Celebrate National Farmers Market Week

This is a sponsored post. I was compensated for shopping at the Farmers Market, but all thoughts, purchasing decisions, and photos are my own!


Do you guys have farmers markets in your area? Did you know National Farmers Market Week is coming up in just a few weeks (August 6-12)?

I recently had the fortune of shopping at the Pike Central Farm Market at Pike & Rose recently, and I fell in love! I love farmers markets because you get to buy fresh, local ingredients, and you often learn about businesses and foods that you might never hear of otherwise. I went with my good friend Judy. We stopped by after free yoga at the new REI and brunch at Owen’s Ordinary. I wanted to pick up some ingredients I’d never cooked with so that I could make something different for dinner for the next week or two, and Judy was down for a stroll around the market.

Our first stop was Conklin Farms. We actually spent a lot of time at this station speaking with Joe Conklin, the head farmer. Joe had such a fascinating story, and great tomatillos! Joe explained to me that he used to work on Wall Street and that the job was very stressful, and he was very unhealthy. He eventually left the financial industry and purchased his farm. He said that now he only eats what he grows or raises, and has lost a whopping 50 pounds since he started working the farm! Amazing! I purchased a bunch of great veggies, honey, and some meat from him while he told his story.

I absolutely love the way fresh fruits and veggies look. Check out all of these different types of eggplant!

There were some really great gems at the Pike Central Farm Market. It was here that I purchased my first tomatillos, believe it or not! I love a good tomatillo sauce, so I used the tomatillos for a super delicious dish of chicken tomatillo enchiladas that was inspired by this recipe. Roasting the tomatillos really brought out the flavor, and made these enchiladas something special! Additionally, I chopped up some of the spring onions from Joe’s stand and sprinkled them on top, along with the best cherry tomatoes I have ever even in my entire life! Seriously, I could not stop eating them, and could not stop telling the fiance how delicious they were! (I eventually shared. :-P)

Living in the DC Area has given me exposure to some great Ethiopian coffee. When I saw that there was a coffee stand at the Pike Central Farm Market, I knew I had to stop by! Zeke’s was selling iced coffee (which I grabbed), but they also had bags of coffee. I picked up this Ethiopian coffee, and went to making some at home pretty much as soon as I got in! I ground the beans, boiled my water, and French pressed my way to heaven! I used some of the Conklin honey, vanilla, and almond milk to make myself a delicious mug of coffee. Look, after a long brunch, a girl needs extra coffee, okay?

Oh! I can’t forgot to mention this: The coolest thing I picked up at the Market? Chocolate goat cheese!!!!

The Stonyman Gourmet Farmer had a ton of amazing-looking and -smelling cheeses at his stand. When I heard chocolate goat cheese, I was sold. Cheese PLUS chocolate? What is this sorcery?! It was so incredibly rich, so I was directed to eat just a little bit while drinking some dessert wine. Now that I’ve returned from Vegas, I cannot wait to get back there this weekend to try some of his other cheeses!

All in all, I loved talking with the farmers and other merchants at the Pike Central Farm Market. I’m definitely planning to get back there ASAP and to celebrate National Farmers Market Week with them very soon. If you want to check out the Pike Central Farm Market, they are open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. in the large parking lot behind the REI in Pike & Rose. The market runs until November 18, 2017. If you’re in the area and plan to swing by or want some recommendations, leave your comment below!

Have you ever visited a local farmers market? What made you stop by? Did you like it? Are you going to celebrate National Farmers Market Week in August?