To Market, To Market

The garden has been sadly neglected this past year. With a toddler to run after and a major issue involving some kind of tunneling critter, I have only been tending the established herbs and a few parsnips that sowed themselves. But what to do about getting peas that really taste like peas? Luckily, there are a number of farmers markets close to us which have been wetting my appetite again for all the wonderful things I haven't grown yet. Almost every Saturday we go to the Waverly Market (http://www.32ndstreetmarket.org/) for fruit, veggies, meat and bread. Waverly Market is one of the few open air markets that is open all year, though there are fewer sellers during the winter months.

Farmers markets and farm stands I remember being part of the normal shopping experience when I was a child. There is something about a bustling crowd and the rainbow of colors that has made going to a market a real treat as an adult. Working and living in the city started my love affair with the public markets around Baltimore. Oh, the delight of stopping into Cross Street Market for lunch or walking down to Broadway Market to find something for dinner, never quite knowing what to expect. Now I make a point of visiting markets when traveling, even in foreign countries. They are a wonderful way to immerse myself in a place, an everyday window into the lives of the people around me. Of course they're also the best place to find a really nice snack. Pictured here is the West Side Market in Cleveland which had some amazing sausages.

Spending time in farmers markets is also a great way to find out what to grow and when to grow it. Supermarket shopping skews our perspective as to what is actually in season and at its peak since we are able to ship food over considerable distances. Once I bought some oranges for a specific recipe and realized when peeling off their labels at home that they had come all the way from South Africa! They were not the best tasting oranges. These days I prefer getting ingredients for cooking out of my garden or at a farmers market, if I can, because fresh is best for flavor. This year we have gradually shifted to buying our fresh food almost exclusively from market sources. My husband was new to the market experience, but has really had a taste awakening over the last several months. He is still talking about the butter beans that appeared for several weeks this fall and tells me he can't wait for bean season to come again.