Jump to content

Falls Church Market (1984-) - 300 Park Avenue, Open Every Saturday Year-Round until Noon


jjl

Recommended Posts

I stopped by the Stachowski tent on Saturday and sampled what might have been one of the best bites of sausage i ever had. No idea what it was, as I grabbed a taste walking by and didn't stop to ask, but I was damned impressed. I was bummed to see that he only had sausage for sale and none of his charcuterie. Oh well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

^

I'm pretty sure I remember Jamie bringing pate to the markets. It's worth a call to see if he can wrap some up to sell at Falls Church.

And yes, his sausages are really good. I tried one of the 'wursts 2 weeks ago and that was delicious. My favorites are the Italian sausage with wine, and the merguez, which I love to use in my pastitsio.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I stopped by the Stachowski tent on Saturday and sampled what might have been one of the best bites of sausage i ever had. No idea what it was, as I grabbed a taste walking by and didn't stop to ask, but I was damned impressed. I was bummed to see that he only had sausage for sale and none of his charcuterie. Oh well.

Say "Hi" next time! Little man asked to buy a pint of the Clear Springs's Honey Yogurt, to which he promptly drank 3/4 of it, surprisingly. It was good to see Clare there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You know, I looked for a girl in a kimono with a sword, but didn't see you there! (I can't really make out what your avatar is wearing...)

BTW, we should also be devoting serious time on this board to discuss the delicious mini-donuts made on-site and smothered in brown sugar. I could eat a million of 'em!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

lots of strawberries this morning at FC but none of them had much scent. Priced at $6/qt pretty much across the board, no bargain for a bland berry. Asparagus is everywhere in the market now, typically $6 bundle (around 1 lb.), but a few stands had them for $4.50. Lots of early onions to be seen as well, running ~$2.50 a bunch. Prices on herbs are coming down. Lots of veggie and herb plants for sale as well. The crepe makers are back, as are several more of the summer vendors.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ramps are in, running about $5/bunch, and the asparagus is starting to come in now.  One stand had it for $4.75 for a small bundle, another priced it at $7 for a larger (but not 2x size) bundle or 2 bundles for $13.  Toigo has greenhouse tomatoes as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just about all the summer vendors are back now, and a few new faces.  There's an orchid seller at the market now.  Lots of bedding plants, and I checked with one fellow and ordered a half-flat of okra seedlings for next week (sorry, don't remember which farm, the Hispanic fellow down near Stachowski's slot).  Lots of asparagus this week, lots of young onions, lots of young white turnips and radishes and arugula to be found.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A new stand today at the market "No. 1 Son" selling kimchi, sauerkraut and various pickles & relishes

I love these guys. They've been at my market (Greenbelt) since last year. You can't go wrong with any of their products. They're currently also selling homemade sriracha and 2 kinds of beets, their cider vinegar red beets, which they tend to have year round and their newest are golden beets that have a bit more heat. They also sell a salsa verde. Everything other than the items I just mentioned are fermented products.

Oh, and they are in the process of starting a Kombucha line. I did one of those social media investment things and loaned them a whopping $10 or something to help get that going. Can't wait to drink the fruits of my labor.  ;)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I stopped by the FC Market for the first time this summer on Saturday. I had to park in the back by the park because of some old biddy in an SUV who was meandering about the area, not using turn signals, etc.

Stokowski had a couple of new items, I tried a piece of rabbit sausage that was good, and bought a pack of Bacon Brats that put Red Apron to shame.

I mostly went to get tomatoes, but I also bought a nice big eggplant with the idea of making baba ganoush. I paid $4.50 for one eggplant!! Trader Joe's has them for $1.87 each.

This is why I usually sleep in Saturday mornings, the prices are just over the top. Oh, I ended up throwing that eggplant out. It was OK, but when I got around to it it was cold, since I grilled it at a friends and took it home, and the sight of the seeds after I peeled it turned me off.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There's a new vendor at the FC market, Dimitri olives & olive oil.  The father still lives in Greece on a farm near Spartina, grows and harvests the olives and ships them to the family who cold presses some of the olives into oil and cures others for eating.  They also purchase balsamic vinegar from a neighboring farm and ship that over as well.  I got a bottle of the 12-year old balsamic ($22), very thick and syrupy with a bright tangy-grapey taste, and a medium sized bottle of the unfiltered EVOO ($20).  Didn't buy olives today, a small container is $6 and a large is $10.  They had a green olive, pitted kalamatas with orange, and a country mix.  Oh, and you get a discount if you return the empty bottles.  

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, weezy said:

Spring has really sprung.  All the warm weather farm stands are open again, and there are strawberries and asparagus and bedding plants galore to be had.

Funny you should say that - I had both (presumably local) strawberries and white asparagus - separate courses - for the first time this season at a restaurant (soon to be reviewed ;)) just last night. Aggie Chin also just posted about a strawberry dessert of hers on Facebook.

It *must* be strawberry and asparagus season - restaurant sightings are the only way I know about these things.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Time to say good-bye to summer corn.  Only one vendor still was selling it this weekend.  The greens are looking tasty though, and the brassicas are coming on strong.  Plenty of tomatoes and beans still to be found.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tomatoes are getting scarce, but there are still some covered row vines producing.  Three, maybe four, vendors had some available.  The brassicas are gorgeous right now -- romesco, orange cauliflower and lots of beautiful broccoli seen --  and all the greens are looking lush.  Lots of radishes and beets as well.  One vendor had local popcorn and stone ground grains (grits, cornmeal, wheat bran and a couple of others I don't remember).  And Jamie Stachowski has a new recipe of hot dogs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 11/5/2016 at 6:27 AM, weezy said:

Tomatoes are getting scarce, but there are still some covered row vines producing.  Three, maybe four, vendors had some available.  The brassicas are gorgeous right now -- romesco, orange cauliflower and lots of beautiful broccoli seen --  and all the greens are looking lush.  Lots of radishes and beets as well.  One vendor had local popcorn and stone ground grains (grits, cornmeal, wheat bran and a couple of others I don't remember).  And Jamie Stachowski has a new recipe of hot dogs.

weezie, thank you for keeping us up-to-date.

I know romesco the sauce, but not romesco the item - what is it?

Also, given the flurry of activity on the Knives thread of late, are you still sharpening knives? If so, what's the best way to engage your services? I have a set of Wüsthof (nothing special; just whatever they had at Bloomingdales) that has gone completely ignored (not to mention barely used) for 17 years, and you're my first choice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, DonRocks said:

weezie, thank you for keeping us up-to-date.

I know romesco the sauce, but not romesco the item - what is it?

Also, given the flurry of activity on the Knives thread of late, are you still sharpening knives? If so, what's the best way to engage your services? I have a set of Wüsthof (nothing special; just whatever they had at Bloomingdales) that has gone completely ignored (not to mention barely used) for 17 years, and you're my first choice.

romesco is that odd looking green craggy cauliflower -- what a friend calls "fractal veg."  

Oops!  that should be romanesco.  sorry  romanesco.jpg

Shoot me an email or PM, I'll give you my address, you can drop the knives by anytime and I'll get them done for you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is the last weekend of the season for most of the produce stands at the market until next spring.  There are usually a couple who stick it out until Christmas with some greens and roots, but it's time to switch into winter mode.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

local asparagus and strawberries are coming in now.  Ramps are still plentiful.  One of the cut flower vendors has returned already, but most of the "summer" stands won't arrive until next weekend.  Next weekend should be good for mushrooms.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

blueberries are in, sweet cherries are in, Roma beans, yellow beans, and every lettuce imaginable are in.  Squash and squash blossoms are coming on strong.  Some real field-grown sun-ripened tomatoes are to be had -- most are still rowhouse tomatoes.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Winter hours start this week -- 9:00 opening until May -- although with the dangerously cold temps, I would check to see if they're even going to open this weekend.  I'm a pretty diehard marketer and I don't plan to be there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Beautiful morning at the market.  Lots and lots and lots of bedding plants.  Some new lettuces and the asparagus is starting to come in.  However, the asparagus I saw for sale was $4 for perhaps 5 fat spears.  That's still a bit too pricey for me.  I'll wait for the supply to bring the cost down.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

only saw the Mushroom guys with ramps today, $8 for a small bundle, and they had morels, $12/pint.  Strawberries and asparagus are almost gone; only 3 farmers had them today.  Cauliflower is coming on strong, as are sugar snaps and snow peas.  Lots of beets and young onions and lettuces.  

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Toigo has the very last of the strawberries today, but blueberries are everywhere.  Two farmers had corn -- still looks pretty scrawny, but it's corn!  One sighting of Roma beans, three of okra.  Lots of onions and beets and rhubarb and kale, a few garlic scapes still around, basil now showing up in big bundles.  

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

the corn is in full force, lots of tomatoes, good looking peaches -- basically, the abundance of summer produce has arrived.  Also noticed lots of beautiful lisianthus today, mostly purples & whites, and a few pinks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

looks like we've reached the end of the corn at the market in Falls Church, anyway.  Tomatoes are dwindling, the okra is starting to feel woody even when young & little.  Lots of nice little potatoes and turnips and beets showing up, peaches fading and apples & pears coming on.

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are still strawberries at the market, but fading fast.  Toigo has a bunch but priced @ $8/quart.  Other farmers have limited supplies but @ $6/qt.  Blueberries are coming in but still pricey, $4 or $5 / pint.  Beans are showing up, mostly $4/lb, flat beans, green beans.  Sugar snaps are $4/pint.  One stand had fava beans at $6/qt (about 10-12 beans).  there's still some asparagus out there but fewer farmers.  Smith Valley is out of eggs this week; new flock that hasn't acclimated, but they should have eggs again next week.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Toigo is pretty much the last of the strawberry sellers, now $6/pint or 2/$10.  Smith Valley's hens still aren't producing, so no eggs there.  Valentine's has fresh, never frozen chicken this week.  Lots of hothouse tomatoes available now.  Most everybody has regular green beans, a few have yellow and flat roma beans.  Beets are big and beautiful all over the market, lots of garlic scapes, lots of young onions, lots of squash.  Also saw a couple of stands with okra.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Toigo has yellow & white peaches, yellow & white nectarines, apricots and yellow plums this week.  Field grown tomatoes everywhere @ $3/lb -- very happy to see a lot of stands selling the pink tomatoes this year, which are my favorites.  Squashes & eggplants around $2.50/lb.  Corn, white or bicolor, but not the Mirai variety, @ .75 ear or 3/$2.  Valentine's is sellign fresh, never frozen chickens.  And all the usual suspects.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...