One of the joys of living in Boston is that Copley Square hosts a wonderful farmers’ market every Tuesday and Friday from the middle of May to the end of November. I attended the farmers’ market for the first time last weekend, only a week after it opened for the season. I strolled through the square, mouth drooling over all the fresh fruits, vegetables, pastries, cakes, hand-crafted jewelry and artisan breads and cheeses. I wanted to buy everything, it all looked so good.

Three vendors in particular stood out on my second visit to the market on Tuesday.

Narragansett Creamery:
This company, which is partially family-run, specializes in artisan cheeses handcrafted in Providence, RI. Boy, am I glad they make the trip up to Boston twice a week! The booth is well-organized and it has stations where market-visitors can test a variety of the famous cheeses. The Narragansett employees working the booth were so kind and friendly, willing to explain to everyone the difference in cheeses and spreads and the process in making them. While they are not certified organic, they support fair-trade products and pledge not to use growth hormones.
My favorites were the Salty Sea Feta and Divine Providence. The Salty Sea Feta was so delicious, had a unique texture and was addicting (I wanted to go back for seconds, thirds and fourths!). It would be fantastic on salads. Divine Providence was equally good in a very different way. The texture was creamier and had a buttery, sharp flavor, exactly the way the name tag described it. The Creamery recommends this cheese for grilled cheese sandwiches but I could easily eat it alone. Hmmm-hmmm!

Siena Farms:
I had the pleasure of meeting Farmer Chris and other members of his staff. This company had the most impressive booth I saw at the market. Fresh items were displayed in rustic wooden crates and bowls, and the gold/burnt-orange label stood out from the rest of the banners. There was even more to love when I learned that all the “produce is grown using the traditionally sustainable farming practices of modern organic agriculture; free of chemical herbicides, pesticides, and synthetic fertilizers.” Does it get any better? It did when I purchased some greens for dinner that night (They were delicious!). I followed the recipe they recommend on their blog.

Cook’s Farm and Bakery:
Now for my favorite purchase, Cook’s Farm and Bakery Homemade Apple Pie. My pie’s ingredients were healthy and tasty: The crust of the pie was amazing! Cook’s is a small, family-run farm so before I left the stand, I felt compelled to ask the employee working the booth, Simeon, if the pie is a family recipe. He smiled and replied, “Of course!” Perfect. I would definitely purchase other baked goods from Cook’s next time. There were fresh breads, cakes and cookies that sold out fast, so get to his stand early for the best picks.

The good news? Most likely there is a wonderful farmers’ market near you! The best way to find them is to ask around or visit a website like LocalHarvest.org. Local Harvest is a website that can help you “find farmers’ markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area, where you can buy produce, grass-fed meats, and many other goodies.”

How about you? Do you live near a wonderful Farmers’ Market and want to rave about it? We want to hear about it! Share the goods!

Photo Credit: Thank you to Narragansett Creamery, Siena Farms, and Cook’s Farm and Bakery for allowing me to take these pictures.