As I continue to write, I suspect you’ll see plenty of posts about our Village – I do truly consider it to be a special place. Thursday is always fun because it’s Farmer’s Market Day. The Market is sponsored by MainStreet Libertyville – a local non-profit whose mission is to support our historic downtown and the businesses and restaurants that make it so unique.
My wife and I usually start our Thursday with a walk into town to visit some of our favorite vendors and pick up some of the things we’ve come to love. Thought it would be fun to take y’all along today.
Any trip to the Farmer’s Market starts with a snack and there is no shortage of options. Here are just a few.
These two are our favorites, though I’ve had multiple recommendations for the crepe vendor. Today it was empanadas – I had the chorizo and egg while Sue had the sweet potato and mushroom.
Our 1st vendor stop is usually for produce and, while there are a host of great local farms represented, our go to is always Sunny Harvest Farms from Eau Claire Michigan.
Love their produce – blueberries, peaches, lettuce, tomatoes – everything’s been pretty consistently amazing. Today we kept it simple – corn (some of the best I’ve ever had – I normally grill it) and one tomato for a BLT (we normally grow our own, but our vines are pretty tired, so we needed the assist from SHF). Mary is always there and always takes great care of us.
There are two places we visit and buy from almost every week. One is The Cheese People (we eat a LOT of cheese in this house).
Two recommendations here – they sell a soft, mild cheddar rolled in cracked pistachios that makes for a great dessert cheese and an 8-year red cheddar – both amazing and both are almost always in our refrigerator.
The second is River Valley Mushrooms – a place that I love to visit even if I’m not buying.
Dak is there every week, and I suspect that if you asked him – he’d tell you that “Mushrooms are Life”. In addition to the mixed bag we always buy, I have to recommend his portobellos – some of the biggest and tastiest I’ve ever had. I marinade them and grill them for Sue when I’m putting meat on the grill for myself. At his recommendation, I’ve also experimented with a few more exotic options. The first are his King Oysters – you can slice them thick and sauté them in butter with salt and pepper like scallops. The second are his Lion Mane mushrooms – you can season these, throw them into a cast iron skillet and give them a good smash. With a little seasoning, they come out with the look and texture of great piece of beef. Dak’s not only going to sell you his mushrooms – he’s going to teach you how to cook them.
Another vendor I really enjoy is That Pickle Guy.
Nick sells S Tier pickles and pickle products. I’ve tried a lot of his stuff – shoutout for the Hot Giardiniera and his Olive Muffalatta (his spelling – you normally see this spelled muffaletta) – both of which are must haves for sandwich fans. Quick FYI – the main difference between giardiniera and muffaletta is that the 1st is made with vegetables and the 2nd is made mainly with olives. My favorite though, is the Hot Crunch.
Great crunch, nice heat – makes the perfect side to a sandwich.
We normally visit a couple of vendors that make some wonderful homemade soups and sauces. The 1st is Barul at The Secret Ingredient.
I particularly love her Tikka Masala – boil up a little rice, heat up some chickpeas and combine with her Tikka Masala – makes for a wonderful, quick dinner.
The second is Jen at Saucier.
Lots to love here and our favorites are the Massaman Curry (something I developed a real taste for when I was living in Malaysia), the Red Lentil Soup and the Summer Split Pea. Warm them up and enjoy them as a soup or – with the Massaman and Red Lentil – throw them over a little rice for something more substantial.
We tried something new today and are really glad we did. Visited Dru at North Shore Goodies and tasted a sample of her Original Coconut Peanut Butter.
Her sis makes this in Hawaii, and she distributes for her here in Chicagoland. One taste was all it took – this stuff is wonderful and combines two of my favorite things – coconut and peanuts. From now on, it’s going to have a place on pantry shelf.
That’s just a small slice of the vendors at our Market – plenty more where that came from – but it’s more than just the produce and the food. We always have music throughout the day – gives the market a great celebratory vibe.
It’s also mandatory that you stop by the MainStreet Libertyville booth and say hello to Al (the Farmer Market Manager), Dan (the Assistant Manager) and Martha (one of our volunteers).
It’s always a great morning and a great way to begin the slide into the weekend. What I may love most about the Market though, are the relationships you develop with the folk who are here every week selling such wonderful stuff. They’re always cheerful, have time for a word and are absolutely passionate about their product.
Just one more reason why I feel so lucky living here!!
Cheers