Maybe it’s because I grew up in California, maybe it’s because I love cooking, and maybe it’s because I grew up having fresh fruits and vegetables from my own backyard but I absolutely love farmers markets. I love getting up on a Sunday morning and going to the farmers market and deciding what I’m going to bring home with me. Like the typical DC white girl, one of my favorite farmers markets to hit up is the Dupont Circle Farmers Market. It happens every Sunday from 8:30am to 1:30pm but it’s significantly better during the warmer seasons because more stalls are open. It takes up about three or so blocks on the north side of Dupont circle (aka get out at the north side of the metro station and you’ll be smack in the middle of the market).
I love buying produce here and whenever I decide to go to the farmers market I end up basing my meals for the week around what I find there. Sometimes I can even get away with doing all of my grocery shopping at the farmers market but most of the time I’ll have to stop by Trader Joe’s on the way home to pick up something to fill out my cart. I always show up to the farmers market with a canvas grocery bag tucked into my purse that I can pull out and fill up with goodies.
My absolute favorite things to buy at the farmers market are tomatoes, bread, and flowers. I’m obsessed with heirloom tomatoes from farmers markets. They’re huge and colorful and always silly shapes. And you can make the perfect summer meals with them. You can make a caprese salad that will be even more beautiful than usual with the multicolored tomatoes. You can use all the same ingredients plus onions, garlic, and a baguette and make bruschetta. You can top your salads with them. Really, tomatoes are just my favorite and they remind me of being little and wandering through my backyard and picking tomatoes straight off the plant and popping them into my mouth. Pro-tip: tomatoes taste best when they’re warmed by the sun so at the very least don’t keep them in your fridge. Cold tomatoes are not good.
Bread is also a pretty self-explanatory and obvious thing to grab at the market. I love carbs in all forms and fresh baked bread from a small bakery really can’t be beat. If I’m not feeling like making my own bread then I’m definitely going to get it at the farmers market. I’ll usually grab a baguette and then a loaf that’s some fun flavor. It’s the best when you can find a stall that also grows their own herbs to add to their loaves or tomatoes or olives. And to be honest I use the flavored breads exactly the same as I use unflavored loaves–for toast in the morning, topped with egg, as a sandwich. It just helps add a little boost of flavor.
Finally, flowers. Another obvious thing to buy at the farmers market but one that is not at all overrated. Flowers at the farmers market are definitely cheaper than from a florist and way better quality than the ones you can grab at the grocery store. (Not hating on the Trader Joe’s flower section because I’m an absolute sucker for it, but farmers market flowers are just better.) I love having fresh flowers in my house–they make me feel fancy and they make everything happier. Plus, when you’re walking around the farmers market with a bouquet sticking out of your bag it can feel like you’re straight out of a movie and who doesn’t want that?
As a bonus I always seem to come home from the farmers market with peppers. There’s inevitably a stall with a farmer selling like ten different kinds of spicy peppers–my favorite is a stall that lets you fill a little basket with mix and match hot peppers for super cheap, I want to say it’s like $5 or something. It’s always fun to get home and figure out what to make to use these peppers that won’t make my face melt off!
I’m excited for warmer weather and lots of trips to the farmers market–plus it gives me an excuse to stop at Mission for brunch afterwards!
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