Last week I had the pleasure of joining Epicurious editor Tanya Steel and renowned pastry chef Gale Gand of Tru at the Daley Plaza Farmers Market in Chicago. We were there for the second leg of Epicurious’ Farmers Market tour and to film an episode of ABC News: Chefs Table. This market apparently gets a bad wrap in Chicago, compared to the glorified Green City Market, but not only did I find the market to be well stocked with summer’s bounty, there were dozens of vendors showcasing considerable variety, the prices were very reasonable, and the market was in a prime location for nearby workers to easily grab weekly groceries on their lunchtime breaks.
We shopped amongst the peaches, blueberries, and summer corn to find ingredients for two dishes Tanya and Gale whipped up: a berry compote and a tomato salad. A few things I learned while at the market:
- Gale threw raw, sliced okra into her tomato salad. While I would assume this to be a bitter-when-eaten-raw type of veggie and only tasty when fried or hidden in gumbo, the sliced raw okra was a delicious addition to her simple summer salad.
- Ivy’s Uppercrust Pastry , which was our next door neighbor at Thursday’s market, is rumored to have the best carrot cake in town so stock up early if you swing by this market! (I was dying to buy some after the 20th customer came by to rave about it and swoop up various goodies from their booth…but I wasn’t sure the cream cheese frosting would hold up in air travel).
- Stamper Cheese Co. is THE place to buy cheese curds. I’d never heard of them before my visit, but they are, for lack of a better way to describe them, a grown-up version of string cheese. They had a ton of different types – everything from dill to tomato basil cheddar – and the woman selling them told me you often don’t find them outside of the Midwest since they spoil quickly. So if you’re in town, stop by for a local dairy treat!
If you’re based in Chicago or happen to find yourself in town, check out the Daley Plaza Farmers market for yourself. It takes place every Thursday from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. May – September. You can find it at Washington St & Dearborn St. Chicago, IL 60602 312-744-3315
*I took this picture while Gale and Tanya were whipping up their tomato salad in front of the camera at the Epicurious booth. The segment should hit today sometime and if you’re interested in knowing more about why I’m traipsing across this beloved country, the Chicago Tribune just featured a nice little write-up.
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