14 & U Farmers Market

Today marked the day that I have been waiting for, for some time. The first day of the 14 & U Farmers Market. As I mentioned before, there is something refreshing about buying produce directly from the farmer. I'm always up early, so I decided to get there right around opening, at 10am. It seemed small at first, with only about 10 vendors/ stands, but I soon realized that it was quite comprehensive. All the current, fresh produce of the day was available - asparagus, fuji apples, mixed greens, radishes, a variety of root vegetables, strawberries etc. Even some meats, flowers, and jarred goodies.

I decided to spend no more than $20 and I made it out of there with everything I needed, a frivolous purchase and $1 to spare.

1/2 lb of mixed greens
sugar snap peas
3 fuji apples
1 pint of strawberries
1 jar of homemade applesauce (with strawberries added)
1 bunch of radishes

I had in mind A) an afternoon snack and B) salad fixings for the week. The applesauce was an impulse buy.

The strawberries, I learned, are on their way out for the season, but you couldn't tell by the selections offered at the market today. The whole market smelled like sweet berries.

And I wasn't disappointed when I got home. My afternoon snack was delicious. Of course, I had to taste everything.

The sugar snap peas were crisp and sweet. The radishes, which I sprinkled with kosher salt, were among the most peppery I have ever had. They had a real bite to them, but they were quite tasty. I tempered my tingling tongue with a mouth-watering strawberry and was ready to move on to the homemade applesauce. The apples were sliced thin and coated with cinnamon and cider. It tasted like it could have been made this morning and I look forward to pairing it with a brisket or roast in the near future.

14 & U farmers market. Every Saturday through November. 10am - 2pm.