Bromley farmers' market

[macrosan]

I happened to be in Bromley High Street today (the pedestrianised part outside the Glades Mall) and found they have a farmers' market there on Fridays and Saturdays. What a nostalgic and exciting shopping experience. I hadn't gone to buy any food, but I just couldn't resist it.

I bought a kilo of Worcester apples. They gave me a taste first - wow, who does that any more ? What was amazing was the variety of sizes of the bag of apples I got. You know, like they grow on the tree, large, medium, small, tiny ! Not all size-selected by a machine. They also had Gala and Cox's. Then I got some plums. Remarkably, they are all soft and juicy, but they're all different colours, ranging from purple to green. You'd never get them like that in a supermarket. I bought strawberries, raspberries and (something I haven't seen for years ) cob-nuts. Also a bag of small new potatoes (which look superb) and yellow and red peppers. The whole lot came to £8 which seemed pretty cheap to me.

Am I just being wistfully nostalgic in being excited by the experience ? Do these products actually taste just the same as supermarket stuff ? Am I kidding myself ?

There were other stalls selling meat, fish, eggs and cheese, and I was told they normally have a couple of bread stalls which weren't there today. I'm going back next week.

[Scottf]

Macrosan

Sam and I go to a monthly market at Hadlow, when possible a weekly at Tunbridge Wells, and any inbetween if we're nearby. (Tonbridge, Yalding, West Malling).

We bought rump steaks a couple of weeks ago that were different class from Supermarket steak, we buy Pork sausages monthly from a farmer at the Hadlow Market and he fries up all morning so you can try before you buy.

We buy tomatoes, purple beans that turn green in boiling water, potatoes, apple juice, free range eggs and any other fruit/veggies we fancy.

The bread stalls at all the markets normally have great queues and last time I had a venison burger for breakfast.

I think the stuff is generally fresher and more natural than supermarket ware and I think provides better value. And I'm supporting the local producers which I'm quite proud of.

[Adam Balic]

Cobnut? Is that a hazelnut?

In Edinburgh there is a farmers market every second saturday. We always go as they have spit roasted pig, which goes very well with saturday morning hangover. THe veg is a bit sad (cabbage, kale, potato, turnips), but the meat is great (rare breeds, plus venison, wild boar etc) as are the smoked fish. Well worth attending.

[macrosan]

Cobnut? Is that a hazelnut?

Yes, it's an "early" hazelnut with the sheath around it (whatever that's called). They're soft but crunchy, and slightly sweet, not at all like the "ripe" hazelnuts. I don't think I've had them for 15 years !!!

Incidentally Adam, I failed in my pickled cabbage quest on Tuesday. I'll have to find a different place !

[Miss J]

You're all making me fantastically jealous. My closest farmers' market is at Finchley Road on...wait for it...Wednesday mornings. So until I finally land a life of leisure, I'm not going to be attending it for the forseeable future.

[Adam Balic]

Oooh. The Roux brothers have a recipe for a tart using these fresh hazelnuts. Lucky bastard.

Spoke to my dad last night about stuffed cabbage. Yep has to be pickled. He also recomends some pork in the mix to add fat, but I guess this would take it to far away from the Jewish version.

[Scottf]

Yes, it's an "early" hazelnut with the sheath around it (whatever that's called).

Is the sheath like a spikey green? If so saw plenty of them at T Wells last week. I'll have to get some next time I'm there.

[macrosan]

That's it, Scott. Spikey sheath with a stalk. If you buy some, buy plenty because they're terribly morish of they're just at the right point of crunchy/sweet.

Adam, I'll look up that recipe. My wife the pastrycook is in a creative mood right now, so she might just be persuaded ....

If I ever get that cabbage, we'll have to forego the pork I have a feeling that my grandmother used to put schmaltz (rendered chicken fat) with the minced beef.

[Miss J]

Is that recipe in the Roux Brothers on Patisserie? I think I've seen it. And it's pretty amazing-looking...maybe we should try doing some bulk cobnut buying?

As a complete aside, I love the word schmaltz . It's just so satisfying to say.

[macrosan]

As a complete aside, I love the word schmaltz . It's just so satisfying to say. 

As a complete side it's just so satisfying to eat

They used to spread it, an inch thick, on a chunk of coarse bread and eat it as a snack. Of course, that was in the days before they invented cholesterol

[Miss J]

As long as we're talking schmaltz, would rendered goose fat also qualify, or does it have to come from a chicken? I have some goose fat in my fridge right now, and I'd like to know if I can accurately tell my guests that the roast potatoes taste good because they are covered in schmaltz.

I feel a change of signature coming on...

[Tyke]

That's it, Scott. Spikey sheath with a stalk.

That sounds like something available in one of the dodgier shops around Soho.

[macrosan]

Miss J, I'll have to take advice and let you know. FatGuy would definitely know (in the American tradition, of course) but I'm not sure. If I were you, I'd risk it. Those taters absolutely will taste better in goose schmaltz

Tyke, I thought they'd closed down all the greengrocers in Soho

[Bapi]

You're all making me fantastically jealous. My closest farmers' market is at Finchley Road on...wait for it...Wednesday mornings. So until I finally land a life of leisure, I'm not going to be attending it for the forseeable future.  

Fear not Miss J.

Palmer's Green station Car park on Sundays from 10 am. What is that roughly, 15 mins from Finchley?

I haven't managed to get my lazy arse out of bed yet to attend (eventhough it is only 2 miles away) but will endeavour to do so on Sunday and report back.

Best Farmer's market I have been to is at Ludlow, well worth a look.

On a similar vein(ish) have a gander at the Huge Furry Whippingtool (aka Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall) book The River Cottage Cookbook, its excellent.

[Tyke]

No, the greengrocers are still there, just all the bananas and cucumbers are plastic.

[Adam Balic]

Is that recipe in the Roux Brothers on Patisserie? I think I've seen it. And it's pretty amazing-looking...maybe we should try doing some bulk cobnut buying?

As a complete aside, I love the word schmaltz . It's just so satisfying to say. 

yep.

Schmaltz I like, but I like the little cruncy crispy bits that form when you make schmaltz even better.

[Miss J]

Ah, trust Adam to like the purest, schmaltziest bits of schmaltz.

[Adam Balic]

Ah, trust Adam to like the purest, schmaltziest bits of schmaltz. 

Confit du schmaltz .

[magnolia]

As long as we're talking schmaltz, would rendered goose fat also qualify, or does it have to come from a chicken? I have some goose fat in my fridge right now, and I'd like to know if I can accurately tell my guests that the roast potatoes taste good because they are covered in schmaltz.

I feel a change of signature coming on...

A colleague tells me that there is still a German word schmalz, meaning 'rendered fat' and slo that the word 'schmelzen' means "to melt" so I don' think it has to be chicken fat per se- particularly if you play schmaltzy music while serving the potatoes.

I guess I could modify my signature as well...will try anything once...except brains in schmaltz...

[Gavin Convery]

Now, don't laugh but my nearest farmer's market is in Peckham on a Sunday morning near the new library - a fairly small affair but they have an excellent bread stall. They also have occasional French farmer's markets although I haven't been to one of those yet.....just shows you how even the dodgiest part of London is becoming gentrified.

[Winot]

Now, don't laugh but my nearest farmer's market is in Peckham on a Sunday morning  near the new library - a fairly small affair but they have an excellent bread stall. They also have occasional French farmer's markets although I haven't been to one of those yet.....just shows you how even the dodgiest part of London is becoming gentrified.  

I came across the French farmers' market in Peckham about a year ago -- surreal sight of cartoon Frenchmen (complete with stripy shirts, onions and Hello Hello accents) selling excellent cheese and sausages to the good denizens of south London. The best thing was that they refused to speak anything but French, forcing customers to use their best Franglais and/or tentatively hold out a £20 note hoping that would cover the transaction.

[Kikujiro]

Borough Market today was overflowing with cobnuts. It's clearly their moment.

I would like to add that at one stall I bought: 6 baby artichokes, 2 punnets of blackberries, a head of garlic, 4 peaches, a grapefruit, 4 lemons, a load of cobnuts, and some of those amazing little peppers that look like miniature bell peppers [what the hell can I do with them, apart from arrange a still life?] -- all for £5.60, or about the price of a punnet of raspberries at Flaneur ...

[magnolia]

Borough Market today was overflowing with cobnuts. It's clearly their moment.

I would like to add that at one stall I bought: 6 baby artichokes, 2 punnets of blackberries, a head of garlic, 4 peaches, a grapefruit, 4 lemons, a load of cobnuts, and some of those amazing little peppers that look like miniature bell peppers [what the hell can I do with them, apart from arrange a still life?] -- all for £5.60, or about the price of a punnet of raspberries at Flaneur ...

Suprised we didn't see you, if you look like your photo. Miss J and I met just by the cobnut table ! Re: the peppers - arrange them in a circle around the multi-colored pattipan squashes and you'll have your winter centerpiece - that is, if peppers don't go bad (?)

As for me I managed to spend about £15 on cheese alone, including £4.something *apiece* for balls of mozzarella, as well as taleggio & ovine fort, the world's most wonderful blue cheese. Was it because the mozz. is the freshest I've had in London? Or because the Italian cheese guy's sidekick is so cute? Hmmm...

[Kikujiro]

Suprised we didn't see you, if you look like your photo.

Sorry to report, I don't look the slightest bit like my avatar. My nick is taken from the Takeshi Kitano film of the same name (Japanese title is Kikujiro no natsu, or Kikujiro's summer), and the photo is of that giant of cinema in the eponymous lead role.

[magnolia]

I happened to be in Bromley High Street today (the pedestrianised part outside the Glades Mall) and found they have a farmers' market there on Fridays and Saturdays.

Any idea what the hours are? I'll be in Bromley next Saturday but probably not until late in the day...