Farmers' markets across St. Louis are in full swing, and as new crops are harvested Gut Check will be there every step of the way to make sure you never miss out on the latest fresh veggie. This week, we returned to Schlafly's market in Maplewood. Below is a quick guide to what you can find on your next trip.
First of all, one of the best parts about visiting the Schlafly Farmers' Market is the smell of hops that greets you the minute you step out of the car. It's a pretty tough atmosphere to beat from an olfactory standpoint.
But you're here for some wholesome food -- the beer comes later. And you're in luck, because with the warmer weather comes tomatoes -- red tomatoes, yellow tomatoes...all colors, shapes and sizes. Buila Family Farm is already selling heirloom, golden nugget and cherry tomatoes, and all are delicious. And Biver Farms even has a whole table of tomato plants ready to be taken home, planted and plucked.
Tomatoes, of course, are versatile. But one of Gut Check's favorite ways to employ a nice tomato is salsa. Luckily, Ivan's Fig Farm just so happens to sell jars of homemade salsa. The ingredients include heirloom tomatoes, hot peppers, parsley, salt and vinegar, and that's it. Ivan's salsa is canned and stored so you can still buy a can from last year. We tried it, and it's pretty tasty.
Up next: Berries, popsicles and ... beer!
Something else that caught our attention was Murray's Orchard where blueberries and tart pie cherries were in abundance. Common sense says that tart pie cherries means pie, and we love pie.
Many vendors still had plenty of kale, squash and zucchini on hand and pots of flowers in full bloom were for sale if you're looking to freshen up the house.
If you're in search for something sweet, stop by Whisk Bakery's tent and buy yourself a popsicle! From the many available flavors, we chose strawberry rhubarb. The rhubarb throws you off at first, but then the strawberry kicks in, and it's the perfect combo.
In conclusion, if you haven't been to the Schlafly Farmers' Market in a while, you need to go back. There's a whole mess of veggies and fruits and popsicles waiting. Plus, after you're finished shopping, there's always that cold beer merely steps away.
