Farmer Joe of Smith's Acre, dishing out fresh veggies!
It seems that Farmer’s Markets are sprouting up all over Connecticut now. Stamford has their French Market (review coming soon) and also Friday Farm Market at Stamford Museum & Nature Center. New Canaan, also, has a nice spread and variety of local goods. Open Saturdays, 10-2, rain or shine until November 19, 2011. It’s at the corner of South Avenue, Main Street, and Maple Street. We toured the stands today and dug down for info on your behalf, dear foodies. Here’s a list of places and what they’ve got to offer you! :)
• Du Soleil: Healthy and gourmet food such as quinoa salad, pestos, hummus, and more. Their cilantro pesto was to die for, but unfortunately they ran out before we had a chance to grab some to take home. Instead we left with the caper and olive hummus which was very nice.
• Raus Coffee: Coffee, ground or prepared for you. Try the Cold Roman® ,an iced espresso frothed with cream and a touch of sugar… you’ll be hooked. Ask for a sample if you want to find a new drug! Their coffee is also sold at the Westport Farmer’s Market, Double L Market, Arogya Tea, and served at one of our favorite farm to table spots, Le Farm.
• Michele’s Pies: Great variety of homemade, freshly made pies. The blueberry and blackberry pie was great…not too sweet with lots of crumbly goodness. She even went up against Bobby Flay in a pumpkin pie throwdown.
• Plasko’s Farm: Farm fresh fruits and veggies. Cider donuts (YUM), spreads, and a ton of delicious looking condiments like fresh salsa, pickles, jams, and more.
• Riverbank Farm: Farm fresh fruit and veggies, all organic.
• Dream Desserts: Excellent gluten-free desserts. The peanut butter bar was amazing. Usually gluten-free desserts are blah, but these were really good!
• Stone’s Throw Farm: Farm fresh fruits and veggies.
• Bongo & Cappaci: Handmade and fresh ravioli for sale. Kristien raved about the greek ravioli she sampled, packed with feta, cucumber, olives, tomatoes and red onion. He only sells at farmer’s markets and local restaurants but won’t reveal which ones. We tried to bribe him with a canoli. Didn’t work.
• Uncle Buck’s Secret Garden: Purrrdy flowers for sale.
• St. Ex. Specialty Foods: Fresh made mozzarella and killer pesto that Kristien’s fellow Humongite David Plain raved about. We are holding a tub of it ransom and asking David for $40 for its safe return to his house.
• Whistle Stop Bakery: Pie, cookies, and other baked goods.
• Greyledge Farm: Pork, beef, sausage, chicken, and lamb for sale in different cuts. Oh and like six flavors of bacon. Bacon. Yeah, need we say more? Expensive, but local and worth it.
• Gazy Brother’s Farm: Farm fresh fruits and veggies.
• Beldotti Bakeries: Amazing variety of breads, including this fantastic looking onion bread, olive bread, and sausage bread.
• Smith’s Acre: Farm fresh fruits and veggies.
• Skinny Pines: Imagine this: a food truck with a portable wood fired brick oven pizza! People have been raving about this pie, and we’re dying to get a slice of the action. We’ll have to come back to try some next time! Oh, even better? They cook their pies with local ingredients, including their flour! Sweet.
New Canaan Farmer’s Market Old Center School Parking LotCorner of South Avenue, Maple Street, and Main Street
New Canaan, CT 06840
OmNomCT 
You have to come back for a Skinny Pines Pizza at the NCFM on Saturday. Also there are a few “real” farmers at the New Canaan market.
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We’ve heard amazing things about your pie, Jeff. We plan on coming back to check it out, mos def.
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Don’t forget about the farmer’s market on High Ridge Road in the parking lot of the Cold Stone/Starbucks/Boston Market plaza. That one is much better than the downtown one, and actually features farmers. Wave Hill Bakery also goes to that one, and if you’ve never had their pan de campagne, you are missing one of CT’s finest foods!
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Yeah, you’re right. This is our problem, though: we can only visit the weekend farmer’s markets, wherever we go. We both work during the day. :( Major bummer. We’re going to have to check out that one on High Ridge, though I really despise that parking lot there. :) And, as for the pan de campagne…that’s a must try! :) I’m guess it’s made with champagne or something????????? :)
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Yeah, I forgot to mention the downside of that farmer’s market: it’s on Wednesdays. Once in a while, I can run up there on my lunch break.
However, if Wave Hill is now selling at the SM&NC farmer’s market, they might not be at the High Ridge one. Campagne is French for countryside. It’s a rustic-style bread and is made with only six ingredients! It’s delicious by itself or dipped in olive oil (extra virgin, of course).
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Yeah, for me it’s hard to get to. I teach in Great Neck, so can’t stop by during lunch…major bummer. Can you tell that I am not a French student? Last time I took French was back in 5th grade. :) The bread, though, sounds really amazing. We are big bread lovers here so we need to get our hands on a loaf. And, yes…most things in life taste better with the Extra Virgin :)
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I’m usually a Darien Farmers market girl…but I haven’t had the $$$ to go at all yet this year. I did go to the New Canaan one on a holiday weekend once a few years ago…BIG MISTAKE! “These people are animals!” I remarked to one of the sales girls. LOL. Nothing worse than rich people who think they’re the only people in the world on a holiday weekend.
I stopped going to the Stamford Market downtown years ago when I realized none of the sellers were farmers…everything was coming out of a Dole box. I am tempted to try the one at the Stamford Nature Center, especially if it doen’t cost me 10 bucks to get in :)
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We were lucky yesterday because of the rain and general gloominess. We think that kept most of the crowds away and helped us to avoid that annoyingness that you faced. I wouldn’t want to go, though, when it’s super crowded. :( The French Market in Downtown Stamford is cool too, but I see what you’re saying about it, too. It’s like what happened to the San Gennaro feast in Little Italy. You go there now and it’s only slightly about Italian life and food. Sad. :(
I’d like to try the SM&NC Friday Farm, too, but I’ll always be working during the time it goes down, which really limits my choices. I don’t know if they’ll charge you $10 to get in…wouldn’t seem fair. Where in Darien is the Farmer’s Market and what’s it like? What are your faves? We’ve gotta do some research.
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Went to the farmers market today Du Soleil was amazing, the best Gazpacho I have ever had I totally recommend checking them out.
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Yeah, doesn’t Du Soleil have such great food? Killer sauces and dips…we need to try the gazpacho now! :)
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