Market Scene: Wicker Park & Bucktown Farmers' Market, Chicago
Photographs by Nick Kindelsperger
In Chicago, things are just getting ready to flip from summer bounty to outright excess. The best-looking tomatoes are still the small Sun Golds, and while apples have started to make an appearance, they aren't the delicious crisp and sweet variety—but we are getting awfully close.
What clued me in to the impending abundance were the massive piles of Midwestern sweet corn at the Wicker Park & Bucktown Farmers' Market. Ears were dumped in big bins and picked over by the zealous shoppers, ready to sink their teeth into what real corn should taste like.
My first stand was Iron Creek Farms from Saint Joseph, Michigan. They had an impressive collection of little potatoes, cauliflower, and, of course, corn.
I was struck by onions so well-scrubbed and white that they nearly blinded me. I couldn't help but buy some of them.
And I couldn't help but think of ratatouille when I saw these zucchini and squash. I picked up one of each.
The next stop was Seedling Fruit, from South Haven, Michigan. They had a table dedicated to some of the first first pears and apples that I've seen all year. Even local celebrity chef Rick Bayless tweeted about the apples that were arriving in Chicago.
Like last year, Nichols Farm was the big force at the market. They were absolutely stocked. Besides the above-pictured tomatoes, I was immediately drawn to the rag-tag bin of peppers and eggplants. I picked up the latter for my meal.
It's not quite my favorite season, but there's certainly enough around to be gloriously happy about.
About the author: Nick Kindelsperger is a Chicago-based freelance writer and a co-founder of The Paupered Chef.
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5 Comments:
Love the little sun golds. This year the blight has swept through Vermont and taken out almost all my tomatoes. The sun golds were actually the first plants to show the damage, but most of the fruit has come through unblemished. So it's a sun gold summer for me.
lemonfair at 3:05PM on 08/18/09
Just gorgeous! I haven't heard about the tomato blight hitting us here in the upper Midwest, thank heavens. My own tomatoes are doing really well, if they are only just starting to ripen. I do feel bad for the folks in the NE.
But.....$1 an ear for organic sweet corn? Yikes!
Barbd at 3:44PM on 08/18/09
I don't like sweet corn. Please bring back the corn flavored corn!
jackiecat at 6:12PM on 08/18/09
How long ago was it picked? Corn deteriorates quickly.
and as others said, $1 an ear? YIKES!
peekpoke at 7:30PM on 08/18/09
You'd have to charge $1 an ear for organic sweet corn. Without pesticides and herbicides 80% of your harvest would be eaten alive!
tomthewombat at 10:32AM on 08/19/09