Market Report: Headhouse Square

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Headhouse Square Farmer’s Market was lovely this morning.  After weeks and weeks of rain (including Headhouse’s opening day last month), it seemed almost decadent to have such a beautiful Sunday.  I arrived early - a few minutes before the official opening at 10am - and it was already hopping.  By the time I left around 10:45am, the place was absolutely packed.

Blooming Glen Farm had gorgeous displays of fantastic-looking produce.  I loved the basket full of arrowhead and purple cabbages, and could not resist taking a photo.  I bought zucchini and fresh garlic from the stand, but I wanted to buy a lot more.  With just two of us in the house and my limited time for cooking, I have to be smart about not overbuying.  I was sorely tempted by the squash blossoms.  Last year I bought some and made great cheese and pesto stuffed blossoms.  Blooming Glen also had some pretty good-looking tomatoes, but I’m wary of tomatoes this early in the season.  Hydroponic or not, the flavor always seems off to me.

The best deal of the day for me was the four pounds of fava beans I got from Queen Farm for a mere $2.00.  I’m not sure what I will do with the fava beans yet - suggestions?  They also had lots of Asian greens and great-looking mushrooms.

Three Springs Fruit Farm had tons of cherries, both red and white, as well as early apples, black and red raspberries, and blueberries.  I’m always so tempted by their fruit stand.  I bought cherries (they were $4 per pint), and they are some of the best cherries I’ve ever eaten - perfectly ripe with a deep, lush sweetness.

I was really excited to see Mark from Natural Meadows Farms selling his eggs.  Since I’m not volunteering at Fair Food Farmstand right now (on an unrelated note, Fair Food has started construction on their new home in Reading Terminal!!  I hear it should be another four or five weeks until they can move in.), I haven’t seen him in a while.  I do love his eggs.  If you’ve never seen them, you must get your hands on some - they are blue, green, brown, pink, and all colors in between from a variety of heritage breed chickens.  I had a nice chat with Mark today, although I was horrified to hear how much professional processors are charging to slaughter his Tamworth pigs.  While I realize federal regulations exist to protect the consumer, they also make it very difficult for small farmers like Mark to make a profit.

Margerum’s was selling their usual selection of dried beans, herbs and spices, preserves, etc. Bags of red lentils and cannelini beans came home with me today.  With so much great produce available, a good white bean salad with vegetable and vinaigrette will make a nice lunch one day.

Weaver’s Way had some great-looking red and white kohlrabi (and lots of other beautiful stuff) that I bought for my husband.  Now that I’m working at Awbury Arboretum, I see the folks from Weaver’s Way hard at work at the farm on a regular basis.  Their fields look amazing - very healthy and productive.

A bunch of golden beets caught my eye, I think at either Culton Organics or Yoder Heirlooms.  I just made a really great salad (recipe will be forthcoming this week) out of them, and I’m debating with my myself about how I want to use the beet greens.  Beet green risotto is always delicious!

Happy Cat Organics was selling a lot of vegetable plants along with some nice looking produce.  I was tickled to see that they are selling shiitake mushroom logs.  I’ve always wanted to grow my own mushrooms, so I’m hoping they still have them next time I make it to Headhouse Square.  Something else at the market was the first of Jersey sweet corn, although - like the tomatoes - it seems awfully early for good sweet corn.

Along with a few flatbreads from Wild Flour Bakery, I managed to buy nearly everything I needed for the week and didn’t spend a ridiculous amount of money.