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Farmer's Market: A Saturday Buffet of Tastes and Experiences | |
| By Anne Wilson -- Special To The Tribune | 06/28/2002 | |
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This little piggy went to market and here is just a sampling of what she found: goat cheese, crusty bread, chicharrones, herbal soap, Navajo tacos, African music, flowers and royalty in the form of the Salsa Kings. The Downtown Farmer's Market, in downtown Salt Lake City's Pioneer Park, opened June 15 and is already in full swing, although it's still too early for the produce that will be a big draw later in the season. Like any living thing, the market will continue to evolve as new foods appear each week from now to Oct. 19. Until then, there may be no better way to spend a Saturday morning than mingling with farmers, artists, cooks, children, dogs and the people with sleeping bags who look like they live there. It's a happening that shouldn't be missed, even if you come down only to eat breakfast. But that, in itself, is a difficult decision. First, you have to get past the stand where a young boy is chopping fried meat that smells so wonderful you begin to rethink the silly notion that tacos are not a breakfast food. And who could resist sampling the chicharrones, light and crispy fried dough that looks like an encircled starfish and tastes like Mexico's answer to pork rinds? One dollar will buy a whole bag of proof that you are an adventurous foodie. Next to the taco stand is a couple selling fresh salsa, sweetened with honey and chock-full of onions, garlic and peppers the cooks tout as "miracle" foods because of their reputed disease-fighting properties. Who cares if salsa might prevent cancer? More important is the zing! that goes off in your mouth when you taste it. Good salsa can turn a simple bean burrito (try heating them on the barbecue grill) into a miraculously quick meal. Derek Mroczek and John Morris (better known as JohnnyMo) are ready preachers of that simple truth. The self-proclaimed "Salsa Kings" are new to the Downtown Farmer's Market this year, but are already earning rave reviews. Their free samples don't hurt. In their rented kitchen space (at a catering business called Herban Gourmet), the Kings can, and do, turn just about anything into salsa: tomatillos, pineapple, mango and, in the near future, peaches. It's damn good stuff, even to us common folk. Locally produced food is what the Downtown Farmer's Market is all about, which is why you'll find people like Jeanette Drake, who makes goat cheese on the family's farm in West Jordan. Drake's family has been farming the same land for six generations. After earning her degree at Utah State University, she began turning milk from the Drake's herd into mild ricotta or a slightly more tangy cheese flavored with basil or black pepper. I tried the pepper cheese in bruschetta, smearing it on fried rounds of crusty bread and finishing them with a mixture of chopped tomatoes, roasted red peppers, currants and fresh basil. The result would have made those goats proud. Utah bakeries are well-represented at the market, from the Vosen's Bread Paradise in downtown Salt Lake City (fabulous pastries in addition to German-style breads) to Volker's of Heber City, which makes the best asiago cheese bread around as well as dozens of other varieties. Pierre's fresh French and Great Harvest's hearty loaves are also on hand. The cool thing about the Downtown Farmer's Market is that you get to meet the people who make the food, which means you can ask them all sorts of questions and, usually, taste before you buy. It's a vastly more personal and interesting experience than any grocery store. There were even samples at Pet Chef Express, which makes and delivers dog and cat food, as well as cookies. The treats looked tasty but we passed them over in favor of a nibble of raw greens from Wasatch Community Gardens, which was among the handful of produce vendors represented at the market's second Saturday. These were fresh greens, exotic and tasty, sold in bulk for use in salads or in a saute made with garlic, shallots and Madiera wine. The nonprofit Wasatch Community Gardens oversees four gardens in the city, farming them with the help of neighbors and volunteers who share in the bountiful harvest. In addition to raising food, the gardens are used to educate city kids about the how and why of growing stuff. Produce sales help support that mission. Along with edible produce, the market also offers live plants from people like Growing Empire, which had beautiful perennials suited to Utah's dry clime. Other vendors sell beautiful cut flowers in bouquets. While the market is really confined to Pioneer Park, a new development across the street to the north has expanded its borders. The Pioneer Park Marketplace now includes a fresh-fish market, a bakery and a produce store, which gains a lot of foot traffic from marketgoers. Last week, there were some beautiful strawberries being sold in the parking lot. Good food is wherever you find it. Be prepared to buy what's fresh, then take it home and make your own miracle. But, first, here's a little advice to make your marketing more productive and comfortable: * The market opens at 8 a.m. and shoppers should come early for the best selection of foods and parking spots. (Public transportation is an even better idea.) * Bring cash, as many vendors accept nothing else. * Wear comfortable shoes and sun protection. * Bring something in which to stow your purchases, such as a shopping bag with handles or a backpack. You will be amazed at how bulky your purchases will become. Downtown Farmer's Market is located in Pioneer Park -- on the corner of 3rd West & 3rd South. The Farmer's Market is held every Saturday morning (8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.), from June 15 to October 19, 2002. Anne Wilson is The Tribune's restaurant reviewer. The newspaper covers the cost of meals at restaurants reviewed and there is no connection between reviews and restaurant advertising. Wilson welcomes food and wine news, comments and suggestions at wilwrite99@aol.com. |
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