At The Dupont Farmers Market March 29th, 2009
E., a friend and market volunteer confirmed my estimation that the market opened to a large crowd last Sunday, despite the clouds and threat of storms. “I counted 400 heads at the opening bell”, she said. It’s spring, and the crowds are returning rain or shine. There were fewer empty spaces between the vendors who line the street and bank parking lot. Under white tents, bright yellow daffodils and tall, sculptural clippings of peach blossoms and forsythia popped with color, and the promise of blooms. Market patrons fell into line in front of their favorite vendors to get the first pick of produce.
“The Farm at Sunnyside has frise and escarole, did you get some?”, E. asked me. I hadn’t, but the thought of using TFAS’s escarole in a wedding soup that I made last year had me yearning to make it again. I could almost smell the tiny meatballs cooking in my home as I made my way to their stand. Alas, the frise and escarole were already gone. It was a bit of a disappointment, but there is no shortage of inspiration for farm to fork food at the Dupont Market.
Take Next Step Produce, typically anchored by the owner, Heinz. Heinz is a font of helpful information when it comes to storing and preparing his bountiful produce. Erba stella, a salty, crisp salad green, caught my eye as well as “vitamin green”, a leafy vegetable that “tastes like mustard greens” according to Heinz. Large bags of fresh cress also had me thinking of salads, and a bumper crop of sunchokes was so plentiful that I didn’t feel bad taking 2 containers! I roasted the sunchokes* in the oven as soon as I got home, and made a creamy sunchoke soup with thyme and smoked ham. Truly, I recommend just simply roasting them-they taste like a sweeter, nuttier version of roasted fingerling potatoes.
Keswick Creamery’s stand draws folks like bees to honey, with generous samples of just about everything they make, including cheese, yogurt, quark and blue suede moo cheese dip. Melanie, the lovely owner, told Frank and me that no, we didn’t miss buying her eggs because we arrived a few minutes after the opening bell. Rather, she had just transferred her chickens to another location and the hens had not been out and about to scratch yet. She won’t sell her eggs unless they’ve truly been able to get out and roam. Her integrity results in some of the tastiest, richly orange eggs that’ I’ve found in the area. While I wait another week to purchase Melanie’s eggs, I’ll enjoy her yogurt, topped with berries, cherries and honey.
Very soon, ramps, morels and asparagus will appear. I can’t wait.
Until the next At The Market, eat and buy local when you can.
*Jerusalem artichokes are not from Jerusalem, nor are they artichokes. Discuss.
Got morels at Penn Quarter yesterday! So glad spring is FINALLY here.
Absolutely love the pictures. Gets me in the mood or spring. Too bad we were “blessed” with 2 inches of fresh snow today.
The ramps. I’m in love with them. I can’t believe the prices they command here. It makes me look at the wild onions growing on my lawn and think….hmmm.
Hello, I am insterested in purchasing jerusalem artichokes that have not been refridgerated. Might you be able to point me in the right direction? I would need them shipped if possible to Georgia.
thanks,
william