Viva the Farmer's Market!

My friends came over the other night for an impromptu dinner bearing a gift of smoked bluefish from the Orlean's Farmer's Market. The immediate response from most of us was a sympathetic smile(which was a lot better than blurting, "ICK") Let's face it, bluefish has a bad rap and requires occasional help, but this smoky version was worthy of huge accolades. It was flat-out unbelievable. Usually everything from a farmer's market is pretty spectacular.

Farmer's markets are a beautiful thing and they have popped up everywhere on Cape Cod this year. You can have farm fresh food every day of the week if you make a little effort and leapfrog from one to another in your area.

Special finds are all over the place. I discovered flaxseed tortillas the other day and now they are making their way into my dreams at night. Everytime I go to the farmer's market, I'm inspired.

We are lucky to have an established community of foodies here. Elspeth Hay who is our local food celebrity and airs on NPR morning addition All Things Considered knows the Cape's farmer's market better than anyone. She writes a blog about what is growing locally and how to use it. Check out Diary of a Locavore. She recently featured a raw food recipe for blueberry cheesecake by Katie Reed of Farm Fresh Maids, a Wellfleet raw food caterer. Look at this photo and you too will be a devotee.
Edible Cape Cod, our version of the quarterly magazine, is a great resource as well for what is happening on the farmer's market scene.
If you want to grow your own garden on the Cape, you might need some secret advice from the Cape's queen of gardening, C.L Fornari, bookwriter, professional speaker, expert on which of your favorite plants those pesky bunnies eat and don't eat. Her website is at the Garden Lady. Can you imagine in your wildest dreams having your carrot patch look like this? .

Let's just say some of us need farmer's market more that others.


Here's a list of Cape Farmer's Markets.

Falmouth Farmers Market
Thursday 12-6pm May 26
Peg Noonan Park, Main Street, Falmouth
http://www.falmouthfarmers/market.orf

Orleans Farmer's Market 8-12PM May 14 - Nov 19 21 Old Colony Way, http://www.orleansfarmersmarket.com/

Osterville Farmer's Market June 3 - Sept 30
Friday 9-1pm
Osterville Historical Society, 155 West Bay Road/parket Road
ostervillefarmersmarket.org

Bass River Farmers Market
Thursdays 8:30 - 1:30pm May 26, 307 Old Main Street, Yarmouth, wwwthebassfarmersmarket.com

Chatham Farmers market
Tuesday 3PM - 6:30 June 7 - December 26, 24 Main Street, South Chatham, chthamfarmersmarket@hotmail.com
Dennis Community Farmers Market

Harwich Brewster
Thursdau 3-6PM June 16 - 10/13
Brooks Academy Museum 80 Parallel Street, Harwich, www harwichhistoricalsociety.org

Green Harvest Farmers Market
Tuesdays, 12-6pm, June 7 - 11/15, Barnstable County Fairground, 1220 Nathan Ellis Highway, Rt 151

MidCape Farmers Market
Wednesdays 2-6PM June 8 - 10/16
Barnstable Youth and Community Center, 141 Bassett Lane, Hyannis, http://www.midcapefarmersmaket.com/

Ptown Farmers Market
Saturdays 11-4pm May-Dec Across from Town Hall intersection Commercial and Ryder Street

Sandwich Farmers Market
Tues 9-1PM
June 7-10/25
The Village Green, 164 Route 6A across from the fish hatchery, wwwsandwichfarmersmarket.com
and teh sandwich Farmers Marketat Oak Crest
Wed 8-1PM, April 27 - 10/26
34 Quaker Meeting House Road, sandwich
http://www.thesandwichbazaar.com/

For a full list visit, http://www.capecodextension.org/docs/horticulture/farmers_markets_2011.pdf