Note: On Mondays, one of our various Market Scene correspondents checks in with what's fresh at farmstands, what's coming up, and what you better get while the gettin's good. This week, we hear from Boston correspondent Penny Cherubino of Boston Zest. Take us to the market, Penny!

[Photographs: Penny Cherubino]

A new Holiday Market in Boston is allowing farmers to sell into the fall and winter. This Downtown Crossing marketplace offers a mixture of artists, craftspeople, specialty food vendors, and farms.

On Sunday afternoon Abe from Stillman's at the Turkey Farm said he sells less meat at this location with the farm reaching a new set of customers. They've also been successful selling CSA shares.

Specialty food producers from nearby states, like New Hampshire's Charles McGonagle of Crazy Camel Dessert Hummus saw this as a way of reaching the Boston market. You really need to offer samples of a product that has the same calories as traditional hummus with half the fat, and comes in flavors like Chocolate Mousse, Toasted Almond, Peanut Butter, Gingerbread, and Caramel Apple. At the market, he was turning tasters into buyers.

It took less to convince people that they were going to like the flavored popcorns that Tim Dalton of T.T. Buds Popcorn was enthusiastically describing. He sells kettle corn in Sweet & Salty or Sweet & Cheesy flavors. For this market, he's also testing new flavors like Holiday Spice and Candy Cane. You can buy bags for munching or decorated tins for gifting.

Keown Orchards was on hand with a wide display of their own produce supplemented by a few items from other New England farms. They're still picking broccoli, parsnips and other root crops. The tomatoes were from Maine, and the potatoes came from Rhode Island. Keown also had honey, peach pies, cider and other goodies that they had preserved earlier in the year.

Other farmers' market favorites like Sassy Sauces, Big Sky Bread, Golden Rule Honey and When Pigs Fly Bakery were also stretching their market wings into December at this location. A full list of the vendors who will be on hand each week is here.

Downtown Crossing Holiday Market

Open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sundays Noon to 6 p.m. through December 24
Located next to Macy's on Summer Street in Downtown Crossing (map)
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