Uptown Farmers Market

I love our neighborhood as it provides the best of both rural and urban living.  Even though we are 10 minutes from downtown Phoenix (the 5th largest city in the US), our North Central neighborhood feels like it is miles away.

A few years ago, my friend and neighbor, Bo Mostow, called me to discuss her idea of starting a farmers market.  Bo’s dream has now become one of the most successful farmers market in the country.  I was so inspired to see her take her idea to fruition and as a result we all benefit from this wonderful addition to our neighborhood. USA Today has listed Uptown Farmers Market as one of the top 50 markets in the United States.

Every Wednesday and Saturday, the Uptown Farmers Market gathers at the corner of Bethany Home Road and Central Avenue, within walking distance to our home.  In the summer, they house nearly 100+ vendors in an air- conditioned space at a North Phoenix Baptist Church on Saturdays only.  Come September, all the vendors and white tents will again be outside for the cooler, fall weather twice a week.

Going to the Farmers Market is such a joyous event.  There is such a wide variety of food choices- from local farmers, small businesses, and home cooks.  In addition, there are handcrafted goods, food trucks, musical performances, activities for children. All the vendors and customers are genuinely happy~~it has such a nice family feel.

Fresh produce from the Farm Club. Look at these gorgeous pickled items by Lillie Mae’s Blue Ribbon Pickled Garden.

In spite of the heat this time of year, the market was heavily attended.

I have been craving heirloom tomatoes and really good peaches, so I decided to see what I could find at the market. Look at the incredible displays of fruits and vegetables from Abby Lee Farms. Fresh, local and delicious.

The absolute BEST cinnamon raisin bread is made by Capistrano’s and purchased from Rowland at the Noble Bread tent. If you don’t get there early, the bread sells out very quickly.  Just seeing Rowland on Saturday makes my day!

I purchased two loaves of this bread and it is chock-a-block full of raisins.  A quick breakfast before a workout will be one slice of this toasted, with almond butter, sliced bananas and chia seeds. Delicious!

I typically buy one loaf of sourdough, slice it and freeze it with a piece of paper towel in a zip lock bag. I use the sourdough bread to make my daughter her favorite sandwich~~grilled brie cheese with sour cherry jam.

So here is my haul from the market~~eggplant, zucchini, arugula, kale, brussels sprouts, peppers, tomatoes, peaches, French breakfast radishes, romaine lettuce, lemons and fresh herbs.  Plus two smoked bones for the dogs from Ruff Life. I would have bought more if I had more arms/hands!

I can only lay claim to a few of the photos in this post.  The balance of the Uptown Farmers Market photos were done by Kinita Albertson, from Caught by Kinita.

Kinita is doing a project for our neighborhood group where she was tasked to capture the essence of our area.  She was kind enough to give me permission to use her farmers market photos for this blog post.

For more information about the Uptown Farmers Market, please click here.