Farmers' Markets have been popping up like mushrooms in the cold and damp. I've been compiling a list of those in our area. I am going to try to visit them all and give you my completely subjective opinion. Everyone seems to think that THEIRS is the best. Likely, each market has its own distinct "personality."
This last Tuesday Drew and I checked out the Brooksville Farmers' Market (9:30am to noon, in the Community Center parking lot, located up the hill from the Bucks Harbor Market). The market had about 22 stands, two with plunking guitarists. There was even a potters' wheel set up and running. The atmosphere was nice, low keyed, laid back. Not the stampeding hoards that I am used to in the Stonington Farmers' Market.
While it wasn't in the plan, turns out that we bought lunch, and I decided that was a good way to test out the wares and prices of each market we sample. Here's what we got:
Clockwise from top left:
From Mia's, sesame soba (buckwheat) noodles with peanut sauce, $5. Delicious. (Wish the portion was a little bigger, but we could have bought 2.) Mia's spring rolls move fast, were gone by the time we were ready to buy.
Unfortunately, we missed getting a photo of Mia and the young girl helping her. Next time...
Radishes from the adorable young couple from Living Roots Farms. She does the art work on the signs, and the radishes were a very reasonable $2 a bunch. I've paid three times that much at the Stonington Farmers' Market, which has a reputation for high prices.
Carrots from Elliott Coleman's Four Seasons Farm. Like candy, for the taste buds and the eyes. At $4 a pound, an affordable treat.
The chive and garlic goat cheese, from Sunset Acres Farm, $6, really good, and a lot left over for later.
Now, the crackers, right in the middle, were absolutely fantastic and really made the meal, but they were SO expensive that I am not going to even identify the source. I've communicated to the owner that I thought his prices were way too high, and that if he got them down to what I considered high but reasonable, I'd be glad to write about him and them.
So what we paid, for everything except the crackers, was $18. We ate all the noodles, have had radishes and carrots several more times, and are not halfway through the cheese. Add the price of the crackers, and double the price of lunch. All delicious, disgustingly healthy, and except for the crackers, reasonably priced.
Yum.
This last Tuesday Drew and I checked out the Brooksville Farmers' Market (9:30am to noon, in the Community Center parking lot, located up the hill from the Bucks Harbor Market). The market had about 22 stands, two with plunking guitarists. There was even a potters' wheel set up and running. The atmosphere was nice, low keyed, laid back. Not the stampeding hoards that I am used to in the Stonington Farmers' Market.
While it wasn't in the plan, turns out that we bought lunch, and I decided that was a good way to test out the wares and prices of each market we sample. Here's what we got:
Clockwise from top left:
From Mia's, sesame soba (buckwheat) noodles with peanut sauce, $5. Delicious. (Wish the portion was a little bigger, but we could have bought 2.) Mia's spring rolls move fast, were gone by the time we were ready to buy.
Unfortunately, we missed getting a photo of Mia and the young girl helping her. Next time...
Radishes from the adorable young couple from Living Roots Farms. She does the art work on the signs, and the radishes were a very reasonable $2 a bunch. I've paid three times that much at the Stonington Farmers' Market, which has a reputation for high prices.
Carrots from Elliott Coleman's Four Seasons Farm. Like candy, for the taste buds and the eyes. At $4 a pound, an affordable treat.
The chive and garlic goat cheese, from Sunset Acres Farm, $6, really good, and a lot left over for later.
Now, the crackers, right in the middle, were absolutely fantastic and really made the meal, but they were SO expensive that I am not going to even identify the source. I've communicated to the owner that I thought his prices were way too high, and that if he got them down to what I considered high but reasonable, I'd be glad to write about him and them.
So what we paid, for everything except the crackers, was $18. We ate all the noodles, have had radishes and carrots several more times, and are not halfway through the cheese. Add the price of the crackers, and double the price of lunch. All delicious, disgustingly healthy, and except for the crackers, reasonably priced.
Yum.
I am so glad to read that I am not the only person who feels this way about the crackers. He is at EVERY Farmer's market in the area, and I don't even accept the sample he hands out because he is simply ridiculously overpriced - I don't want to encourage him! Price them reasonably, and he would have a following!
ReplyDeleteHa! My sentiments exactly. Well, complain. That's what I did. He needs to hear from potential customers. The crackers are really delicious, and I would pay half the price, though high even then. He must get some customers, though, because he keeps coming back!
ReplyDelete