Tour of the Markets-Garrettsville Farmers Market, Garrettsville, Ohio
Parking my car and walking up to this market felt both nostalgic and welcoming. In a town of just under 2,500 people, there was an immediate presence of rich history with the building structures and signage, and I was excited to see the rest of this community!
My reaction seemed to be quite accurate, as there were several historical centers and a walking tour around the river (see later photos for more!). Huge flower baskets lined the streets everywhere and made for a warm welcome.
Walking in to the market, I was immediately greeted with my Achilles heel of all markets…the smell of fresh made bread. And sooooo many varieties!!
No matter what stage in the season, there seems to be an abundance of starter plants ready to find their forever home!
My curiosity was peeked. Not only were these tomatillos gorgeous, but the gentleman selling them was so passionate about telling me different recipes and ideas that I had no choice but to grab some to try!
Whether you are a veggie tray snacker or a bloody mary drinker, celery was in full bloom and looked fantastic!
In addition to the beautiful harvest produce, there was a ton of local produces like honey and syrup offered at most stands.
Gourds and squashes were quite prevalent, and with so many different varieties!
Not quite ready for fall decorating, my culinary intrigue was taking over with the sheer quantity of gourds! Do you use many of these for cooking? I’d love to hear from you!
Clearly a bias party on this one, but there are few sights quite as aesthetically pleasing as a huge bundle of healthy, gorgeous garlic. Hello beautiful 🙂
Not to be overpowered by the other veggies, cabbage, cucumbers, carrots, beets and turnips were all very well represented.
Some markets become a bit more social than mission focused, but this seemed to be a great combination of both. Many people came with large bags and carts gathering their weekly produce. A very nice community feel and reminder of the true purpose!
It was impossible not to be consumed with the smell of these locally made and cooked to order Italian sausages, with peppers, onions and sauce-and of course, served on a freshly made bun. Delicious!
To complement the produce, there was a plethora of other handmade goods, starting with these soaps and perfumes.
From recycled materials, these cards and stationary made a nice addition to the shopping experience!
To share or borrow, this book corner is a permanent staple in the middle of the town square, and in the course of my time here was heavily visited. Just heart warming!
Every great market (in my humble opinion) should be accompanied by the sounds of wonderful talent, and this was no exception.
It was easy to feel the sense of community here. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming, and even a little handsy…. 🙂
Just behind the town strip (for context, this is the backside of the cover photo building), was the river that built this town. Such a peaceful way to end my morning stroll and learn a bit more about the town.
For the historians in the crowd, I found this background incredibly interesting!
Coming home with me this week are, of course, a basket of tomatillos, zucchini, fresh focaccia and local eggs. A tough part about kitchen experimentation is knowing the correct quantity to buy. I don’t have a lot of knowledge of tomatillos so wanted to grab a lot to allow for trial and error, but also not be drowning in them if they didn’t go as planned. I was up for the challenge and headed home with a happy heart and full bag!
This week’s challenges included:
Simmered Eggs in Curried Tomatillo and Tomato
Spicy Tomatillo and Garlic Salsa Verde over Roasted Pork
Roasted Zucchini Salad with Spicy Soy and Bacon
Chili Zucchini Chips with Smoky Aioli
If you try any of these or have other suggestions, I’d love to hear from you!
Well Garrettsville, I’m honored to have been a part of your weekly community event. This felt more like I was visiting my home and seeing neighborhood farms than visiting a new place. Nestled right in the middle of town, this location gave a great perspective of the historical main street as well as the river passing by. If you visit, give yourself some extra time to enjoy lunch on one of the patios set over the falls!
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! If you’d like to see video tours, many of these are also available on TikTok.
Thanks again for tagging along on this journey!
Hannah (your fearless culinary visionnaire)
