Last Sunday we visited the Downtown Crossing Holiday Market to do one of our Market Scene reports for Serious Eats. Maybe this is a start to finding a location in Boston where farmers can operate further into the winter.
We visited with Abe from Stillman's Farm and were happy to hear that they were signing up new CSA (Consumer Supported Agriculture) shareholders who live and work in this neighborhood.
And, we stocked up on basics– carrots, honey and such at Keown Orchards. This farm also seemed to be making new friends among the Sunday shoppers. We heard that weekdays, especially around lunch hour, can be very busy.
If you check the list of vendors for each week, you'll find other farmers' market favorites. And, you may also discover some new friends.
One of our favorite new food finds was Charles McGonagle's "Crazy Camel Dessert Hummus." This chef, with 25 years of experience creating great food, was trying to introduce his picky teenage daughter to traditional hummus. Their site says, "She blurted out, 'yuk!' Can't you add some peanut butter to this? And that's how it started."
Today Chuck adds flavors like Chocolate Mousse, Toasted Almond, Peanut Butter, Gingerbread, and Caramel Apple. He also removes the fat, so the finished product has about the same calories as most hummus but is full of dessert flavor.
Across the aisle we were thrilled to find a "When Pigs Fly" bakery
booth. We were able to stock up on their great breads without a
separate trip to Somerville or Brookline. Our choices for the day were
a French loaf and two of the seasonal breads– "Curried Squash with
Pears and Raisins" and the one we call "stuffing bread," because it
tastes exactly like the holiday stuffing you have on Thanksgiving.
We think these two companies should get together. Their creative flavors seem made for one another. We loved the gingerbread hummus on the curried squash bread.
This marketplace is also supporting area artists and craftspeople. Each
week you'll find photographers, fabric artists, furniture makers, and
jewelry artists offering the opportunity to buy unusual and high
quality gifts.
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The Downtown Crossing Holiday Market is open Monday through Saturday 11 am to 7 pm, and Sunday 12 noon to 6 pm through December 24th. It's located next to Macy's on Summer Street in Downtown Crossing. (Map)
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Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: © 2009 Penny Cherubino
