The Farmer’s Market…It Ain’t Just Veggies!

As a dedicated Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) member of a local Long Island farm, I have no real reason to visit farmer’s markets. Each week, I pick up my CSA share of fruits and veggies from a neighborhood community center, and call it a day. Today was different.

In search of a peach-infused balsamic vinegar which was highly recommended by my friend, Beth, I went to my local farmer’s market at Christopher Morley Park in Roslyn, New York where I expected to find it. Needless to say, I didn’t find the booth selling the vinegar, but I was pleasantly surprised by some of the other goodies I did find. For your information, the Peach Balsamic Vinegar which I was searching for is from a company called Arlotta Food Studio.

Peach Balsamic Vinegar from Arlotta Food Studio

I felt like a kid again as I hopped from booth to booth checking out some amazing local and artisanal products. If you are reading this blog, there is a good chance that you frequent farmers’ markets in your own area, and already know what vegan delights can be found other than produce.

My Farmer’s Market Purchases

Let’s make a deal…I’ll tell you about my favorite farmers’ market finds, if you tell me about yours in the comments section below. Okay? Here we go….

Orwasher’s prides itself as New York’s Original Artisan Bakery. Orshwasher’s website claims that they’ve been baking bread in their own bakery on Manhattan’s Upper East Side every day, for nearly 100 years. Along the way, they became addicted to sourcing local ingredients and opting for sustainable, natural and organic ingredients.

I was told at the Orwasher’s farmers’ market booth that all of their breads (with the exception of the Challah and the Cinnamon Raisin) are vegan. I bought and sampled the seeded New York Rye Bread and the Sesamo bread, and both can only be described as a “bread lover’s dream.” Some of the other breads also looked divine, such as the Cabernet Rustica, the Ciabattas and the Levain Locale.

You can find Orwasher’s bread on restaurant and dinner tables throughout New York City and at farmer’s markets in the region, nearly every week of the year.

Have you ever heard of a naturally decaffeinated Columbian coffee bean? And if it really does exist, could it do the job of satisfying one’s craving for a hot caffeinated cup o’ joe? The answer is yes! I found such a bean at the booth of the COFFEED roasters along with many other varieties of coffee beans which come from the “World’s Rarest Single Origins.” COFFEED is a locally sourced café in Long Island City, New York with a new second location at the Sweet Comfort Bakery & Cafe in Port Washington, New York.

COFFEED aims to buy their coffee beans directly from environmentally conscious farmers, and is fully committed to complete sustainable coffee practices in all the beans they roast and brew. COFFEED roasts small batches of beans at a time for maximum freshness and to ensure top quality.

COFFEED‘s beans, whole or ground, can be purchased on their website.

Pickles, pickles, and more pickles! That is what they had at the impressive booth of Horman’s Best Pickles. I opted to buy the naturally fermented sour and spicy sour pickles which I always favor due to their health benefits. However, every type of pickle imaginable was available at Horman’s booth including Bread & Butter, Honey Mustard and Horseradish pickles. The sour pickles were awesome, and you can check out all the varieties and purchasing locations on Horman’s Best Pickles website.

What’s the point of the delicious Orwasher’s bread without some sweet fruit preserves to spread on it? The Miss Amy’s “Just Peachy Preserves” I bought was the perfect choice. It’s all natural and made from fresh sliced peaches, pure cane sugar, natural fruit pectin and lemon juice.  You can check out the other wonderful flavors such as Atlantic Red Raspberry, Berries from Heaven and Cherry Peach L’Amour on Miss Amy’s website.

Who knew that you could buy bottled dressings and marinades at Farmers’ Markets? Not me. The MOMO Ginger Dressing I purchased is vegan and gets the seal of approval from my younger son who is a ginger salad dressing fanatic. MOMO, which is based in Brooklyn, New York, makes all their Japanese style salad dressings with natural ingredients.

My next Farmer’s Market purchase of the day was a delicious vegan Baba Ghanoush from the brand Eden Fresh. Its ingredients are eggplant, garlic, olive oil, chili peppers, lemon juice, and ground roasted sesame seeds. I sampled some of their other products, including hummus and tahini, which were delicious too. The Eden Fresh products are marketed as vegan, gluten free, soy free, nut free, and all natural.

I was not leaving the Farmer’s Market today without purchasing a pink bar of soap which looked good enough to eat. So that is exactly what I bought from The Owl & The Pussycat which makes handmade soaps and other bath products, as well as custom made baskets, party favors and corporate gifts. The “Love” bar which I purchased is made from a mix of ingredients, including coconut oil and shea butter.

Although The Owl & The Pussycat’s website claims that their products contain no animal ingredients, some of their products contain honey which is not vegan. But the “Love” soap which I purchased is pretty and vegan, and it smells great too! Buying colorful soaps, bath bombs, and other fizzy items is so much fun, don’t you think so?

So, as you can see, the Farmer’s Market has a lot more to offer than just fruit and veggies. The items I bought just can’t be beat, and it feels so nice to support local artisans and businesses.

What are your favorite things to buy at Farmers’ Markets? We would truly love to know?

Debby

xoxoxo