Eight Kinds of Strawberries

By Kevin Grzyb in Food on Jun 17, 2005 8:04PM

If the title of this post makes you tingle a little, you’re one of us and you probably already know that this week was the first week of the major roll out of the Farmer’s Markets across Chicagoland. (Some have been open for a few weeks already) We like to visit a couple of different markets around the city and if you’re one of those insane, up at the crack of dawn jogging type of people, beat your feet towards one of the farmer’s markets in the early morning when the trucks are just pulling in and getting set up and you might be in for a treat. We’ve been there for some crazy stuff, not because we’re up jogging, but the Saturday morning market was kind of all around us when we woke up in the park one morning. Now, some of the farms come in from around the state and there are some that have been building a reputation and notoriety for the quality, variety and flavor of the produce they produce. Early one morning, haze drifting from our eyes, sipping a cup of coffee while out walking the dog we notice two of Chicago’s better know chefs arguing loudly over who saw the fingerling potatoes first and how the other was just going to ruin them anyway. (Meow!!) But the morning runs in waves. First come the industry folk (chefs, sous, cooks or gophers [y’know ‘go for beets, leeks and arugala, if they got it’], then the joggers and the foodies, these are the ones who come for the sake of beating the morning walkers, with their dogs and strollers and screaming kids, to all the good stuff.

With the early heat this June and seemingly more to come, this looks as though it may be a standout year for Illinois grown produce, and speaking of, what the hell is up with the farmer’s market stands in Chicago featuring “Florida tomatoes”? We’re not geographers (professionally) nor linguists, but I’m pretty sure that “Florida tomatoes” don’t grow in Illinois. Hell we’re not even that snobby, we’ll call it local if it’s from Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan (c’mon cherry season) or Iowa, too, but Florida?

So, we got two kinds of strawberries and mixed them in a bowl with Grand Marnier (go easy, it’s dessert not a cocktail) and top with some fresh whipped cream. We also got English sweet peas that were so good we tossed them in a salad raw, check us we’re hip into ‘raw food’ or as we’ve always called it, salads.

Below is a list of the Chicago markets, it may not be complete, but it’s the best we can find:

Chicago’s Green City Market
1750 N. Clark and Stockton Drive
Wednesdays & Saturdays
May 18th - October 29th
7am to 1:30pm

Ashburn Chicago Farmers Market
Brown's Chicken parking lot
82d & Kedzie
OPEN-AIR/SEASONAL
July-October
Wednesday, 7:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Ashburn/Englewood/Gresham Chicago Farmers Market
On Plaza at the northeast corner
63d & Halsted
OPEN-AIR/SEASONAL
June-October
Wednesday, 7:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Austin Chicago Farmers Market
Madison and Central at Emmet Math, Science
and Technology Academy parking lot
OPEN-AIR/SEASONAL
June-October
Saturday, 7:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Beverly Chicago Farmers Market
95th Street and Longwood
City parking lot (southeast corner)
OPEN-AIR/SEASONAL
Saturday, 8:00 am.-1:00 p.m.
June-October
Sunday, 7:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Chicago’s Green City Market
1750 N. Clark and Stockton Drive
Wednesdays & Saturdays
May - October
7am to 1:30pm

Daley Plaza Chicago Farmers Market
Washington and Dearborn
Daley Plaza north of Washington
OPEN-AIR/SEASONAL
May-September
Thursday, 7:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

Dunning-Eli's Chicago Farmers Market
Eli's Cheesecake Company
parking lot
OPEN-AIR/SEASONAL
June-October
Thursday, 7:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Edison/Norwood Park Chicago Farmers Market
Edison Park Fieldhouse
Oshkosh and Northwest Highway
OPEN-AIR/SEASONAL
June-October
Wednesday, 7:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Federal Plaza Chicago Farmers Market
Federal Plaza on plaza east of post
office at Adams and Dearborn Streets
OPEN-AIR/SEASONAL
May-October
Tuesday, 7:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

Galewood/Montclare Farmers Market
Cortland and Lewland Streets
Sayre Language Academy parking lot
OPEN-AIR/SEASONAL
July-October
Sunday, 7:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. (2d Sunday)

Gately/Pullman Chicago Farmers Market
111th and Cottage Grove-Arcadia Park
OPEN-AIR/SEASONAL
June-October
Wednesday, 7:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Hyde Park Chicago Farmers Market
Cul-de-sac at Harper Court
52d Place and Harper Court
Chicago, IL 60602
Contact: Ron Salazar
(312) 744-3315/742-4444
OPEN-AIR/SEASONAL
June-October
Thursday, 7:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Lincoln Park Chicago Farmers Market
Lincoln Park High School parking lot
Chicago, IL 60602
Contact: Ron Salazar
(312) 744-3315/9089
OPEN-AIR/SEASONAL
June-October
Saturday, 7:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Lincoln Park Zoo Chicago Farmers Market
Farm-in-the-Zoo at 2001 North Stockton Drive
OPEN-AIR/SEASONAL
June-September
Sunday, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. (4th Sunday)

Lincoln Square Chicago Farmers Market
Lincoln/Leland/Western in
city parking lot
OPEN-AIR/SEASONAL
June-October
Tuesday, 7:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

Morgan Park Chicago
Farmers Market
95th and Winston
Chicago, IL 60602
OPEN-AIR/SEASONAL
June-October
Saturday, 7:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Museum of Contemporary Art/Streeterville Farmers Market
MCA Plaza
OPEN-AIR/SEASONAL
June-October
Tuesday, 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

Near North Chicago Farmers Market
Division and Dearborn Streets
OPEN-AIR/SEASONAL
June-October
Saturday, 7:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Nettelhorst French Market
Corner of Broadway and Melrose in Lakeview
OPEN-AIR/SEASONAL
April-October
Saturday, 8:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

North Center Chicago Farmers Market
Belle Plaine/Damen/Lincoln
North Center Town Square
OPEN-AIR/SEASONAL
June-October
Saturday, 7:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

North Halsted Chicago Farmers Market
Faith Tabernacle Church parking lot
OPEN-AIR/SEASONAL
June-October
Saturday, 7:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Park at Jackson & Wacker Farmers Market
311 South Wacker
OPEN-AIR/SEASONAL
May-October
Thursday, 7:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

Prudential Plaza Chicago Farmers Market
Prudential Building Plaza
At Lake and Beaubien Court
OPEN-AIR/SEASONAL
June-October
Thursday, 7:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

Roscoe Village Farmers Market
Friedrich Ludwig Jahn Play Lot
OPEN-AIR/SEASONAL
June-October
Sunday, 7:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

South Loop Chicago Farmers Market
Contact: Ron Salazar
(312) 744-3315/9089
OPEN-AIR/SEASONAL
June-October
Saturday, 7:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

South Shore Chicago Farmers Market
South Shore Bank parking lot
70th and Jeffery Street
OPEN-AIR/SEASONAL
June-October
Wednesday, 7:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

West Lawn Chicago Farmers Market
Republic Bank parking lot
65th and Pulaski Streets
OPEN-AIR/SEASONAL
June-September
Sunday, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. (3d Sunday)

Wicker Park/Bucktown Chicago Farmers Market
Wicker Park, Wicker Park and Damen Streets
OPEN-AIR/SEASONAL
June-October
Sunday, 7:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Photo via: www.chicagogreencitymarket.org