The Dirt: What To Get At The Farmer’s Market This Weekend

Anybody see folks in shorts this week? Flip-flops? While it might not be so nice out yet as to warrant such fashion choices, that’s what a shred of warming weather does to us this time of year. It’s like we go crazy with relief at the confirmation that winter is finally beginning a retreat. Just as it’s not quite weather for short sleeves yet, you won’t see much change on the tables at the farmer’s market–except for a few delicate additions–but what can change this weekend is your outlook. Instead of suffering through another week of root vegetables, think of this as their last hurrah and a final few weeks to enjoy the warming foods of winter.

Hot Soup – Good Spoon will be at Rittenhouse debuting a new flavor this week: Sweet Winter Parsnip! They’ll also have other cool weather favorites on offer like Moroccan vegetable and chickpea, mushroom veloute, and Thai Sweet Potato.

Carrot Ferments – What would the Easter Bunny eat if he were a hipster? Carrot ferments. Obviously. But you don’t have to be a hipster to appreciate the earthy sweetness of carrots. Get a dose of good bacteria with yours from Food & Ferments, popping up this weekend at Rittenhouse. Though they won’t have kombucha on hand, they’ll be debuting brand new carrot kvass, fermented carrot pickles, and juicy dill kraut, alongside beet kvass and other fermented faves.

Chestnuts – Livengood still has a supply of local chestnuts! Their sweet, distinctive flavor is worth planning a trip to the Clark Park Market for!

Sweet Potatoes – Something that everybody can agree upon is that sweet potatoes are good eating and, locally anyway, their time is drawing short. Pick up a bag of sweets from Rineer Family Farm at the Chestnut Hill market this weekend. They’ll also have red and yukon gold potatoes if you’re looking to whip up a batch of colcannon.

Miner’s Lettuce – A glimpse of spring from Primordial Mushroom Farm at Clark Park! Miner’s lettuce, also called claytonia, is a juicy, wild plant with dainty, round leaves that look like tiny umbrellas. Don’t bother cooking these delicate little greens. Just eat ’em as they come.