Miles for Markets

Yesterday I spent my morning at the Househouse Farmers’ Market on 2nd and Lombard in Philly.  I spent some time here last summer…but even though I knew what to expect, I was still pretty intimidated.  Give me a grocery store and I can navigate it with my eyes closed.  A farmers market?  Not so much.  One of my goals in writing this blog is to showcase the variety and beauty of foods and products offered at different markets and find fun way to use them in my meals throughout the week.  As I walked towards the market, I felt a little out of my league.  I’ve never planted a herb before, I don’t know the difference between local/fair trade/organic/sustainable, and while I’m great at following recipes, I’m not exactly creative in the kitchen.  I started to think “what have I gotten myself into???”

I quickly devised a plan of attack.  I decided to keep it simple – I’d walk down one side and up the other, snapping pictures and buying whatever caught my eye.  The first stop?  Bread.  With samples.  Samples are a quick way to win my heart. You’ll probably notice I tend to buy whatever I sample – good or bad.  Yes, I majored in marketing.  And yes, free stuff still gets me every time.  Anyone else have this problem??

Wild Flour Bakery had a gorgeous spread of breads, muffins, scones and other treats. The first loaf I tasted was made with figs and a type of nut I can’t remember now.  This was AMAZING and I was so impressed with the idea of figs in bread.  I tasted a few other breads, but settled on a whole wheat sourdough.  I love toasted sourdough for sandwiches, but I’ve never seen it made with whole wheat flour before so I was pretty excited.  I’m already thinking about the lunches I’ll enjoy using this Next up was cheese from Birchrun Hills, a family owned dairy farm in Chester County.  I was happy to learn that growth hormones are not used in their cows and all of the cheese is hand crafted.  Everyone who knows me knows how much I love cheese.  And when it comes to types – soft, hard, stinky, sweet, cow, goat – I don’t discriminate.  There was a crowd around the sample area, so I was only able to try the blue which is described as “a raw milk natural rind semi-soft cheese that is rich and creamy with delicate blue flavors.”  Sounds good to me!  I bought a package and I’m hoping I can get more creative than simply using it in a salad this week.

Then I came upon table after table of fresh herbs and different types of lettuce, fruits and vegetables.  This is where I became slightly overwhelmed again.  The high from the bread and cheese samples soon faded and I focused on the task at hand – buy ingredients I’ll use this week.

But how does one choose??  Look at the variety in these photos!  I played it safe during this trip and bought what I know I love:  fuji apples, a few zucchini, strawberries, green onions, asparagus and a dark green lettuce from the photo above.  I was too flustered photographing the lettuce that I forgot to ask what type of lettuce…priorities, right? 

The Headhouse Farmers’ market has two perks that I imagine I won’t come across at many other markets – the Renaissance Sausage Truck and Twisted Lemonade.  The Renaissance Sausage Truck is “Philly’s first all local and organic handmade food truck.” It smelled incredible.  They had options for meat eaters and vegetarians alike, and according to the fancy chalkboard menu, they serve breakfast until “10:30ish.”  Next time I visit this market I’m coming with an empty stomach, ready to order the “brie and strawberry rhubarb melt.” You can find out where the truck is anytime in Philly by following them on Twitter here.

Twisted Lemonade is an all natural lemonade sweetened with agave. They allow you to choose from different featured fruit infusions.  Yesterday’s options were black raspberry, strawberry and ginger.  How often do you see fresh ginger in a drink??  I went for that one   It was perfectly sweet and refreshing on a hot afternoon.  I’d come back just for this lemonade!

I continued on my way with my lemonade in hand.  More photos were taken and more purchases were made, including a white bean truffle dip from Talula’s Table, a Market Day Canele’ and pear butter (each of which I sampled and bought on the spot).  The canele’ is a dessert made locally with pastured chicken eggs, rBGH free milk and butter, wheat flour, cane sugar, orange, organic bees-wax and vanilla.  The man who sold it to me described it as a cross between creme brulee, cake and custard.  Yup – that pretty much says it all.  I can’t wait to dig into my stash!

On another note – if anyone out there needs someone to fill their reservation at Talula’s Table – I’ll make myself available anytime

Overall, I’d say my first trip to a farmers’ market this season was a success.  I hope that as the summer continues, I’ll get a little more bold with my purchases and experiment more in the kitchen.  I’m already searching for recipes in which I can use rainbow chard, pictured below.  It’s just so beautiful!  I also hope to speak with the sellers some more. I was so focused on taking pictures and buying the right things that I didn’t spend much time getting to know the people behind the tables.  But this is a learning experience and I’m excited to take you along with me!

What have your first experiences been at farmers’ markets? Overwhelming, like me?  Or enjoyable from the start?  Feel free to share any tips and tricks when navigating a market for the first time!