Tour of the Markets-Mentor Farmers Market, Mentor, OH
Not only was this a great farmers market, but truly a community event! Put on by the Cleveland Clinic, the booths represented civic organizations, activities, and local art above and beyond the typical produce. Walking through the park was really a family affair!
The park, playground, ballfields and giant pond felt like anything but the middle of town! This venue was laid out to feel welcoming and open, surrounded by trees and the casual goose walking up to you. A great break from the traffic elsewhere!
Entering the park, I was greeted with the tantalizing smell of oven fired pizza! What a delicious way to start the morning. With plenty of picnic tables scattered throughout the park, enjoying a pizza together is a great way to make an event out of your market visit!
The bread selection here was fantastic! There were so many of the classic favorites, and some new creations that were quite impressive.
The produce was absolutely gorgeous! Maybe the breeze from the lake or the mood I was in today, but everything seemed as if it had been picked minutes before being placed out.
Crates full of the most crisp seasonal veggies! And, I’ll have to admit, the sales tactic here was perfectly enhanced by the handsome young gentleman working on his math skills to make my change. I was a goner!
A fun aspect of my journey with produce and new creations this year has come from ingredients I’m actually more familiar with! Likely not alone here, I tend to have my go-to recipes or uses, but I’m always open to new suggestions.
Lettuce is one of those such ingredients-I have salads most days, and trying to find new ways of using these greens has had me thinking. And also appreciating just how many varieties of greens there really are!
Growing up, rhubarb was more of a backyard weed than a treasured produce, but I am coming into the kitchen with a new appreciation for just how many ways you can transform this stalk.
While I typically think of apples in the fall, some of the orchards still have beautiful produce available and make for a great addition to so many dishes and fresh salads!
Nestled between produce stands were impressive local goods, particularly honey. It was interesting to see the varieties and uses!
Again with the smells….the opposite end of the park met the challenge with the delicious smell of kettle corn! Fabulous. And this was the only picture I could snap after waiting quite a while for a gap in the constant line.
Yes, another honey stand. I’m including this to further emphasize the craftsmanship of these local products. It was amazing to see the complexity of this process, and so much more than a condiment!
Many of these vendors were wearing several hats, with multiple offerings, this being an example of mouth watering sweets while you also pick up a stuffed animal for your sweetie!
The produce continued and the colors were ‘still life’ worthy for a painting. The crew running this stand was amazing to chat with, and shared a lot about their operation and growing season, and were quick with a suggestion for cooking (thanks Rainbow Farms from Madison, OH!)
A sign of good produce, in my opinion, is the visual temptation to pick up and eat on the spot. These baskets were doing just that!
You will notice a huge absense in the amount of recipes I post involving strawberries, mostly due to the fact that they don’t last very long on the drive home or unpacking. These are definitely nature’s candy to me!
The curly shapes of garlic scapes seems like an artistic expression of a fabulous flavor! Each part of the scape can be used in so many ways that it makes for a fun kitchen ingredient.
Going strong into the season are garden staples, not only for beauty, but functional herbs. Not to be outdone by the pizza or popcorn, this walk was met with a refreshing aroma!
Another great representation of collaboration with vendors, this booth highlighted organic insect repellant and handmade jewelry. Fabulous.
Making the journey home with me today was sugar snap peas, zucchini and kohlrabi. I was excited to mix some ingredients that I cook with often (zucchini) with those that I’m stretching myself to learn more about (kohlrabi). While exploring these markets and different foods, I’ve tried to get less quantities of a few more ingredients to play with, and a regret here is not getting more of the kohlrabi to really play with. That being said, this entire journey started as a learning experience and has successfully opened my mind to many new vegetables to try out and again in the future! Below are some of the recipes that came from this excursion, and I’d love to hear any feedback you may have!!
Keto Zucchini Scarpaccia with Rosemary
Zucchini ‘Potato’ Skins with Scallion Sour Cream
Zucchini Taco Boats with Serrano Pepper Queso Sauce
Sugar Snap Pea and Mint Salad with a Creamy Goat Cheese Vinaigrette
Sugar Snap Pea and Cucumber Salad with Lemon Herbed Cheese
This was a really great market discovery! Having never been to this part of Ohio, there was an obvious sense of community from the minute I walked in, from wellness checks courtesy of the Cleveland Clinic to children’s activities, it really was a family affair. Given that this was a Friday afternoon market, the atmosphere was a bit more relaxed, as opposed to some of the hustle of a Saturday morning, and people were more apt to linger and chat, creating a very friendly environment!
*Award for biggest conversation starter…these fabulous earrings from the Art on the Falls fair in Chagrin Falls, OH-they go together like peas and carrots!
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)
