[Chat] Vendors and shoppers at the Waverly Farmers' Market don't let a little thing like winter keep them apart

[Brad Schlegel]

FW: Always in season   
This story was sent to you by: W. Brad Schlegel 

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Always in season 
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Vendors and shoppers at the Waverly Farmers' Market don't let a little thing like winter keep them apart. 

By Elizabeth Large 
Sun Staff 

January 26, 2005 
It's 37 degrees and a cold, misty rain is falling. Not exactly farmers' market kind of weather, but hundreds of people have bundled themselves up in parkas and raincoats to shop at the outdoor Waverly market, the only one in the Baltimore area open year-round.

Some shoppers balance umbrellas with their bags as they stroll from stand to stand; others just hunch their shoulders to keep the icy rain from going down the backs of their collars. It seems to be getting colder, wetter and grayer as the morning wears on.

But as bleak as it is, this is a pretty good day for the market. Dave Reid, shivering slightly at the Reid Orchard stand, says the worst day he remembers was a Saturday a few years ago when it was 10 degrees.

"We couldn't put any fruit out because it would freeze after 15 or 20 minutes," he says. He and his family ended up selling out of the back of the truck, where a heater was running.

Except for Christmas, the Waverly Farmers' Market in the 400 block of E. 32nd St. has been open every Saturday for 15 years. That includes New Year's Day of this year, which had a good turnout because it was sunny. Dedicated market-goers remember that after 2003's record snowstorm - more than 2 feet of snow - two vendors still showed up: one from Hampden (Whiskey Island) and one from Pennsylvania, a 2 1/2 -hour drive away (Black Rock Orchard).

"We're not fair-weather marketers, and we take a lot of pride in it," says Barbie Maniscalco, who sells artisanal breads and pastries from Washington's Uptown Bakers. She admits (with a damp smile) that she thought twice about coming this miserable morning. But then she looked at her 2004 calendar and found that the same Saturday a year ago it was 17 degrees. She had made a note on the calendar that she still sold everything she had brought.

"Don't be a wuss," she told herself and got to the market by its 7 a.m. opening. She'll stay till noon or until she sells out, whichever comes first.

"We take care of our customers, and they take good care of us," she says, as a regular arrives with a sample of bread pudding for her made from last week's leftover tea cakes.

In the summer, 35 vendors have stands at the Waverly market, which attracts as many as 2,000 people on a good day. But as the days get shorter and the weather worse, fewer vendors show up, usually 15 to 20, and those who do shrink their display areas. Only the die-hard shoppers keep coming.

Together they form a community of sorts. Many of the farmers and customers know each other's names, schmoozing over steaming ginger-lemon tea from Trinidad native Wayne Farrell's Everything Ginger stand or hot cider at Mick Kipp's Whiskey Island salsa and condiments stand.

"This is the heart of the city," says Guilford resident Jean Edwards, toasting the market with her cup of mulled cider. Then she continues chatting with Kipp, in no hurry to move on despite her wet feet and reddening ears.

Franklyn Murray has been coming to the market since it first opened - easy for him to do because he lives across the street. He joins Edwards and Kipp under the Whiskey Island awning for his customary Saturday morning cup of hot cider and then considers a grilled portobello sandwich from the Woodland Mushrooms stand nearby.

"You get to try things you can't get at the supermarket," he says. 

In the winter, farmers are allowed to sell produce they buy from wholesale markets, so you'll see oranges, bananas and red peppers on display; but they aren't the real draw for the hard-core winter shoppers.

Even in January there's still plenty of local produce available: root vegetables, a variety of apples and pears that have been in cold storage (they still taste better than most of what you can buy at the supermarket), mushrooms, unusual greens like tatsoi and mesclun mix grown in Maryland greenhouses.

"Some years we've cut in the field till January. We cut spinach after a snow one year," says Jamie Forsythe at the Gardener's Gourmet stand. Until a hard frost, he says, cabbage, kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts and collard greens do fine. "When those vegetables have to struggle to survive, they taste better. "

This time of year, though, produce takes a back seat to what else is available, like the milk, eggs and yogurt from South Mountain Creamery. Owner Tony Brusco also works with other farmers who can't get to the market, selling jars of honey from a local beekeeper and cheese from a small farm in Pennsylvania. Sometimes the cold actually works in the customers' favor. As the temperature drops, says Brusco, "more of our meat comes out."

Sara Dorsch, who lives in Oakenshaw and has three kids, buys the family's milk here, three half-gallons of 2 percent. "They don't put any hormones in it," she says, as she turns in the old-fashioned glass bottles from the week before.

There's no particular reason Waverly is the only local farmers' market open year-round, says Vernon Marc Rey, president of the market's board of directors. It just evolved.

Farmers began to ask for more Saturdays to sell cold-weather crops and produce in cold storage. Customers suggested a later closing, too. As more vendors joined the market who weren't dependent on seasonal goods, like the dairies and prepared-food stands, it made sense to stay open throughout the year.

"But days like this are kind of trying," says Rey, looking around as the cold drizzle begins to turn to serious rain. 



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Shiitake Puffs 

Makes 8 to 10 servings 

1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms 

4 tablespoons olive oil 

4 diced shallots 

6 cloves garlic, minced 

2 tablespoons chopped rosemary 

dry sherry or white wine to taste 

8 ounces heavy cream 

4 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese 

2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley 

salt and pepper to taste 

hot puff-pastry shells 




Cut the stems from the caps of the shiitake and slice or break into bite-size pieces, about 1/2 to 1 inch. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-hot heat. Saute the shallots and garlic for about a minute. 

Add the shiitake pieces and saute for another minute. Add the rosemary and stir until the shallots and mushroom begin to soften. Add sherry or white wine. Stir constantly. 

When the juices are almost evaporated, add the cream and reduce the heat. When the cream is vigorously boiling, add the cheese and parsley. Stir until the cheese melts and the sauce thickens. 

Add salt and pepper to taste and serve in hot puff-pastry shells. 

- Woodland Mushrooms 

Per serving: 375 calories; 5 grams protein.; 30 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 22 grams carbohydrate; 1 gram fiber; 33 milligrams cholesterol; 151 milligrams sodium 



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Frittata of Stir-Fry Greens and Fontina 

Makes 4 to 5 servings 

4 tablespoons olive oil 

3 to 4 cups mixed hearty greens (for example, tatsoi, kale, spinach) 

2 tablespoons chopped garlic 

salt and pepper to taste 

8 large eggs, beaten 

1 cup diced fontina cheese 




Preheat the broiler. Heat oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add greens and stir constantly until wilted and tender, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, salt and pepper. Pour eggs over the greens, stir to blend. Sprinkle with cheese. 

Cover the skillet and cook until the eggs are set but the top is still runny. Place the skillet under the broiler until the cheese bubbles and browns. 

Cut around the edges to loosen, slide onto a warm platter and serve immediately. 

- Gardener's Gourmet 

Per serving: 326 calories; 18 grams protein; 27 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 3 grams carbohydrate; 1 gram fiber; 369 milligrams cholesterol; 332 milligrams sodium

Copyright (c) 2005, The Baltimore Sun 

Link to the article: http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/dining/bal-fo.market26jan26,1,3236829.story 

 
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