Market Report:  Rittenhouse Square

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

I took a walk at lunchtime today to check out the Rittenhouse Square Farmers Market.  I was looking for apples, and I was not disappointed.  There were just two stands but both were well-stocked.  One of them was mostly apples and Asian pears.  The other stand had a broader mix of Lancaster County-grown fruit and veggies from Amos Fisher Farm (Quarryville) and Rineer Family Farms (Pequea). 

The selection of apples from Amos Fisher Farm was great (all were $1.59/lb).  In addition to the usual suspects, I tried some Razor Russet apples that are worth seeking out.  I had to promptly sample one and it was crisp and firm with a nice sweet flavor.  Perfect for eating out of hand.  I think it will also cook up well in some apple cake later this week. 

I also got some huge heads of broccoli and cauliflower from Rineer Farms (2 for $7 is a steal for these big beauties!).  I’m thinking a nice, cheesy bubbly-warm gratin is in order for this crisp weather.  The stand also had a lot of peppers, tomatoes, beans, spinach, mesclun, potatoes and, of course, plenty of winter squash.

The Rittenhouse Square Farmers Market is on Walnut Street (west of 18th Street) on Tuesdays from 10 – 1 and Saturdays from 10-3.  I had read that the Tuesday market ends in October, but the woman staffing the stand where I bought my stuff said that they’re going to be around until Thanksgiving.