New Farmer's Market at Headhouse Square

arice · June 27, 2007

howdy folks... i thought you would be interested to know about this new food trust run farmer's market, opening this week at headhouse square...

Philadelphia’s largest and long-anticipated farmers’ market opens on July 1st at the Headhouse Square Shambles (2nd and Lombard Sts.). 62 varieties of heirloom tomatoes, pasture-raised quail and quail eggs, organic fruits and much much more will be available from over 25 farmers and producers.

The market will be open every Sunday through Thanksgiving from 10am-2pm at Headhouse Square (2nd and Lombard Sts.) Headhouse Square is located just blocks away form historic Old City, Independence Mall, and South Street

Details about vendors, events and much more are available at www.headhousemarket.org

rlibkind · June 27, 2007

Headhouse Market Website

Holly Moore · July 1, 2007

Wow!

Not Green Market yet (as in Union Square Green Market in NY), but we're getting there. Maybe twice the number of vendors I've seen at the area Farmer's Markets.

Lots of people too. Most of them hovering over the free samples.

Buckethead · July 1, 2007

It was pretty impressive. I miss the lady from last year who sold grass-fed beef, though. Also I think they should put all the vendors under the canopy with the tables facing outward towards the street. It was needlessly crowded under there, especially with people pushing bikes and baby strollers down the middle.

rlibkind · July 1, 2007

I got there at 10 a.m. and was bowled over. At least seven produce vendors, each one with more pristine produce than the next! (Some overlap with Rittenhouse and other Farmers Markets in terms of who's there.)

It's obviously the peak of cherry season. Quarts of sweet cherries were going for up to $6, while pie cherries were $4-$5. Northstar had two varieties of early plums, and even heirloom tomatoes! Beechwood Orchards offered Lodi apples (a very early tart variety) and apricots as well as cherries and berries. Birch Run cheese was there with their blue as well as "Fat Cat", a wonderful name given the dairy-intensity of this cheese, which is essentially their blue aged at a different humidity level to prevent the blue from blooming. Full slate of poultry and pies from Griggstown Quail.

Given that I had plenty of produce at home already, I restrained myself but came back with pie cherries, apricots, fudge, gladiolas and blueberry pie. But I'll be returning to Headhouse Square frequently on Sundays. The produce was exceptional!

Here are some photos:

Northstar Orchards

Lodi apples and Apricots, Beecchwood Orchards

Headhouse Square shoppers and gawkers

Mottmott · July 1, 2007

I agree, it's a great improvement over previous years at HHS. My one disappointment was the Sommerdale people were not there with their marvelous greens. Perhaps they'll be along as I was told not everyone is there yet.

I bought lots of stone fruit, tomatoes, beets, peas, broccali, a new radish bean, and some eggs, tasted the cheeses (good, not bowled over), and the chocolate lady's wares which were quite good. The dark cherries from North Star were terrific, the Queen Annes from another vendor, merely good.

There's a table of Asian style vegetables that wasn't getting so much play, so those of you who do much cooking in that style might want to check the market out lest he disappear from disuse.

My one gripe with Farmers' Markets (in general, not this in particular): organic/grassfed meats seem only to be sold frozen at worst, or at best in pre-packaging that yields more than a single person household wants. I concede there are logistical problems for the vendors to do otherwise, but I seldom buy meats there for that reason. On the plus side, there are two vendors selling fresh fowl, one mostly chicken and turkey, the other with greater variety.

From an ecological point of view, I'm unsure whether my farmers market shopping is a plus or minus. I buy local foods which supports small producers who have trucked in their foods from nearby as compared with Florida or California, good, good, good. But on the other hand, to shop this way 2-3 times a week, I am personally driving about twice as much as I would to shop at Weavers' Way. Any economists in the crowd?

Edited July 1, 2007 by Mottmott (log)

mrbigjas · July 1, 2007

i got some purslane and some 'daise' from the asian vegetable guy. they tasted good. i'll get more from him next week probably. he has interesting stuff.

also a couple of fresh poussins and a package of frozen quail from griggstown, and some very expensive eggs from the other vendor.

oh and a giant kohlrabi with great lookin greens from north star. i didn't get to ask where they've been on saturdays, though, since they haven't shown up at rittenhouse square...

Mottmott · July 1, 2007

i got some purslane and some 'daise' from the asian vegetable guy. they tasted good. i'll get more from him next week probably. he has interesting stuff.
also a couple of fresh poussins and a package of frozen quail from griggstown, and some very expensive eggs from the other vendor.
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How are you going to use them? In salad?

Holly Moore · July 2, 2007

Here's a pic of the Asian greens:

:

Farm eggs:

Miles of berries and cherries:

mrbigjas · July 2, 2007

the birds? no i just roasted them. the quail are still frozen. hahahaha

oh wait the eggs? or, no, the greens.

purslane probably in tacos. with pork. puerco con verdolagas.

the other thing i liked, it tasted like greens and dirt. i think i'll stir-fry it with bacon, kind of a fake hunan thing. (edited to add: they're the greens between the favas and the soybeans there in holly's picture)

Edited July 2, 2007 by mrbigjas (log)

TarteTatin · July 2, 2007

We spent about $50.

I don't know how.

But, it all looked so good!

Had a little Poussin for dinner tonight from the market.

$5, really tiny, but big enough for two with lots of other veg.

Sam made it with a sour cherry and tarragon sauce.

It was fresh, not frozen, as was the duck breast we bought, and the turkey thighs.

Got tons of cherries, all kinds,- and blueberries, apricots, plums, peaches, wonderful...

Gorgeous dark long, thin eggplant.

Fresh spring garlic.

Some cheese (which doesn't thrill me half as much as Hendrick's).

Lots of other stuff. Went crazy.

I love Fresh local Farmer's markets!!

mrbigjas · July 2, 2007

Had a little Poussin for dinner tonight from the market.
$5, really tiny, but big enough for two with lots of other veg.
Sam made it with a sour cherry and tarragon sauce.

a little bitty bird like that is plenty for two if you have tomatoes and corn and grilled radicchio and grilled scallions with it, and some dessert. everyone eats too much meat as it is, is how i feel about things.

i made it with a tarragon sauce as well (well, with mustard and cream). two things i've noticed in buying these fancy birds in the last year or so:

1. no giblets, dammit, but the neck is left on. it's like, fix it up or don't, but what's up with the halfway stuff?

2. sometimes with the smaller birds they're not plucked as much as a commercial chicken. this goes for poussins, quail, etc. one of the birds i got today i had to work over by hand to get all the feather pieces out, and then singe it to get the down off of it after that.

TarteTatin · July 4, 2007

I totally agree, darn it!

Where's the liver, heart, etc.?

Why are we deprived of it all when we buy the whole bird?

What can we do to change it?

I think little protest signs, going through the market,

"Give us your heart, your liver, your innards"!

"We deserve the offal!"

:laugh:

rlibkind · July 8, 2007

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Today was the second week for the Headhouse Square Farmers' Market and I was there.

Over at North Star Orchards, field grown tomatos were much in evidence, $2.50/pound. I purchased three hefty specimens; they aren't pretty, due to skin cracking, but based on the one I enjoyed with lunch, they are superior in flavor. Real tomatoes have arrived!

I also acquired a fresh chicken from Mountain View Poultry Farm (they sell fresh and frozen chicken and turkey, as well as grassfed meats, organic produce and organic eggs) which I'll cut up and put on the grill tonight. I'm looking forward to tasting the chicken.

Pictured on the right are some fresh shallots and flowers at the Blooming Glen Farm stall, immediately found upon entering on the Lombard Street side.

The number of merchants seemed about the same as last week, but like then, there were a number of spots that were posted as space for a particular vendor, but no one was there. Perhaps I arrived too early (10 a.m., the market's opening hour) or perhaps they were no-shows.

Since everyone was talking about the daise last week, I bought a bunch from Queen Farm to mix in with the red butter lettuce from Wimer Organics.

Over at A.T. Buzby, they said the canteloupe was a couple of weeks early -- they started picking last weekend. Based on the wonderful melon aroma that wafted throughout my car by the time I got back home to Fairmount, I'd say it's a good melon. We'll crack it open tonight after it's chilled.

Here's my full shopping list for today:

MOUNTAIN VIEW POULTRY ($14.05)

Whole chicken, $3.99/pound

NORTH STAR ORCHARDS ($4.50)

Tomatoes, $2.50/pound

A.T. BUZBY ($5.50)

Canteloupe, $3.50

Corn, 50-cents @

WIMER ORGANICS ($1.80)

Lettuce

QUEEN'S FARM ($1.50)

Daise

Edited July 8, 2007 by rlibkind (log)

rlibkind · July 9, 2007

The whole chicken from Mountain View Poultry was quite nice. I cut it into "sixths" rather than quarters (separating wing and its little drumstick from breast) and grilled them with simple seasonings. Juicy, tasty.

Mottmott · July 10, 2007

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Today was the second week for the Headhouse Square Farmers' Market and I was there.
...The number of merchants seemed about the same as last week, but like then, there were a number of spots that were posted as space for a particular vendor, but no one was there. Perhaps I arrived too early (10 a.m., the market's opening hour) or perhaps they were no-shows.
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I think some of those vendors only come one day of the two. Northstar, for example will only be there on Sundays. Lisa says they have a market elsewhere on Saturday, so they only come to Phila on Thurs and Sunday. Also, NS's veggies are organically grown, even though the tree fruits aren't.

And my favorite for greens, Sommerdale, won't be at HHSq at all, though they will be at Fairmount on Thurs.

I find there IS a quality difference among the vendors on many items. Over the course of the week I bought cherries from 3 different vendors. Northstar's were so much better than the others'! The sour cherries still had the stems and kept very well. I also like the way they have - and label - several varieties of the different fruits.

Has anyone tried the flatbreads yet? They looked tempting, but I needed a regular loaf. It was okay, but I've been spoiled by Metropolitan.

wkl · July 10, 2007

"I think some of those vendors only come one day of the two. "

i thouht this market was only one day, sunday. no?

Andrew Fenton · July 10, 2007

There has been a market at Head House (though not in the shambles) on Saturdays for the last few years. I don't know if it's continuing, or if it has been superseded by the larger Sunday market.

Buckethead · July 10, 2007

There has been a market at Head House (though not in the shambles) on Saturdays for the last few years. I don't know if it's continuing, or if it has been superseded by the larger Sunday market.
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The Headhouse Farmer's Market site says this:

Is there also a market on Saturdays at 2nd & South Sts. in addition to the Sunday market?
Yes. For those of you who can't make it on Sundays, there is a wonderful smaller market at 2nd & South Sts. on Saturdays from 10am-2pm. For the 2007 season, the 2nd and South farmers’ market will continue at its original location in May and June. On July 7, 2007 the 2nd and South farmers’ market will move one block to 2nd and Lombard Sts. under the Headhouse Shambles. Stop by Saturdays from 10am to 2pm to meet new farmers and producers who are joining long-time favorites such as Henry Fisher, North Star Orchards, and Big Sky Bakery for our 9th year.

I guess the Saturday market from last year is still going on, and has been since May. I wasn't aware of it till just now! I assumed that the Saturday market was being expanded and moved to Sundays. That explains why some of my favorite vendors from last year are nowhere to be found. Argh!! Did I miss the Asian pears?

Edited July 10, 2007 by Buckethead (log)

mrbigjas · July 10, 2007

I guess the Saturday market from last year is still going on, and has been since May. I wasn't aware of it till just now! I assumed that the Saturday market was being expanded and moved to Sundays. That explains why some of my favorite vendors from last year are nowhere to be found. Argh!! Did I miss the Asian pears?
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no, don't worry, they don't start till later in the summer. north star is there at the sunday market, but i haven't seen them at rittenhouse this year; i guess they're concentrating their efforts down there...

Holly Moore · July 10, 2007

Northstar told me they would be at Rittenhouse starting sometime in August, come apple picking season.

mrbigjas · July 10, 2007

sweeet.

btw their little early plums they're selling are fan-friggin-tastic. if you let them sit for a few days, they turn from yellow to this glowing reddish orange.

oh and i bought some of those early peaches they had, and made the mistake of eating one at lunch yesterday. it was GREAT, but it was a) a clingstone, and b) literally the juiciest thing i've ever eaten. juice was running down my hands and arm and dripping on the plate. it was downright embarrassing--i'm not doing that at work again. i'm gonna have to save that kind of indulgence for home...

rlibkind · July 28, 2007

At Headhouse Square last Sunday, I completed my shopping begun the previous day at the RTM for ratatouille incredients by hitting up North Star for peppers and onions, Wimer's for roma tomatoes and more eggplant, Blooming Glen for bell peppers (as well as cherry and heirloom tomatoes for pasta, sandwiches and just plain enjoying by themselves). The biggest score of all for the ratatouille, though, was at Urban Girl: fresh savory. As one of the Urban Girls herself said, it smells like pizza!

Here are some photos from Blooming Glen's stand:

TarteTatin · July 29, 2007

The Urban Girl is also at the Wed afternoon market in Northern Liberties, right across from Tap.

She's great.

The best okra I've seen around, for three years running.

(among other things).

She likes to grow interesting and unique items.

dockhl · July 29, 2007

At Headhouse Square last Sunday, I completed my shopping begun the previous day at the RTM for ratatouille ingredients by hitting up North Star for peppers and onions, Wimer's for roma tomatoes and more eggplant, Blooming Glen for bell peppers (as well as cherry and heirloom tomatoes for pasta, sandwiches and just plain enjoying by themselves).

Are you going to make the ratatouille from RATATOUILLE, THE MOVIE ? I just bought ingredients for the same reason...... :raz: