates (25% less fat and sodium). They make several great flavors (Sweet & Hot Romano Cheese, Sundried Tomato & Garlic, Cilantro & Onion, Andoville & Bratwurst) my favorite was the Sweet Romano Cheese.

Another great stop was Veg Out. When a vegan couple lost their jobs, due to the economy, they decided to start their own business. They make 5 new vegetarian dishes weekly using locally grown ingredients, no added fats and oils.

Veg Out

There were many other vendors I enjoyed getting to know. At this booth you can buy delicious Cajun boiled peanuts made with pickles. The peanuts had the consistency of a baked potato.

Boiled Peanuts

One more thing … I usually buy these delicious dill green beans each week. They remind me of my Dad who had his own recipe. He was always canning and loved to share with his friends.

Pickled Green Beans

Of course, I couldn’t leave without having a little taste of dessert. I found homemade fudge with holiday flavors:  Pumpkin, Candy Cane & my favorite (featured flavor) Red Velvet.

Red Velvet Fudge

The market wasn’t at full capacity due to the holiday weekend so my purchases were lighter than normal. These were my purchases for the day:

• Apples-Bentzler Farms-$7.50
• Red Peppers, Cauliflower, Beets, & Onion-D & D-$14.25
• Raw Cinnamon Honey-Pahrump Honey-$12.00
• Salsa-True Foods-$9.00
• Sausage-Tassoni’s-$5.00

Worth every penny… nice afternoon, great food and a great time putting this together.

The goods

Tiny Chili

Ashley Hennefer is the Green Editor at the Reno News & Review, the editor of Wildflower Magazine, and a graduate student the University of Nevada, Reno. Born and raised in the Bay area, she’s lived in Northern Nevada for ten years and has fallen in love with its agricultural community and environment. Check out her personal blog, follow her on Twitter or add her on Facebook.

Farmers Market Update: Reno, Nevada

By Ashley Hennefer

We Nevadans love our agriculture, and here in Northern Nevada we have a unique and vibrant farmers market culture. While our unpredictable weather has its perks—including our beautiful snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountain range and an abundance of frost-thriving apple trees—it also means that our farmers market season is short. By mid-September, nearly all of our markets are closed. We have a great local food co-op in Reno and several of our farms are open throughout the year, but that’s about it. Luckily, Reno’s Garden Shop Nursery has begun hosting an indoor farmers market on Sundays from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., and last weekend I checked it out.

The Garden Shop Nursery is especially beautiful during the fall and winter months, especially with all of their beautiful flowers.

Orchids

I’m thankful that it is close to my house so I can still go to the market even when it snows. I was not expecting the market to be very big—and I was right. The little market was tucked away in the back corner of the nursery. However, the vendors and Garden Shop Nursery staff did a great job setting up all of the tables. There was a pleasantly decent selection of items to choose from, and all of the vendors from Nevada and California were enthusiastic and passionate about their products.

I had an idea of what I wanted to purchase: I’ve been on soup-making kick, so I wanted to find a few items to use for that. I also wanted to find some great seasonal items, and maybe a few things I’d never tried before.

Despite the size of the market, everything was nicely displayed in baskets and bins. I got there around half way through the day and there was a crowd, although it may have just seemed that way because of the size of the room. It was warm and cozy and everything smelled great.

I first stopped to check out the onions, garlic, potatoes and squash. We picked three onions and a small spaghetti squash.

Onions and Potatoes

We use garlic often in my household but I passed on it this time since I am growing some of my own. I also passed on potatoes, although they looked tempting displayed in their baskets.

Potatoes

Because we got there after the initial rush, we missed some of the items, like farm fresh eggs (bummer!), which sold almost instantly according to the vendor. The vendor also had other items on display such as locally made pet food, salsa and tortilla chips.

Pet Food

I passed on all of these, although I tried a sample of the salsa and it was delicious. It’s on my list for this week’s shopping!

Another vendor, who had ventured to Reno from Northern California, had an eclectic assortment. His produce was very colorful and unique.

Colorful Produce

I could eat tomatoes 24/7 but they are hard to come by at this time of year since our climate is harsh on these types of plants. I did score a few, which ended up being flavorful but not nearly as much as the ones I had a few weeks earlier (one of the many sacrifices we Nevadans make).

Tomatoes

There were some bitter melons available, which I think are really cool looking, but these ones looked a bit moldy.

Bitter Melon

I was surprised at the presence of jujubes—which I’ve actually never had before! I didn’t really know what to do with them so I didn’t get any but if there are some this weekend I might try them out.

Jujubes

There were also persimmons, which I’ve never had before either. I recently saw an interesting recipe for using them on a pizza and figured I’d give it a try, plus their lovely orange color was too tempting to pass up.

Persimmons

Green beans are a favorite of mine and I snagged some before they were all gone.

Green Beans

Pomegranates are one of my favorite seasonal foods and the vendor had a nice selection, including this giant one! This photo doesn’t do it justice but this is definitely the largest pomegranate I’ve ever had.

Large Pomegranate

There were also walnuts which I thought would be great on the persimmon pizza I plan to make.

Walnuts

We got some red and black plums but the bin for the white was nearly empty already.

White Plums

After our bag was heavy with fruits and veggies, we headed to the meat area. We have some amazing farms around here and I really wanted to get some fresh cuts. I was surprised to see a fish vendor, who had also traveled from California, but he had sold most of his inventory. I’m curious to see what he will have available this week.

Fish

I could smell the sausage from Collis Ranch table several feet away. Luckily they were giving out samples (I love free samples).

Sausage

We bought two packages of sausage since we rarely eat it—one spicy and one mild–and both types were delicious.

There were other items at the farmers market like olive oil concoctions, handmade bags and jewelry, but I’m kind of a traditionalist and chose to stick just with food. I was surprised at how many items we were able to get even at a small market. I plan to visit weekly, and as much as I love Nevada winters, I look forward to what the spring brings.

Bounty

My bounty (pictured above):

• Tomatoes
• Onions
• Black plums
• Red plums
• Persimmons
• Green beans
• Small spaghetti squash
• Sausage from Collis Ranch

Want to share your farmers market with Summer Tomato readers? Read the guidelines then drop me an email!

Guatemala

Karen Merzenich is a former pastry chef from San Francisco. She writes (mostly) about recipes and travel at Off The Meat(Hook). You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter (@offthemeathook).

Farmers Market Update: Dia de los Muertos, Guatemala

by Karen Merzenich

Last week I was traveling in Guatemala and had the great pleasure of visiting a farmers market in Santiago de Sacatepequez, a town that’s about a 30 minute drive from the main Guatemalan tourist town of Antigua. It was a festival day, so the market was in full swing.

One common Guatemalan fruit for sale is the nispero. I have never heard of this fruit before, but when I looked it up it was translated as “sapopilla” or “naseberry.” It was described as being similar to a plum, but a little more tart and with a mango-like fibrous pit. Guatemalans eat nisperos raw, and they also use them to make wine. I love how they’re displayed on a bed of banana leaves.

Nisperos

I was surprised to see rambutans in Guatemala – I always assumed they were only grown in Asia. In Guatemala, they are called momochinos.

Rambutans

Avocados grow wild all over Guatemala at this time of year, and many indigenous people make a living by collecting wild avocados in big bushels and selling them to vendors or at the market.

Avocados

Radishes are in season too, and on many menus at this time of year. Here a young girl displays them on a piece of hand-woven Mayan cloth.

Radishes

By November, the corn growing season is nearing its end, but you can still find maiz negro (black corn) for sale, raw or roasted.

Black Corn

The black corn is also ground to make masa (dough). for black tortillas, which have a very distinct flavor compared to the white or yellow corn tortillas. Women roll the masa heavily over a piece of volcanic rock. Then, they pat them into thick tortillas and toast them on a large flat metal plate over an open fire.

Making Black Corn Tortillas

Some market vendors don’t even set up a stall—they just sell what they have off the back of their pickup truck.

Pickup Truck Vendors

I had specifically visited Santiago de Sacatepequez at this time of year so I could attend their well-known Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration. November 1st is an official holiday for Guatemalans—so they can spend the day in celebration of their deceased friends and family members. In Santiago, the day’s activities combine elements of Catholicism with Mayan traditions. Because it was a festival day, there were special kinds of food for sale, like these half chickens with cooked eggs inside and whole fried lake fish.

Chicken With Eggs

Another special food people eat on this day is sweet potatoes, yams, pumpkins, or small plums cooked in a cinnamon-infused brown sugar syrup. Sticky, sweet and tasty!

Sweet Potatoes and Plums

On Dia de los Muertos people come to Santiago from far and wide and converge on the cemetery. The families spend the morning painting the graves with bright colors. Once the paint is dry, they buy marigolds and other long-lasting flowers, evergreen wreaths, and pine needles to adorn the graves. The fragrant pine needles from the surrounding hills are not only used on Dia de los Muertos but for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, and other important holidays. (When I explained that we only use green wreaths for Christmas in the U.S., they thought it was crazy.)

Decorated Graves

As the day goes on, people sit on and around the graves and enjoy a special lunch. Many splurge on the variety of freshly grilled meats available in the market.

Grilled Meat For Sale

All day long, people in the cemetery proudly display and fly enormous homemade kites, which are made by painstakingly cutting and gluing tissue paper shapes together. The round kites are backed with bamboo poles for stability. It generally takes a team of people 2-3 months to make each kite.

Paper Kites

Minneapolis Farmers Market

Bruce Bradley is a consultant, author, blogger and lifelong foodie from Minneapolis, Minnesota. After working for over 15 years as a marketer for several of the world’s largest food companies, Bruce finally awakened to “the green side of life” and is an avid supporter of the eat local, real food movement. He now offers his unique insider’s perspective on processed foods via his blog and a soon-to-be-released novel, FAT PROFITS. To learn more about Bruce Bradley you can subscribe to his blog, follow him on Twitter @authorbruce or check him out on Facebook.

Farmers Market Update: Minneapolis, Minnesota

by Bruce Bradley

Minneapolis Farmers Market Sign

The Minneapolis Farmers Market has been a long-standing fixture of the Twin Cities fresh produce scene. Its current Lyndale Market location opened in 1937, but its roots trace back to a fruit and vegetable market established in 1876. Located on the outskirts of downtown, the Minneapolis Farmers Market is held outdoors under three huge red sheds and stakes claim to the title “Largest Open Air Market in the Upper Midwest.”

Run by the Central Minnesota Vegetable Growers Association, the farmers market is open from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., 7 days a week from May to December. On Thursdays, a special farmers market is held downtown along Nicollet Mall, a place made famous by Mary Tyler Moore’s hat toss in the opening credits of her 1970’s sitcom.

Minneapolis Farmers Market

I decided to visit the farmers market downtown this week. It was a beautiful, sunny Indian Summer day in Minneapolis. Fall is at its peak here, so the red, orange, and yellow trees lining the streets created a wonderful backdrop to my shopping adventure.

Although many summer vegetables like tomatoes, green beans, and corn were still plentiful, fall vegetables have taken center stage. Brussel sprout stalks and squashes were available at many vendors and a number of local Apple Orchards were showing off their amazing crop.

Apples

During the summer my CSA keeps me pretty well stocked in vegetables. Although I love the CSA experience, what I miss about the farmers market is getting to choose exactly what I’m going to buy. That said, the hardest part of shopping at the farmers market is wanting to take home a little bit of everything and this week was no exception. Take a look at these squash! I love squash, especially all the fall varieties. Although these beautiful Carnival Squashes were calling my name, after reading Summer Tomato’s recipe for Delicata Squash, I knew delicata was on the top of my shopping list.

Winter Squash

If you love food and you haven’t gone to your local farmers market, you’re really missing out. It’s a great place to explore different varieties of vegetables that you just can’t find at your local grocery store, like these white radishes …

White Radishes

and these Indian eggplant …

Eggplant

Spinach is one of my personal favorites, and these were so green and fresh. I love making spinach salad, sautéed spinach, or … some creamy spinach soup would be especially perfect on a cool fall day. The vendor assured me she would have some more spinach this weekend, so I passed on it for now. But believe me, it was tough call.

Spinach

Raspberries are my son’s favorite, and I think the best varieties ripen in the fall. Not only are they more flavorful, but they’re also a little bit sweeter than the ones that are available during the summer. These will be perfect for dessert or breakfast in the morning, so they’re a definite addition to my bag.

Raspberries

Variety is the spice of life, and it’s always fun to check out things you’ve never seen before. Seed heads from sunflowers were new to me this trip. Although I love experimenting, my bag was already getting pretty full, so I passed on these beauties for now.

Dry Sunflowers

I also was tempted by these red moon beans. Their rich purple color was very alluring, but the vendor didn’t understand English so I couldn’t learn anything about them. I Googled them when I got home, but unfortunately I still couldn’t find anything about them. Does anybody know about this variety of bean? I’d love to learn more about them so please share what you know in the comments.

Red Moon Beams

Fresh smells are one of my favorite parts of shopping at farmers markets. I was standing a few stalls down wind from this huge bunch of dill weed and it caught my nose’s immediate attention. Yum!

Dill

Next to the dill was a colorful array of chili peppers, tomatoes, beets, and potatoes. I LOVE beets, so they were an easy choice for me to add to my bag.

Chilies and Beets

When you read Summer Tomato’s Farmers Market updates, you learn how each area of the country (and world) has their own specialties, so I thought I’d feature a couple items that I think are a little more unique to the Upper Midwest:

Pickles are a local favorite in Minnesota. Everyone seems to have their own secret recipe, and it’s something I’d like to try my hand at making sometime. The pickle bar at the farmers market is a great place to figure out exactly what your favorite type of pickle is and buy it. Bread and butter pickles are hands down my top choice.

Pickles

Two other local foods from our neighbor to the east, Wisconsin, are cheese and cranberries. I had never heard of “cheese curds” until I moved to Minnesota. Although I don’t buy them very often, they’re amazing especially when fresh. These curds were made yesterday from rBGH free milk, so I couldn’t resist them. And as any Wisconsin native will tell you, the only way to know if your cheese curds are fresh is to taste them. If they squeak between your teeth, they’re fresh, and these were squeakingly delicious.

Cheese Curds and Cranberries

Now while everyone knows cheese is a huge Wisconsin favorite, not many people know that Wisconsin is the country’s largest producer of cranberries. I didn’t pick up any of these plump berries this week, but I made a mental note to get them in a couple weeks. Thanksgiving is just around the corner and there’s nothing better than a fresh cranberry relish.

My Purchases

What I bought (pictured above):

• Corn
• Delicata squash (I’m going back for more. I just made Darya’s Delicata Squash recipe and it was AMAZING!)
• Butternut Squash
• Ambercup Squash
• Beets
• Green Beans
• Cheese Curds – Ellsworth Creamery
• Raspberries (Unfortunately they got a little crushed. Maybe I should order one of Darya’s new Mercado bags.)

I <3 Farmers Markets

Flowers

I’m Sharon Steed and I’m a freelance writer from Chicago. I go to Memphis a few times a year to visit some family I have down there, and this was the first time I went to the farmers market there. I lovecooking, reading, Housewives (the ladies from Beverly Hills are my favorite) and wine. You can follow me on Twitter @sharonsteed.

Farmers Market Update: Memphis

by Sharon Steed

99 degrees. That’s how hot it was at 10:00am when I got to the Memphis Farmers Market. I was in town visiting family for Labor Day weekend, and I wanted to explore something more than the Memphis night-life for this trip. The farmers market was a good way for me to see what else the city had to offer, and it helped me not gorge on yummy southern food for four days.

Memphis is known for a few things including the enormous contributions to American Music (Graceland is a little south of downtown), the Beale Street bars and good old southern hospitality. It’s not, however, known for being a hub for healthy, locally grown food. And that’s where the Memphis Farmers Market (MFM) comes in.

Memphis Farmers Market

The MFM is a non-profit corporation in the State of Tennessee. They’re dedicated to providing local food choices, improving public health, educating the community on nutrition and serving as a community gathering place.

Peaches

This was my first time venturing out during daylight hours while in Memphis, and I was pretty surprised at how much the city had to offer. The market is in the heart of downtown Memphis, and only a few blocks away from the Mississippi River and Beale Street. It was miserably hot that day – especially for someone from a cooler city like Chicago. But that didn’t stop the smiling faces and perky families from getting healthy eats.

Beets

I love cooking, but I rarely take time out to do it on vacation. Since I was in town for a long weekend, I figured this was a good opportunity to change that up. Spaghetti squash is a little bit time-consuming to cut and carve, but it’s so worth the energy. And I figured I could convince some of my family to have a few bites since it looks like linguini.

Spaghetti Squash

I’m obsessed with tomatoes; I put them on pretty much everything. Sometimes I even just eat them alone with maybe a little dressing. They’re a perfect vacation food because you can always find a simple greens to mix them with and it only takes a minute to cut up a couple.

Summer Tomatoes

Apples are a good travel food since they’re sturdy and don’t leak. I picked up some for the eight-hour drive home.

Apples

About half of the vendors there were selling artwork. This steel heart caught my eye.

Steel Heart

I also saw some beautiful wood tree houses and I spent a few minutes talking to a really sweet man who made them by hand.

Gas Station Bird House

The granola vendor was the first one I stopped at when I got to the market, and I’m glad I did. Finding good granola is pretty difficult as I gather it’s quite challenging to make. This granola from Groovy Foods was probably the best I’ve ever had.

Granola

My mom and I have been enjoying baked stuffed peppers lately, and these were so vibrant and flavorful that it was immediately on my list for an easy vacation meal.

Green and Purple Bell Peppers

I was really surprised to find out that the MFM was non-profit solely focused on bringing together area farmers to sell healthy foods. The farmers market has its own outdoor facility and is run by a board of directors. The sense of community was so refreshing, and, as an out-of-towner, I was blown away by everyone’s hospitality. Memphis is a special place for me, and the MFM is now a go-to spot for all of my future visits to one of my favorite cities.

Onesie!

What I bought:

• Apples
• Roma tomatoes
• Dark Star Granola from Groovy Foods
• Spaghetti Squash
• Green and Purple Bell Peppers

Eggplant

Ali is a reformed loather of all-things cooking. She recently found her inner chef after losing herself in the farmers markets and local grocers of Washington D.C. She now counts cooking with her beloved husband among the highest joys in life. Ali lives life through her taste buds, and considers the countless foods growing and living on this earth as true gifts from God.

Ali works for the United States Army in public affairs and communications and is also an instructor of cause and non-profit related communications at Georgetown University.  She has a master’s of public relations and corporate communications from Georgetown University, and lives outside D.C. with her husband and two overfed felines. When not in the kitchen, Ali enjoys training for triathlons and bikram yoga, though is admittedly terrible at and uncommitted to both. She can be found on LinkedIn as Ali Zimmer Sanders, or on Twitter as @AliZimmer.

Farmers Market Update: Eastern Market, D.C.

by Ali Sanders

Every weekend, DC’s Capitol Hill sheds its buttoned-up, political shell and exposes its warmer, friendlier side through its Eastern Market. Thousands pour in every Saturday and Sunday to walk the colorful streets and choose among the myriad odds and ends in an endless party for the senses.

Eastern Market

Eastern market is a veritable mecca for vintage furniture and hand-made art, jewelry, soaps, beauty products and clothing. But the greatest draw of DC’s longest-running farmers market is the local, homegrown and farm-raised food.

My family visited us this past weekend for Labor Day, and we had lofty ambitions for cooking something special together at each meal. I introduced them to a realer side of our city, devoid of memorials and museums, tourists on Segues, and pretention. Eastern Market serves, twice a week, as DC’s thumping heartbeat, where the energy, excitement and lust for life among DC-ists is palpable.

Prior to flinging ourselves into Eastern Market proper, we enjoyed the offerings of the various merchants flanking the market on Capitol Hill. We started with a coffee and various French provisions at Montmartre, followed by deep diving into the extensive and cavernous Capitol Hill Books. We emerged ready to take it by storm.

Eastern Market consists of an indoor area for perishables like meat, dairy and seafood, and a colorful and extensive outdoor area for everything else, including all fruits and vegetables. We started at the peach stand. Can you blame us?

Snow King Brand Peaches

These peaches suffered the fate of becoming the evening’s dessert. We sliced them, grilled them, basted them in a melted unsalted butter, cinnamon and brown sugar mixture, and dumped them, still hot, on vanilla ice cream. We then drizzled a simple raspberry sauce (made by crushing and heating raspberries over the stove and adding a touch of sugar).

A peach and tomato smorgasbord

Also on the side to drizzle over the dessert was fresh, local honey… purchased today.

Local honey – did I mention how delicious this tasted

For dinner, we created a linguini pasta mixed with fresh, late-summer veggies and a healthy amount of good-quality extra virgin olive oil. We included some of these beautiful, juicy tomatoes, almost too pretty to chop. We could sample each farmer’s tomato offering before buying the meatiest ‘maters for our meal.  This was the winner today!

Agora Farms Heirloom Tomatoes

We removed the casing from this sausage, cut it into small pieces and sautéed it for the pasta, keeping the juices for our sauce.

Sausage

Chopped zucchini and onion complimented the flavors perfectly.

My mom displays her zucchini selection

Add chopped mozzarella, just a drizzle of marinara and a splash of parmesan.  It will rock your world.

Onions

We continued our meanderings through the market looking for the ingredients for the rest of the weekend. We decided to make berry pancakes for the next morning’s breakfast, and Coquille St. Jacques, sautéed asparagus, and oniony rice pilaf for the following evening’s dinner.

Here are a few more photos from our day in Foodie Heaven. Call me inexperienced in the world of brussel sprouts, but these were by far the daintiest, smallest sprouts I’ve ever seen. Perfectly bite-sized!

Brussels Sprouts

Not a very good day for these poor dudes. But the extensive seafood selection was impossible to resist. Enter our sea scallops. They don’t have faces, so it was easier to nom them later 😉

Blowfish! The notoriously deadly sushi fish

My brother’s favorite – sunflowers.

Sunflowers

Fragrant herbs abounded. The merchant knew special tips about each herb and how best to use them in meals.

Herbs

Here’s to breakfast! The next morning, we paired homemade blueberry pancakes with smoked bacon and local coffee.

Blueberries

I have a special place in my heart for shiny, plump little blackberries. These were just gorgeous.

Blackberries

At this time of year, when in the presence of black cherries, seize the day! Summer is almost gone.

Black Cherries

Agora farms Oyster & Shitake mushrooms.

Mushrooms

I wonder why the basil in my garden looks nothing like this.

Basil

Gracie samples Spanish manchego cheese in the market to go with our Spanish tempranillo wine.

Cheese

The first sign of impending fall and many more seasonal blessings to come.

Pumpkins

Our grocery list:

• Peaches
• Honey
• Tomatoes
• Sausage
• Scallops
• Blueberries
• Onions
• Zucchini
• Manchego Cheese

Would you like to share your farmers market with Summer Tomato readers? Find out more.

Community Supported Agriculture

This is the first Farmers Market Update describing a CSA (community supported agriculture) box, and I absolutely love it. Thanks Samantha!

If you’d like to share your own CSA or farmers market with Summer Tomato readers, please read this and contact me.

Farmers Market Update: Central Farmers’ Cooperative

by Samantha Jones

I’m Samantha Jones, a Bay Area girl who now lives in LA. I’m getting a masters in public health at UCLA (which is awesome) and I love running, cooking, and dreaming about growing my own veggies.

Wednesdays are the most exciting day of my week. I leave work or class, rush to a designated pick-up site, and retrieve a mystery box! I head home, joyfully unpack the box and make something amazing for dinner, often for a friend who has noticed I have delicious lunches and wants to know my secret. The secret is a weekly CSA share, something I’ve been participating in for the past three years. Thanks to my CSA, I am now an awesome cook, I can turn any vegetable into a tasty meal and I have a diet centered on fresh, affordable produce.

Week 1

CSA stands for community supported agriculture, and it’s basically a system where we as veggie-consumers buy our produce directly from the farm that grows it. The idea is that the farm gets payment up front to support their operating costs, and their subscribers share in the farm’s harvest via a weekly produce delivery. In the SF Bay Area, where I bought my first veggie box, I subscribed to the very awesome Riverdog Farms. Now that I live here in Los Angeles, I subscribe to the equally awesome South Central Farmers’ Cooperative. I know affordability is relative, but I have found CSAs to be very reasonable.

Week 2

I wrote this over the course of three summer weeks, and each week I got a TON of produce. I have mounds of spicy peppers.

Peppers

And more summer squash and zucchini than I can handle.  (I invite friends over for dinner and force them to take squash home.)

Summer Squash

I also get melons each week, a treat because boxes are generally veggie focused.

Watermelon

This summer I’ve also gotten bunches of beautiful basil every week, which smells AMAZING.

Purple Basil

I get kale year round (several kinds in the winter time!) which is great because I can eat it every day.

Kale

I also get tomatoes, eggplants and cucumbers each week. Last week was unusual in that I got a vegetable I’ve never seen before – I think it is some kind of long bean?

Long Beans

This was all summer produce; in the fall and winter I get several kinds of greens each week, (collards, spinach, kale, chard) broccoli, winter squash, carrots, cabbage, beets, (LOTS of beets) and citrus fruit. In the spring, I get asparagus, fava beans, more beets, more greens, little carrots, strawberries and lettuce so good it will blow your mind. With some CSAs you can even order pasture-raised meat and eggs!

More summer produce

I started buying a CSA because a good friend loved hers and I wanted to try something new. I was really bad at actually making it to farmers markets and when I made it there I got excited and spent way too much money. My CSA solved these problems for me, but now I keep it up just because I love it so much.

Sometimes I tell people as a joke that my CSA totally CHANGED MY LIFE, but really, it’s kinda true. It has raised my standards for produce quality, made me a better cook and an all around healthier person. I totally encourage people to try a CSA, you can check out Local Harvest to learn more about CSA programs and find one in your area.

What did you find at the market this week?

Berries

I’m so psyched to have a farmers market update this week from Montreal, Canada. Thanks to Roman Korol for today’s guide.

From Roman:

Retired. All food matters interest me keenly, as they have a direct impact on my quality of life. This interest encompasses knowledge of the farmers’ markets in my area as sources of the best food within reach. It’s therefore a rare pleasure for me to present this little introduction to Jean Talon Market which happens to be right close by my home.

Farmers Market Update: Montreal

by Roman Korol

To help situate the reader, I should mention that this market is located at a northerly latitude, in Montreal about 500 road miles or a 6-hour drive due north of New York City.

Montreal is the second-largest city in Canada and seventh-largest in North America. The city is on a boomerang-shaped island in the St. Lawrence River, accessible by a number of bridges, and the city proper has a population of two million. There are numerous suburbs beyond city limits and off-island: for Canada, this is densely-populated land.

Marche Jean Talon

Montreal’s most characteristic geographical feature is a triple-peaked hill in the heart of the city, Mount Royal, which gave the city and the island its name. French is the city’s official language and one sees this reflected in the public signage. Montreal is the second-largest primarily French-speaking city in the world, second only to Paris.  It is home to seven French-speaking and two English-speaking universities.

Its climate is humid continental. Summers are warm, hot and humid, which is what we’ve been having until Hurricane Irene plowed through. Winters are very cold, snowy and windy: they are generally more severe than what I experienced while living for several years in Canada’s northwest, north of the 60th parallel right up near Skagway, Alaska.

Blueberries and Carrots

There are (perhaps surprisingly, because of their number) 14 farmers markets in Montreal as shown by the red pinheads on the map.  The biggest of them all is Jean-Talon Market. Its location is marked by the north-westernmost red pin that we find directly north of Mount Royal.

The market operates year-round on a 7-days-per-week basis. It first came into being in 1932 during the Great Depression by taking over the then-existing Shamrock Stadium, that had been built in 1914 for the game of lacrosse. It now covers an area in the order of 20 acres and includes private buildings, while its central permanent building provides about 3 acres of indoor space and underground parking.

Peppers

The market lies in the middle of the Little Italy district, which kicks the general ambiance up considerably. I have the good fortune to be living just on the edge of that area.

On the day of my visit on Aug. 27, 2011, I traveled by bike to Shamrock Street which leads straight into the market’s center. This street is of course a remnant from the days of the old lacrosse stadium. How odd, to see that Irish symbol still preserved in the middle of Little Italy, and not an Irishman in sight.

A livelier introduction to the market cannot be conceived of than this captivating opera-fest performed at that very place by the Opera of Montreal one year ago. The video is well worth the viewing for its music and its glimpse into the market’s soul in such high relief, in all of only 6 minutes.

Tomatoes

While the market has its own bilingual website, the part in English is (as yet) an incomplete translation of the fuller French version: it is a work-in-progress. Missing on the English side are interesting video chats with some of the farmers from the local area who bring their produce to market, that are featured on the French-language side of the website.

These videos can also be found on You Tube. Even for readers without a knowledge of French, it is perhaps of interest to peek in and see the views and the action (and hear the folksy music, too).

Here are the links:

• Jacques and Diane Rémillard have a farm 32 miles east of Montreal at Napierville, Quebec, where they produce a wide range of vegetables as well as herbs and spices that they bring to market.
• Serge and Diane Trottier have a farm 30 miles northwest of Montreal at Oka, Quebec where they grow strawberries, raspberries and apples. They also tend beehives. The bees of course play a key role in cross-pollination. Diane explains how much more labor-intensive is the harvesting of strawberries as compared to their other fruits.
• Aline and Daniel Racine have a farm 20 miles north of Montreal at Ste-Anne-des-Plaines, Quebec. Daniel explains that his farm provides employment for local residents.  They own a bus that does a daily circuit  gathering up workers, mostly local teenagers, drives them to the fields, and then returns them home at day’s end. They report having no shortage of labor.
• Thérèse and Conrad Pitre have a farm 18 miles south-east of Montreal at St-Jean-Baptiste, Quebec, producing with their family a range of fruit and vegetables. Holding a huge ripe tomato in the palm of his hand Conrad chortles, “one slice, one sandwich”.
• Louise Marc-Aurèle and Gilbert Jodoin have a farm 27 miles south of Montreal at St-Damase, Quebec and bring their produce here and also to another farmers market in Montreal, the Atwater Market.

Like farmers everywhere, these are hardy folk. For them, attending the market is a serious and very tough livelihood.  It is nourished by time-tested knowhow that is aligned to human needs and the environment. These video interviews give a tangible sense to the value of the term “locally produced.”  No genetic manipulation need be apprehended here.  The marvelous flavor of their fresh produce at the market, harvested usually the day before, certainly proves out their worth.

Radishes, Broccoli and Cauliflower

On the day of my visit the weather was bright and sunny—a wonderful summer day, just one of many others like it, with the temperature edging up to 90ºF by lunchtime, and giving no inkling of the approach of Hurricane Irene the very next day.

The extensive central building at the market is identified with a discreet sign and contains many indoor shops and restaurants. The bulk of the action takes place beyond the building in a great expanse of sheltered outdoor stalls (which is where the Opera of Montreal performed). These are accessible on foot or by bike. It is easy to lose one’s bearings here if one is not paying attention, because the stalls extend outwards quite a ways. Here and there during peak periods musicians are often playing solo, or in small groups of two or three.

Green and Yellow Wax Beans

Leek flowers, the seeds of which are used as flavoring in many recipes. These flowers, I was told, first appear only two years after the leek is planted, if even then.

Leek Flowers

The commonplace garlic, with its extraordinary flavor and healthful nutrients, will keep for as long as three months at room temperature, without need of refrigeration. Those harvested in the fall keep even longer and will stay good through the winter. Amazing.

Garlic

I noted with interest that the little Patty Pan squash that Kristin DeKay identified earlier in her report on Omaha, Nebraska, also makes an appearance here at Jean Talon Market under the French name of pâtissons, and these were available in both miniature and larger versions. Intriguing question, how did that name come to be? I found pâtisson in a French dictionary, and pattypan in an English one. Wikipedia marries up the two terms but does not suggest an etymology.

Summer Squash

Moving along, not too far away I pause at an attractive stall offering locally-made apple cider vinegar, and buy some. It is run by master vinegar-maker Pierre Gingras.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Pierre makes available an informative leaflet that explains the healthful uses of ACV, some of which I had not known before.

Right nearby I make another unusual (for me) find: flowers of zucchini, the buds of which can be used to make a delicate and attractive appetizer. The lady at the stall kindly provides a recipe along with enthusiastic explanations on how to do it.

Squash Blossoms

At this stage in summer (late August) sweet corn begins to make an ephemeral appearance. Its season doesn’t last very long and it is always a popular item. This corn is grown for eating, of course, not for industrial applications, and farmers have no problem selling huge quantities of it.

Corn

Locally-grown potatoes are also beginning to make an appearance, and they will shortly take center-stage at all the markets here and will be sold even in bags of 50 and 100 lbs. Even with such a banal plant as a potato, when obtained at the market, I notice a real difference in taste when compared to the store-bought kind.

Local Potatoes

In a passageway I encounter an exhibit from the island of Ile aux Grues (Crane Island).  This small island is several hundred miles downstream from Montreal, has less than 200 families, has no link to the mainland, and its only industry is a dairy and cheese farm.  The young lady with the charming smile and the large wheel of cheese was offering samples of it, the cheese being the sole and unique produce they bring to market (it was delicious and I wish them huge success with their marketing).

Cheese Lady

Wandering back to the main building one finds an impressive organic butcher shop that is a coop enterprise of numerous farms adhering to organic farming standards under the collective name of Ferme Saint-Vincent.

They offer organic beef, veal, lamb, pork, turkey, duck, and game birds such as pheasant and quail. A prominent sign over the entryway reads: “Thanks to your patronage, 35 farmers can keep and work their farms and bring fresh produce for your table three times daily.” Their pork bacon (free of nitrites) is outstanding and I avail myself of that luxury on occasion.

Meats

Directly across the way from them is a competitor, a smaller shop under the name of “Viande Naturelle Nordest” (“Northeastern Natural Meat”). In chatting with this merchant, I learn that he demurs from paying the hefty annual fee that would give him the right to use the “Organic” designation and instead, he passes on the saving in the form of lower prices. This works, because he is well-known in the area and has a high reputation and the trust of his customers.

Further along inside this building is an impeccably clean and fresh-smelling fish market, the Aqua Mare. Aqua Mare was offering among its snacks my favorite for a hot summer day, an appetizing selection of fresh oysters on ice in which I happily indulged.

Aqua Mare

Some farms in the region have earned their spurs in the art of making cheese from raw milk, and their products are available at this market. The dairy case contains cheeses made from raw cow’s milk or goat’s milk, the makers being mainly local but also from France. The cheese is highly prized but it is hard to find on our continent outside of the province of Quebec. As a quality indicator, an imported Parmigiano Reggiano which is made from raw milk is seen (by me at least) as a gold standard for quality cheese. Many of the cheeses here measure up to that standard. On the other hand, cheeses from pasteurized milk fall into quite another category, one that generally fails to make the grade.

Cheese

To round out my account, here is a typical view of one of the streets surrounding the market. Not a single one of the usual fast-food joints to be seen! But this does not mean an absence of fast-food; what’s there is simply different and (possibly) less destructive of one’s health, like, for instance, the ubiquitous and irresistible merguez, the North African answer to the hot dog.

Today’s purchases:

• fresh strawberries and wild blueberries from S&D Trottier Farm
• tomatoes
• apples
• celery
• bell peppers
• green string beans
• Apple cider vinegar from master vinegar-maker Pierre Gingras
• cheese made from raw milk
• Organic bacon
• bison steak
• free range chicken breast
• Fresh brown eggs from free range hens
• fresh Malpeque oysters
• sachets of dried lavender (to interleave with my folded laundry)

Traveling by bike I am limited as to what I can carry so I buy small quantities. For years I’ve been promising myself to build a trailer and have even found free detailed drawings for a light model in bamboo (if anyone wants a copy, let me know). But in any case I can always go back for more stuff which is in itself a pleasure and this, in fact, is what I keep on doing.

Arriving home, I found the streets closed to traffic (but not to bikes) and a neighborhood fiesta under way: one of many that spring up in my hood in summertime. Nice.

Peppers

Kristine Valenzuela is a corporate woman by day but spends her free time immersed in many passions. Besides developing a new food and lifestyle blog Is Everybody Listening?, she enjoys organic food, wine, her husband and two daughters (with a third on the way), guest blogging/writing and figuring out how to how to get the most out of life. Follow her thoughts and rants on Twitter @specialksd.

Farmers Market Update: San Diego (Little Italy)

by Kristine Valenzuela

Hello from sunny San Diego! There are so many great things to say about this area but I think what people most associate with San Diego is the near-perfect weather. Yes, we really do have it made living here! The constant moderate climate produces incredible fruits and veggies year-round so I’ve always been a fan of our local farmers markets. Obviously, summer is the highlight of the year and brings tons of varieties of produce with amazing colors. In particular, I’m a fan of the season’s strawberries, peaches and tomatoes, although there are plenty of good eats at any time.

Last weekend, I visited one of the area’s cornerstone markets, the Little Italy Mercado. The market is barely three years old but has grown from just a few hundred visitors each Saturday to well over 3,000. Seeing its growth over the years has been exciting to say the least. It’s located in San Diego’s urban enclave of Little Italy which is convenient to the area’s growing food scene.

Eggplant

The market features some of the county’s most established farms in addition to many up-and-coming vendors. Joes on the Nose is our local ‘big orange truck’ and has become everyone’s favorite wake up call. They can be found at other markets, driving through different business parks or catering events. If you ever see them, you MUST try their Aloha Latte with homemade coconut whipped cream. You won’t regret it.

Joes on the Nose

This spectacular bitter melon from Sage Mountain Farm was one of the first non-traditional vegetables I came across and couldn’t resist snapping a picture. They also had the most vibrant long eggplant. Simply beautiful.

Bitter Melon

Berries from Pudwill Berry Farms are a huge hit in my house and with such a variety to choose from, it’s not surprising. Sometimes I even share them with my kids 🙂 Southern California is also known for its avocados and many residents are lucky enough to have different varieties growing on trees in their yards. These Reed avocados were the size of softballs.

Reed Avocados

Berries

Fresh salsa is a staple at our local Mexican food establishments and in many households. Making it is easy thanks to having awesome peppers. These golden treasure peppers hail from Suzie’s Farm, a highly-regarded farm known for their meticulously ‘groomed’ produce.

Golden Treasure Peppers

Suzie’s Farm always has the biggest variety of micro greens. This is a photo of a third of what they offer through the markets. These would go fantastic in a summer salad with some lemon cucumbers.

Lemon Cucumbers

Micro Greens

Back to the subject of Mexican food, we are truly fortunate to have many great fisheries too. You haven’t lived until you’ve had ceviche from Poppa’s Fresh Fish! Even though I’m pregnant and supposed to stay away from it, I sneak some ceviche every now and then. My mouth literally waters just looking at a picture of it.

Ceviche

No summertime trip to Little Italy Mercado is complete without grabbing a ‘paleta’ from Viva Pops. They’ve become so popular at the market that they opened a shop in nearby Normal Heights, which I hear is also very busy. All of their gourmet pops are made with ingredients sourced from local farmers, many of whom are also vendors at the Mercado.

Viva Pops

To bring it back to the neighborhood, the market is in the middle of many small Italian food restaurants and vendors. This is why it’s great that places like Lisko Imports bring fresh pastas out to the street for even easier access.

Fresh Pasta

My purchases for the day:

• Nectarines
• White eggplant
• Tri color potatoes
• Lemon cucumbers
• Reed avocados
• Two gourmet pops from Viva Pops – strawberry and salted caramel
• A container of truffle salt

Stay classy San Diego!

Eastern Market District

I’m so excited to finally have a farmers market update from Detroit. Thanks so much to Mallory Jade for putting this together.

From Mallory:

I am a writer, graphic designer in Rochester, Michigan. I am a foodie and this has been a gateway drug to the thrill of experimenting in the kitchen and the jonesing for more than an apt balcony to garden. I am a beer enthusiast and travel when I can—which is never enough.

Detroit’s Eastern Farmers Market

by Mallory Jade

You can follow the Detroit Easter Market on Twitter @easternmarket and Facebook.

It’s no secret that Detroit has endured a tumultuous lifespan and survives today as a skeleton of its pre-riot heydays. Politics, economics, and its capacity for violent social rifts have painted Detroit its notoriously gritty reputation.

Detroit’s Eastern Market is just one true testament to our city’s fight to hang on—a historical site less than two miles from the city’s downtown. Since 1891, the market has expanded into the historical district it is today, remaining as one of the oldest and largest continuously operating market districts in the United States (the largest in the world in the 1920’s). Today’s beautiful weather will draw tens of thousands in from the city, the suburbs, and even other states.

Historic Sheds

This beautiful summer Saturday I couldn’t wait to see what sort of treasures the vendors have brought to their tables.

Beautiful Greens

Immediately I was floored by the happy abundance of beautiful greens. Fresh collards, kale, cabbage, spinach, chard, and broccoli, with vibrant rhubarb and stems of chard to break up the color. Even the beets looked bright in the vastness of green. Needless to say, it took a fair amount of willpower to avoid choosing one of each.

More Beautiful Greens

All sorts of herbs in all forms light up the senses from paces away, their delicious aromas were begging to be taken home.

Fragrant Herb Plants

Fragrant Herbs

The tables of summer squash hosted their newest arrival, the pattypan or “white flesh” variety. Even though it’s a summer squash, I can’t help but let it remind me that fall is in transition.

Summer Squash

I’ve never tried eggplant before, but with such an abundance of these mystery veggies, I definitely picked one up to grill later. Roasted redskins in olive oil and sprinkled with lemon pepper is one of my favorite potato dishes.

Eggplant and Redskins

A stand from Snover, Michigan, had a wide variety of beans sourced from all over the state. Regardless of season, I can’t resist soup! A 1.5 lb bag of bean soup mix is the prize I took with me for plenty of hearty bowls to last me well into the cold months.

Michigan Beans

One of my favorite vendors of the day was Green Organics Farm out of Lapeer, Michigan. The friendly Green Organics man was very knowledgeable and eager to explain the subtleties of each variety (much appreciated when garlic-lover meets indecision). I am now, gratefully, a more informed garlic consumer and very excited about my selections.

Green Organics Garlic

Because Eastern Market is host to nearly 250 vendors from local farms and retailers/wholesalers, be wary of product origin if your concern is buying strictly local and farm fresh. These peaches looked delectable, but I will wait because Michigan peaches will be available in the next couple of weeks.

Peaches

Enduring an unsavory climate this season, Michigan seems to be at an awkward standstill for fruit. Peaches are still being brought in from California to hold us over until they are direct from Michigan orchards.

This resident busker is delighted to serenade you while you browse some Michigan gladiolous.

Busking and Michigan Gladiolous

Grown in Detroit is as local as it gets, coming from community gardens and urban farmers on the fringes of the city. This Cooperative supports local growers by bringing their harvest to local markets.

Grown In Detroit

The flower sheds, potted plants, and floral items lining the sidewalks make me wish for the space to plant and hang them all. And perusing the colorful blooms is an exciting opportunity to explore more of the history-rich district.

Potted Plants For Yards

Potted Plants

Unknown to most is that the district remains open six days a week. Plenty of ethnic and local tastes, specialty shops, and fresh meat distributors encompass the main market. There’s a little Ethiopian on the corner I’m anxious to try.

At the end of the shopping, the smell of open barbeque and the Motown karaoke is a likely temptation to rest before heading back home. It’s hard not to stop and grab a bite with the droves of other market patrons sitting around tables and enjoying another beautiful summer Saturday in Detroit.

After Market Beats and Eats

Even though Eastern Market is now open for business on Tuesdays, it’s totally necessary to come out for at least one Saturday as it’s a Detroit staple. Don’t get me wrong, there is a smaller roster of vendors on Tuesdays, but still so much to choose from and enough goings-on to make the trip worthwhile.

If you can’t make Tuesdays at Eastern Market, Wayne State holds a public market on Wednesdays from 11-4pm, July through October, across from the public library.

It’s true, freshness has the capacity to thrive in Detroit; the city and its metropolitan areas are absolutely peppered with farmers’ markets and other fresh food options. From Garden City to Rochester, going east to Mt. Clemens and cities in-between—all within an hour radius of downtown Detroit. That doesn’t even include the uncharted gems and roadside stands you might drive by in areas with less urban development. If you love to taste and support the freshness of local harvest, finding a farmers market is not only a great way to dive into metro Detroit’s local food culture, but the quality for the quantity on your dollar is undeniable.

So, if you’re in the Detroit area and interested in discovering new things in small travels, I’ve included a list of metro Detroit farmer’s markets at the end of this post.

Purchases (~$17):

• 3 cucumbers
• 2 bunches of kale
• 4 garlic bulbs (approx .25 lb): German White, Music, Siberian, Spanish Roja
• 1 bunch spinach
• 1 eggplant
• ? dozen corn
• 1 loaf of cherry walnut Flemish desem (sourdough)

Factoids sourced from detroiteasternmarket.com and the Detroit News.

Places are listed by county, city, season, days and times of market, for quick reference. I’ve included links if you would like more information.

• Eastern Market: Sat 5 -5pm and Tuesdays 11-7pm; July – September (although district itself is open six days a week)
• Wayne State University: Wed 11-4pm; July – October
• 8 Mile Farmers Market: Thurs – Sun 10-9pm; Year-round
• NW Detroit Farmer’s Market: Thurs 4-8pm; June – Oct
• LINCOLN PARK Farmers Market: Thurs 11 – 4pm; May – Oct
• WYANDOTTE Farmers Market: Thurs 12 – 6pm; June – Oct
• REDFORD TWP Market at the Marquee: Sun 10 – 3pm; June – Oct
• LIVONIA Farmers Market: Sat 9 – 2pm; May – Oct
• NOVI Farmers Market & International Street Fair: Sun 10 – 2pm; May – Oct
• GARDEN CITY Farmers Market: Wed 11 – 6pm; May – Oct
• PLYMOTH Farmers Market: Sat 7:30 – 12:30pm; May – Oct
• OAKLAND COUNTY Farmers Market: Sat 6:30-2pm year-round, Tues and Thurs May –Christmas
• ROYAL OAK Farmers Market: Fri 7-1pm, May – Christmas; Sat 7-1pm, year-round
• BIRMINGHAM Farmers Market: Sun 9-2pm; May – Oct
• SOUTHFIELD Farmers Market: Thurs 3-7pm; June – October
• AUBURN HILLS Farmers Market: Thurs 3-7:30 (6:30 in Oct.)
• ROCHESTER Farmers Market: Sat 8-1pm; May – Oct
• FARMINGTON Farmers & Artisans Market: Sat 9 – 2pm; May – November
• WIXOM City of Wixom Farmers Market: Thurs 3 – 7pm; May – Oct
• LAKE ORION Lake Orion Farmers Market: Wed 2 – 7pm; June – Sept
• SHELBY TWP Farmers Market: Sat 9-2pm; July – Oct
• MT CLEMENS Farmers Market: 7 – 1pm; May – Nov
• CANADA Downtown Windsor Farmers Market: Sat 8 – 1pm; June – Oct
• Ann Arbor Farmers Market: Weds and Sat 7-3pm; May – December; Saturday only 8-3pm.