To Market

This morning a friend and I went to the Union Square farmer's market, which I'm told is new this year. It is fairly small, maybe ten stands or so (at least on this weekend), but I liked it that way. The farmer's markets I've been to in San Francisco were quite extensive, and could be overwhelming. It's hard to choose something when you're faced with countless adorable carts of organic honey, fresh-shucked oysters, and local goat cheeses ... I mean, it's great, but is it a farmer's market or Zabar's? That was the one on the Embarcadero ... at Civic Center and Alemany the problem was choosing between 40 tables of bok choy and broccoli rabe.

But that's San Francisco. I like choices, but in Somerville's Union Square, you can pick up a simple pint of blueberries and feel good about it. Fresh, in season, nothing fancy.


The market has a nice community feeling. A small tent was set up where performers were playing songs, a faithful cover of Leonard Cohen's "That's No Way to Say Goodbye" among them. (Folk lives on in Cambridge/Somerville. Last weekend we saw a preppy-looking college kid playing "The Boxer" on guitar in Harvard Square. Pretty much exactly the same as when I came here for college 15 years ago.)

You can show your support with a Farmer's Market T-shirt ...


Eggplants, green beans, and I think tomatillos make a nice color composition ...


A psychedelic bunch of glads ...


Mmm, pies ...


Early McIntoshes, harbingers of fall.


"Summer's almost over!" everyone keeps saying. Wait, wait! Slow down! We just got here!