Tour of the Markets-Cuyahoga Valley Farmers Market, Howe Meadow, Peninsula, OH
Welcome to the first day of farmers market season!!! This means a few things in my world. First, it is the beginning of June and hot as can be (at the time of writing this, 88 degrees and sunny), so the grass was a bit crunchy and the lemonade stand had a steady line. Second, the place in the season dictates some of the harvest we will see. As the summer progresses, crops will unravel, so early markets are typically heavier on made goods, but a beautiful experience as we open back up from winter hiding!
Let me start this tour by giving you a lay of the land. The pictures following this are taken in a circle counter clockwise. This field was HUGE, and there were many tents positioned around the parameter, so these pictures do not give the whole market justice.
Today we visit Howe Meadow. Pretty heartwarming back story here. This farm area was formed in 1999 as an answer to the problem of quickly disappearing farmland to the industrial building. Many local farms came together to form initiatives promoting one cohesive, larger dream and support each other in sustainability, with this market being just one of many programs.
One of the larger collaborations, the Countryside Initiative program, is the driving force here, bringing the produce of these smaller farms to a central market, allowing easy access to the community.
On the other side of the table, in 2009, Countryside began accepting food assistance to promote equal availability to healthy food options for all. In 2019, they piloted the program Carrot Cash, to increase access of locally-grown, fresh produce for WIC recipients. Helping the farmers and helping the community!
It was clear that this was a loved community environment as music played, wagons were pulled around hauling everything from produce to laughing children, and these tables were never again seen empty.
Almost as a center hub was this kettle corn stand. I have yet to figure out if this was strategically done for heat reasons, or brilliantly done for marketing purposes-the whole market smelled of kettle corn!!
This market had everything! Starting my slow walk around the loop, there was fresh flowers, local meats, and fur/hide artifacts. This might be the first market I’ve been to with this type of work!
To round out your market produce haul, there were many types of beans, grains, and eggs to choose from!
Despite the heat of the day, there were so many gorgeous bouquets all around!
As the produce deepened, the rich greens started to emerge. First the chard and scapes….
…then baskets upon baskets of lettuces! While I did buy a few types for everyday use, for the purpose of this blog I kept my ‘creative challenge’ to Bibb lettuce, hoping to stretch my use away from the comfort of my salad plate.
Not to be outdone by their above ground friends, the bulbs were out in fabulous colors!!
Despite the fact that I’ve been eating radishes almost daily, these still were quite tempting….
Not to worry if you are a little late to the party in planting! This market was ready to help get your garden prepared!
Many of the stands had starter plants of all varieties and sizes. These were huge!!
While the season is starting to change, given the weather this spring/summer so far, there was still a decent amount of asparagus and rhubarb.
While I’m holding out for my fall harvest, it was wonderful to see this large assortment of apples!
I was highly impressed at the personal care goods available here. More than one stand boasted hand made soaps and herbal toiletries. The smells were a nice balance to the lingering kettle corn 🙂
My jealousy kicked in when my eyes fell on the most beautiful pastries, and I wondered how they were faring so well in the heat. Upon close examination….dog treats!
These ladies knew how to work with honey! Not only did they have their staple jars, but many concoctions mixing the honey with other herbs and flavors, creating extremely intriguing new varieties!
There was locally made pottery, not only being sold as functional pottery, but also used as planters for a range of succulents.
This was another farmers market first for me….a cotton candy booth! I thought I’ve seen it all folks, but here you have it. Home grown radishes in one hand and a watermelon sticky cone in the other!
The stage has been set. Enter the characters: leeks and Bibb lettuce. I have been working diligently over the last week to create recipes to share with you (some have already been posted if you follow me on social media), and I will post links here as they are published.
Veggie Thai Wraps with a Peanut Soy Sauce (Bibb lettuce wraps)
Seared Mahi Mahi with Leek and Garlic Scape Butter Sauce
Grilled Chicken Thighs with a Smoky Charred Leek Sauce
Marinated Leeks with Shallots and Thyme
Curried Avocado Egg Salad (Bibb Lettuce cups)
Thank you so much for following along on this tour! If you are a visually person, I have some footage of this market on TikTok (Goddess of Garlic). I absolutely loved seeing and supporting this market and the larger mission of the many farms that came together to preserve the farmlands in the heart of the Cuyahoga Falls National Park. It was exciting to learn more about their programing lined up for the rest of the summer!
If you haven’t been following along, this is a part of the Tour of the Market series that I started in the summer of 2022, as a way to explore various farmers markets and try cooking with the local and seasonal offerings that they provide. I’d love to have you follow along with me as I continue this journey! Check out the past tours here.
You can also catch the recipes as they are published by liking and following Goddess of Garlic via Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest!
Thanks again for tagging along on this journey!
Hannah (your fearless culinary visionnaire)
