Cooking Out Of The Box

My cohort in crime at Madison Dining Online and I wander around the Dane County Farmer’s Market early every Saturday.  We have a firm belief - if you don’t go early, don’t bother.  Beyond the experience of the clear, crisp mornings and the newly awakening world, the reality is that the later you go, the more crowded it is going to be.  And it gets very crowded.  Here’s the latest batch of pictures, taken by Victor.

Yea!  It is that time of year again.  Farmers Market season kicks of this weekend with the opening of the Granddaddy of them all, the Dane County Farmers Market.  And so, as we did last year, we’re going to list the markets we know of, where they they take place, and the day that they are held.

Please, add a comment if we’ve missed a market we should know about.

Madison Markets:

• Dane County Farmers Market: Saturdays, 6am to 2pm starting April 19th to November 1st located at the Capital Square
• Dane County Farmers Market: Wednesdays, 8am to 2pm from April 23rd to October 29th,  Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd
• Eastside:  Tuesdays, 4pm to 7pm starting May 13th through October 14th,  201 South Ingersol
• Hilldale: Wednesdays and Saturdays, 7am to 1pm, April 26th through November 1st, Hilldale Shopping Center
• Northside:  Sundays, 8:30am to 12:30pm , May through October, 2817 N. Sherman Ave
• Southside: Tuesdays, 2pm to 6pm and Saturdays, 9am to 2pm  from April 26th through October, Labor Temple, 1602 S. Park St.
• Southside: Thursdays, 2pm to 6pm from May 15th through October, Villager Mall, Park Street
• Westside:  Saturdays, 7am to 1pm running from April 19th through November 8th at Hill Farms

Area Markets:

• Belleville: Saturdays, 8am to Noon.  Starting May 3rd thru November 1st at Library Park, downtown Belleville
• Brooklyn: Wednesdays, 3pm to 7pm.  Running from May through October, Rutland Avenue
• Darlington:  Saturdays, 8am to Noon May through October, Darlington Festival Park
• Fitchburg:  Thursdays, 3pm to 6pm, May through October.  E. Cheryl Parkway at the Agora Pavilion
• McFarland:  Thursdays, 2pm to 6pm, May 1st through October 30th, 5100 Farwell Street
• Middleton:  Thursdays, 7:30am to 1:30pm from y 8th through October, Greenway Station shopping center
• Monona: Sundays, 9am to 1pm, May through October at Ahuska Park
• Mt. Horeb: Thursdays, 3pm to 6:30pm, May 8th through September, Heritage Park
• Paoli: Saturdays, 8am to Noon, May through October, Paoli Park
• Stoughton: Fridays, 7am to 1pm, May through October, Stoughton Plaza Shopping Center
• Sun Prairie:  Saturdays, 7am to Noon, May 2nd through October 31, 300 E. Main
• Waunakee: Wednesdays, 3pm to 6pm from May through October, Waun-A-Bowl parking lot

Are you like us?  Do you look for a market to go to just about any day of the week?  Here’s the same list by day:

• Sunday: Northside, Monona
• Tuesday:  Eastside, South, Oregon
• Wednesday: Brooklyn, Dane Country Market, Hilldale, Waunakee
• Thursday: Fitchburg, McFarland, Middleton, Mt. Horeb, Southside
• Friday: Stoughton
• Saturday: Belleville, Dane County Market, Hilldale, Southside, Westside, Paoli, Sun Prairie

No, it isn’t the sighting of the first Robin that makes me believe that spring is here.  Robins foolishly come back to Wisconsin long before the last snow storm.

Instead, it is news that the Dane County Farmers Market will move from its Winter home at the Convention Center, and return to its rightful home on the capital square.  This pivitol event happens on Saturday, April 19, 2008.  Now, we all know that there will be very little in the way of real, fresh product.  It’s still April in Wisconsin, for Chrimeny Sake.  We may be nuts to live here, but we are not delusional and we can face the truth.

It doesn’t matter though.  We’ll out on our long johns, parkas, mittens and boots, and hike the square cheerfuly, pretending, like the robins, that spring really is here, even if it did snow today. 

 We love the Dane County Farmers Market for a lot of reasons beyond the great setting at the Wisconsin Capital Square.  One of those reasons that I am particularly fond of is the availability of artisan cheeses.  Wisconsin, being America’s Dairyland, is home to some of the best artisanal cheeses in the world, and the Farmers Market on the Square provides the venue which allows them to shine.

A particular personal favorite is Hook’s Cheese, out of Mineral Point, WI.  Founded and operated by Tony and Julie Hook, this local cheese factory produces some of the best aged cheddar cheese available.  And while the aged cheddar is spectacular, it is suprassed by the amazing blue cheeses and gorgonzola cheeses that they also produce.

Their Blue Paradise is a double cream blue, and when they say double cream, they mean it.  You will never find a more “melt in your mouth” blue cheese.  Their Gorgonzola is equally as amazing.  When you go to the market, pick these cheeses up!  There are so many ways that you can use them, and you won’t regret it! 

Here are just a few examples of how I’ve used the Gorgonzola lately.  Feel free to substitue the Blue cheese in these recipes as well - it will turn out just as good!

The first Sunday in May brings the opening of the Monona Farmers’ Market. Today started out gloomy and cold, but I am not going to complain… take a look at opening day in 2004!

I like the Monona Farmers’ Market for a few reasons. It is low key, it is on Sunday morning, it provides your basic Farmers Market staples, and it is close to my house. In addition to that, it gives me a good reason to stop by my favorite local Madison coffee shop, Cuppa Jo on Monona Drive. I’d link to their website if they had one! I’ve told Anne to put some stuff together and I’d add her to Madison Dining Online. I love neighborhood places! Next time you drop in, tell her that Irene is still waiting!

Ah, but I digress. I grabbed my coffee and headed off to the market.

My goal: asparagus, potatoes, and buffalo cookies.

Yes, that’s right, buffalo cookies. My dogs love them. But alas, I was foiled in all goals except for the asparagus. The buffalo guy assures me that the cookies will make an appearance next week. This is a good thing. The Shibas are hungry!

Per my Dane County Farmer’s market newsletter that comes out each Friday, tomorrow there may be some morel mushrooms! Few and far between (and very, very expensive, of course), but morels none-the-less. It also sounds like asparagus will be available! Mmmmmm. Asparagus.

I’ll be there bright and early, before the rest of the crowd, checking out the status of tomato plants, hanging flower baskets, and some early baby potatoes!

Here’s what is supposed to be available this week at the market. I’m reposting this from the newsletter mentioned above. If you want to subscribe to the newsletter, just go to their website!

• Apple Cider
• Arugula
• Asparagus
• Baby Beets - Limited Amount
• Baby Carrots - Limited Amount
• Bedding Plants
• Bison Cuts and Products
• Burdock
• Cheese Curd
• Chives
• Emu
• Fresh and Dried Herbs
• Fresh Cut and Dried Flowers
• Fresh Farm Eggs
• Fresh Pasta
• Fresh Salad Greens
• Fresh Salmon
• Fresh Trout
• Garlic
• Garlic Greens
• Goat and Sheep Milk
• Cheese
• Grass-fed Beef
• Hanging Baskets
• Homemade Cheesecake
• Homemade Cottage Cheese
• Homemade Dog Treats
• Homemade Salad Dressings and Herb Vinaigrette
• Homespun Wool
• Honey Jams and Jellies
• Lamb Maple Syrup
• Morel Mushrooms
• Mouth Watering Bakery
• Mushrooms
• Nettles
• Nursery Stock
• Ostrich
• Parsnips
• Pastured Pork
• Pepper Ristras
• Pesto
• Potatoes
• Poultry
• Pussy Willows
• Radishes
• Ramps
• Red Curly Willow
• Red Dogwood
• Rhubarb
• Spanish
• Black Radishes
• Specialty and Organic Cheeses
• Spinach
• Spring and Winter Onions
• Sunchokes
• Vegetable Transplants
• Watercress
• Willow
• Wreaths

There are a multitude of Farmer’s Markets in the Dane County and Madison, Wisconsin area. I hit most of them at some point, and many of them every single week. The beauty of having so many readily available locations scattered throughout the area is that you can pick things up as you need them, without a broad game plan in place with each one that you hit.

Each market has a unique personality of it’s own. Needless to say, that personality changes throughout the growing season as well. As the season goes on, I’ll highlight these markets individually. But here’s my master list of local Farmer’s Markets, with links to each of their sites if they are available.

Don’t see one of your favorite markets listed below? Drop me a comment and I’ll be glad to add it!

Madison Farmer’s Markets:

• Dane County Farmer’s Market: The Granddaddy of all farmer’s markets, this is held on the capital square every Saturday, from the end of April until the beginning of November. It is open from 6AM - 2PM. On Wednesdays there is a mini version, which holds court on Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. Those hours are from 8AM until 2PM.
• East Side Farmer’s Market: 201 S. Ingersoll Street, Tuesdays from 4PM - 7PM
• Hilldale Farmer’s Market: Hilldale Shopping Mall, Wednesday & Saturday, 7AM - 2PM
• North Side Farmer’s Market: Corner of North Sherman and Northport Dr. Sundays 8:30AM - 12:30PM
• South Madison Farmer’s Market: Tuesdays (2PM - 6PM) & Saturdays (9AM - 2PM) at the Labor Temple on Park Street; Thursdays (2PM - 6PM) at Villager Mall on Park Street.
• West Side Community Market: Saturdays, 7AM - 1PM, Sheboygan Ave & Segoe Rd.

Area Farmer’s Markets:

• Fitchburg Farmer’s Market: Thursdays, 3PM - 6PM, Corner of Fish Hatcher & E. Cheryl Parkway.
• McFarland Farmer’s Market: Thursdays, 2PM - 6PM, 5724 Farwell Street
• Monona Farmer’s Market: Sundays, 9AM - 1PM, Ahuska Park, East Broadway
• Oregon Farmer’s Market: Tuesdays, 2:30 PM - 5:30 PM, Waterman Triangle Park
• Stoughton Farmer’s Market: Fridays, 7A - 1PM, Plaza Shopping Center, W. Main St.
• Sun Prairie Farmer’s Market: Saturdays, 7AM - Noon, 300 E. Main St.
• Waunakee Farmer’s Market: Wednesdays, 3PM - 6PM, Waun-a-bowl parking lot