Living in Rochester, one of the highlights has got to be going to the Public (Farmer's) Market on Saturday morning. My brother and I try to make it an early morning affair, especially since parking gets scarce after the sun comes up. We usually meet at about 6:30 AM at "Java Joes" for coffee. Tanked up with freshly brewed motor fuel, we set off for the deals.
Our public market has been operating for over 100 years and is a feature landmark of the area. People of all walks of life have been coming here for generations to get the best values in meat, fish, vegetables, eggs, imported cheeses and much more. It is a cultural expedition to see the colorful dress of people from all of the world who shop here, not to mention the colorful characters of some of the vendors.
I always stop by Han's and pick up fresh fish, usually flown in to the area last night. My favorite is "porgie", which I buy in quantity for about $3 per pound! I buy the whole fish, clean it and spice it with cumin, corriander and garlic for at least 24 hours before grilling or frying--delish!I've also recently bought sushi grade ahi tuna, beautiful ruby red fillets ready for the grill! Frozen at sea scallops are huge and succulant, and don't get me started about the salmon and shrimp deals I've gotten recently.
Tony is everyone's butcher. He always has a great assortment of items (chicken, lamb, beef and more) and a fraction of the price you'd pay at your favorite grocery store. I believe he is the third generation of his family to run the business and he takes obvious pride in what he offers. To go with your meat or seafood? How about some artisonal pasta in a wide variety of shapes, flavors and colors? Locally bottled wine is sold here, and you can also purchase Amish baked goods and jellies. The produce comes straight from the farms and you can find both organic and conventionally grown options. I find it great fun to talk to the farmers about their crops and exchange recipes of how they like to cook what they've grown--my brother may roll his eyes at this!
The offerings change with the season. Right now we are still enjoying autumn apples that have been in cold storage, berries that have been flown in from warmer parts of the world, and lots of citrus. I love to buy big bags of organic salad mix to enjoy with other ingredients I've picked up (heirloom baby tomatoes, holland cucumbers, herbs of all varieties) to toss an awsome salad every day for lunch. I love to mix up the different colors and textures of the things I randomly find at the market so that each day brings a different healthy creation.
Our shopping trips only last an hour or so--long enough to finish the coffee and lug our heavily ladened cloth bags back to the car. One hug, say "hi" to the kids, and we go our separate ways....until next week!
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