The first sightings of green beans, squash, and maybe strawberries are around in limited supply so shop early. The warming weather will be bringing these on in larger quantities soon. Farms are still in recovery from the sporadic wide swings in this spring’s weather.
Find a wide variety of lettuces: green and red leaf, green and red Bibb, sweet lettuce mix, new fire red, and five star mix. Cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, kale, arugula, bok choy, Swiss chard, mustard greens, and broccoli rabe. If some of the cruciferous seem a bit strong for your family to eat raw, cut them in strips and mix in with other salad greens. Most cruciferous can also be cooked.
Also find tatsoi, sprouts, spinach, mizuna, wheat grass, and mixed salad greens plus homemade dressings and spices. Cilantro is available in this cool weather. It will be gone when the heat returns. Root vegetables include varieties of radishes, rainbow carrots, kohlrabi, green onions, spring onions, green garlic, turnips, sweet potatoes, and beets. Some are grown organically, others sustainably but not organic, some use conventional practices. Ask the farmer.
Ranchers bring pastured, grass raised and finished beef and lamb, pastured pork, free range chicken and eggs, goat and cow artisan cheeses, and Texas Gulf seafood. Artisan bakeries bring pies, breads, rolls, cookies and French macaroons. Other artisan producers bring a wide spectrum of honey, pasta, granola and other grains, chips, salsa, tamales, lemonade, spice mixes, coffee, chocolate truffles, small batch prepared foods and mixes, relishes, Texas olive oil, dressings, and more.
Doggie biscuits, soaps and lotions from natural ingredients add to the artisan mix. Herb, vegetable, and sun and shade color plants round out the offerings.
New and returning vendors are at the market on a seasonal basis – when they have produce to offer.