The Dirt: What To Get At The Farmers Market This Weekend


This is a big weekend for local food in Philly! Fair Food’s annual Philly Farm & Food Fest is happening at the Convention Center, so plenty of area growers and producers of local goodies will be herded together under one roof. Expect demos, classes, and the chance to meet, face to face, your favorite growers and makers. Since you’ll likely be able to try samples of all manner of locally produced meats, cheeses, ice creams and other goodies at the Farm & Food fest, make sure to pick up something salad-worthy the day before.

Red Russian Kale – Though it doesn’t crop up in recipes nearly as often as fancy, dark green dinosaur kale does, you shouldn’t overlook the purple veined variety of kale called Red Russian. It strips away from its tough center ribs easily, and it cooks up with an even more tender texture. Taproot farm has some for the Chestnut Hill market tomorrow.

Potatoes & Sweet Potatoes – Landisdale and Rineer Family Farm each have sturdy supplies of taters ready to go. Roast some up to use as creations in soup, or fuel up for the Farm Fest with a big old platter of hash browns!

Chickweed – Otherwise known as a weed, chickweed is a wild edible that may very well be currently colonizing your backyard flowerpots. The little leaves of chickweed have a delicate, lemony flavor. Though you can certainly cook it, it’s better eaten raw. Wilted it tends to go stringy. Ask to taste a spring from Neighborhood Foods at Rittenhouse tomorrow.

Infused Vinegars – Margerum’s Herbs is bringing infused vinegars to Clark Park to make sure that your salad game is on point. Pick up a bottle of classic tarragon-infused white wine vinegar, or go for a red wine vinegar infused with basil and garlic or rosemary and orange.

Lettuce – Do people get excited about lettuce? Well, they should. It’s still early in the season for the big, fluffy heads of leaf lettuce that will arrive once warmer weather sets in in earnest, but for now, Forest View farm and Rineer Family Farms have some early season leaves for your salad needs.