Green City Market Winter Love

The Green City Market has returned to its winter locale at the Peggy Notebart Nature Museum and what a wonderful site it is.  While we are still in welly and not Sorel weather, the market remains half indoors and half out, lining the sidewalk entrance and setting up shop in the back courtyard.  The smell of hot apple cider and tamales fill the air and the abundance of colorful vegetables can be seen from all directions.  It was a wonderful opportunity to try some of these flavorful radishes with the watermelon variety (white ones) being our favorite.

Listen up Chicago parents!  The best kept secret is the "Market Membership" at the Nature Museum. For a mere $25, you and your family can enter the museum during market hours.  This means snowy Saturday mornings can be filled with market perusing + museum playing all in one morning.  I'd say that's a parent/kid win win weekend day. 

Polka Dot Salad: A Market Post

Club Sprouts does it again with an amazing little polka dot salad.  The kids love creating a snack at the Club Sprouts tent and I love watching them eat their veggies.  The base of this salad is Trader Joe's brown rice medley.  The polka dots included diced peppers, carrots, red onions, and cucumbers.  The secret to its flavor is mixing apple cider vinegar in with the rice.  Yum and easy to create at home!

Sunny: A Market Post

Sunflowers took over the market a few weeks ago and added brightness to an already sunny day.  

And this sunny shirt took over my summer.  And this is what I wore all summer!

Price per wear I would say is hovering around $1.75, but check back with me in a year and it will probably be closer to zero.  You can probably find it on the  sale rack at Nordstrom now or here.

With this bestie at the ChicagoBloggerBlitz and in Time Square, both back in June.

Umm, are my glasses too big for my face or what?

Linking up for what i wore wednesday!

Wednesday: A Market Post

Shots of the market as seen through my son's beautiful eyes.

Pizza on the grill

Check.  Grilling pizza with the kids had been on my to do list all summer and we finally tried it last week.  Although, grilling pizzas is a lot more involved that I anticipated and after a busy work day may not have been the ideal dinner choice, but we sliced and diced our way to the end.

We started with two bags of dough from Trader Joe's (one whole wheat and one white flour).

After researching some pizza grilling tips, I tried to get the kids to roll out the dough as evenly as possible for a chance at even cooking.  Quickly, realizing this was not going to happen, I gave up, and cut the dough so that we had four pizzas.

Another tip I read is to place parchment paper on top of the dough and oil the side that is not touching the paper.  Well, I completely forgot this one and had already oiled the dough when it was still on the cutting board.  Luckily, the dough still stuck to waxed paper as I was able to place the oiled side onto the paper, flip it and oil the other side, before placing on grill.  I believe that this worked better because I avoided having to brush the oil onto the dough when it was on the grill.  

After the dough started bubbling, we flipped it, and since the second side was already oiled, we added sauce, cheese and ingredients.

Mom's Combination #1

on whole wheat crust

Pesto 

(which really consisted of my pulsing basil, garlic, oil, and parm in the blender for five minutes)

Shredded Parm

Shredded Mozz

Diced Chicken

Diced Tomatoes

Lala's Combination #2

on white crust

Olive Oil

Green and Red Peppers

Mushrooms

 Onions

Shredded Mozz

MY TIPS

Uneven dough rolling makes the crust all the more yummier with a crispy, interesting texture

Oil both sides of the dough before placing on grill

Use waxed paper to put dough onto grill

Don't attempt if your significant other is hell bent on keeping the kitchen clean that night

ENJOY!

Club Sprouts: A Market Post

I feel so lucky to live just a few blocks away from one of the best markets in the city and I take full advantage of it.  And this summer I am making my kids take advantage of it by visiting the Club Sprouts tent for a weekly tasting or chef demonstration.  With every taste they do, they get their card punched.  It's pretty much like a coffee punch card, only better.  A few weeks ago, they had a little cooking demo set up where the kids could make their own Stone Fruit Salsa and let me tell you, it was YUM!

Some of the main ingredients:

diced peaches

diced apricots

diced cherries

blueberries

raspberries

chopped onions

topped with cliantro

I am going to make it again this week, it was so delicious!

Chioggia Beets: A Market Post

The Chioggia Beet:  Surprisingly beautiful bold natural stripes brighten up any grill basket....and taco.

Added to my zucchini taco combination for some culinary color.  

There's a party in my tummy, so yummy so yummy.

 

The beet sellers aren't too shabby either....

 

Any good beet recipes to share?? 

A Market Post

Absolutely gorgeous day at the market last Saturday with vibrant colors galore!

 

 

Saturday in the Park: A Market Post

The market last Saturday was overflowing with people, treats, and just pure freshness.

great floral skinnies

fabulous summer scarves

 one of my besties (with her love sophie) rocking an adorable dog shirt

very appropriate according to my kids (since, she has a dog)

The Flower Garden: A Market Post

A special extra thank you to The Flower Garden for the complimentary kid bouquet!

It was the first warm, sunny day at the Green City Market and it must've packed in the peak hours.  One birthday party and a quick errand on our way home delayed our market arrival until near closing time.  We did get some cheese curds (to satisfy the four yr old), some asparagus, and mint.  And much to my surprise and delight, I got some of the few last lonely peonies from The Flower Garden.

Two tips from the market this week:

The first is simple and from Amy at the lovely Flower Garden.  Bring water to room temperature in the vase before arranging the peonies and add a little food packet, for extra lasting bloom.

The second is even more simple and comes from me.  Don't bring your 4 and 5 yr olds to the market, at lunch time, after a birthday party, in the blazing 85 degree heat and expect them to be patient while trying to snap some photos.  Unless you are fine with pacifying them with cheese curds, then it's okay.

Photo from last season. this year's didn't turn out - see tip #2

Rainy Saturday: A Market Post

 

The second rainy Saturday at the Green City Market didn't keep weather tough Chicagoans away.  With umbrellas being the theme of the day, we scooped up asparagus, 6year aged white cheddar, mint, tomatoes, and mushrooms.  Starting today, I will be doing a weekly post, passing along tips I learn at the market from the people closest to the food, the farmers and their representatives (which often happens to be their sons, daughters, and other family members). 

via

Today's tip:  Asparagus storage.  Something so simple, yet I never thought to ask the best way to store it until Saturday.  According to my friends at Mick Klug farm, asparagus should be stored in a glass jar with about two inches of water in the refrigerator.  Asparagus does not need to be covered.  Stored like this, it will last up to seven days.

The Mick Klug Farm

(from their site)

Opening Day: A Market Post

I'm not talking about baseball, but opening day of the outdoor Green City Market!  I was completely giddy on my walk over on Saturday morning, despite the miserable weather.  With coffee in hand and my five year in the other, we headed out for our first market adventure of the season.  It was a ray of sunshine with some fun and interesting new vendors.  And I got to have a little special mommy son time, which is just the icing on the cake.  I spy lots of market posts in my future!  In fact, I have a few ideas that may be very helpful to all you market goers out there (or anyone who buys vegetables).

drab outfit for a drab day

love the individual display of flowers -save those bottles 

flower love

wicker was the carry all theme of the day!

sea of green

enough of the rain boot wearing already; rain rain go away

Come back next week for more MARKET LOVE!  Or check out previous market posts labeled on the right!



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