The Eggplant Nose
I’ve seen a lot of unusual-looking produce in my farmers market adventures, but this one’s a corker: an eggplant that looks like it has a fully formed nose. Also appears to be sleeping. And I just love its chapeau!
I found this at the stand of Smits Farm (Chicago Heights, Illinois) at the SOAR Farmers Market on Tuesday. I did buy an eggplant, but not this one. Just thought that cutting into it would be, I don’t know, a little creepy.
More photos from this week’s market adventures below.
National Farmers Market Week Starts Sunday
Let’s be real, for many good food lovers, every week is a farmers market week. But starting Sunday and running through the following Saturday (August 7-13) is National Farmers Market Week, made official since 1999 by congressional proclamation.
Each day this coming week, I’ll make some relevant point about this big salute to the more than 300 farmers markets in Illinois and the more than 8,000 nationwide. To kick things off, here’s a graphic produced by Illinois Farmers Market Association that sums up what it’s all about. Then a couple of little tips on how to save money while shopping at farmers markets.
The Thrifty Market Shopper: Go Big, Go Bulk
This photo of my haul from Thursday’s Daley Plaza City Market illustrates a couple of farmer-friendly ways to save money at the farmers market.
Buy Big: The cantaloupe, purchased from Smits Farm, clocks in at almost exactly five pounds. The per piece price for these melons was $3, so I paid just 60 cents a pound for what I’m sure will be amazingly fresh and delicious local fruit when I cut into it. So the money-saving hint: If produce is priced per unit, get a big one. (BTW, we’re still early in the melon season. Soon there will be melons that make this big boy look puny.)
Buy Bulk: Many vendors will provide a discount on multiple sales of a produce item. For instance, Nichols Farm and Orchard (Marengo, Illinois) sells those green peppers for $1 apiece, but they were 6 for $5. So I bought six and saved a buck. They’ll get eaten.
The other items are yellow plums and Saturn peaches from D&S Farms (Berrien Springs, Michigan) and white mushrooms from River Valley Ranch (Burlington, Wisconsin).
More market photos after this weekend’s farmers market schedule.
Where to Shop for Local Food This Weekend
Friday, August 5
Back of the Yards Farmers Market, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m, 940 W. 50th Pl., Chicago
Lake Bluff Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to noon, Village Green
Lake Zurich Farmers Market, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., 200 S. Rand Rd.
Marshall Farmers Market, 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Courthouse Square
Mundelein Farmers Market, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., Park St.
St. Charles Indoor Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to noon, Baker Memorial Church
Schaumburg Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., 190 S. Roselle Rd.
Saturday, August 6
Aurora Downtown Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to noon, Water St. Square
Batavia Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to noon, N. River St. betw. Wilson and Spring
Brookfield Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., 8820 Brookfield Ave.
Crystal Lake Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Depot Park
Deerfield Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Park Ave. betw. Jewett Park & Hazel
Division Street Chicago City Market, 7 a.m. to noon, Chicago
Downers Grove Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 5001 Main St.
Downtown Evanston Farmers Market, 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m, University Place and Oak Ave.
Edgebrook Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Central & Hiawatha, Chicago
Elk Grove Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., 901 Wellington Ave.
Englewood Village Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 58th and Halsted, Chicago
Glenview Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to noon, 1510 Wagner Rd.
Grayslake Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 201 Center St.
Green City Market Lincoln Park, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1817 N. Clark, Chicago
Green City Market West Loop, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., 115 S. Sangamon St.
Homewood Farmers Market, 8 a.m to 1 p.m., Martin Ave. betw .Ridge & Chestnut
Horner Park Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 2741 W. Montrose Ave., Chicago
Huntley Farmers Market, 8 a.m to 1 p.m.,11704 Coral St.
Kankakee Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to noon, S. Schuyler and Merchant
Mercado de Colores, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., 4345 W. 26th St. Chicago
Naperville Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to noon, 200 E. 5th Ave.
Northcenter Farmers Market, 8 a.m to 1 p.m., 4101 N. Damen Ave., Chicago
Oak Park Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m, 460 Lake St.
Park Forest Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to noon, 152 Main St.
Palatine Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., 137 W. Wood St.
Park Ridge Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., 15 Prairie Ave.
Plant Chicago Farmers Market, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Davis Square Park
61st Street Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., 6100 S. Blackstone Ave., Chicago
South Chicago Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., 9000 S. Mackinaw, Chicago
South Loop Farmers Market Printers Row, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 632 S. Dearborn St., Chicago
Streator Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to noon, 200 N. Park St.
The Lincoln Park Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., 2001 N. Orchard, Chicago
West Humboldt Chicago City Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 3601 W. Chicago Ave.
Winnetka Farmers Market, 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 510 Green Bay Rd.
Woodstock Saturday Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m, Historic Woodstock Square
Sunday, August 7
Bronzeville Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 4700 S. King Dr., Chicago
Buffalo Grove Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 951 McHenry Rd.
Glenwood Sunday Market, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Glenwood Ave. betw. Morse & Lunt, Chicago
Hyde Park Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., 54th St. & Old Lake Park Ave. West, Chicago
Logan Square Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., 3107 W. Logan Blvd., Chicago
Mount Prospect Lions Club Farmers Market, 8 a.m to 1 p.m., Northwest Hwy. & Main St.
Pilsen Community Market, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., 1811-25 S. Blue Island Ave., Chicago
Portage Park Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 4100 N. Long St., Chicago
95th St. Farmers Market, 8 a.m to 1 p.m., 1835 W. 95th St., Chicago
Roscoe Village Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to noon, 3149 N. Wolcott, Chicago
Skokie Farmers Market, 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 5127 Oakton St.
The Dole Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 401 Country Club Rd., Crystal Lake
Wicker Park Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., 1425 N. Damen Ave., Chicago
More Market Photos
SOAR Farmers Market on Tuesday. It’s located a long block east of Michigan Avenue between Pearson and Chicago in the Streeterville neighborhood (SOAR stands for Streeterville Organization of Active Residents). In the photo, the Museum of Contemporary Art is on the right, Water Tower Place is on the upper left.
My SOAR Market haul was sourdough bread from Bennison’s Bakery (Evanston, Illinois); red peanut tofu salad from Phoenix Bean (Chicago); the nose-free eggplant I did buy from Smits Farm; little carrots from Lane’s End Farm (Lowell, Indiana); and blueberries and peaches from Ellis Family Farms (Benton Harbor, Michigan).
Thursday was a bright sunshiny day for the Daley Plaza City Market.
Have a great weekend!
Lovely eggplant. I'm sure you've seen Richard Nixon Eggplant and Bob Hope Pepper, the banner population of the Friends of Evanston Farmers Markets newsletter. Nosey produce and heart potatoes were always collector's items.