Today at Green City....Strawberries and People!

Currently, it is around 95 degrees everyday here in Chicago.  Which means people are actually out doing stuff like going to Farmer's Markets.

Unfortunately, this weather also means people are out doing stuff like this...

 
Wait...actually catfish noodling is pretty cool I take it back.  But be careful out there it is not legal in all states!

The aggressive arrival of summer means a whole lotta good things at the market.  I had been told before I even got to the GCM that Mick Klug had some amazing strawberries.  When I got there they were all sold out.  Not a big deal as Seedling, Green Gate Garden, and Green Acres all had amazing strawberries.   I had met Beth who (along with her husband Brett) runs Green Acres some years ago when I worked at Nightwood.  Their farm's story is really cool and I wanna share it with you now in a little section I call....

                         Meet the Farmers

Green Acres, owned by Beth and Brent Eccles, has a unique history. Beth’s grandfather, a Japanese immigrant, moved to Indiana in the late 1930s and began a small truck farm, selling Asian vegetables to restaurants and stores in Chicago’s Chinatown. His son, Ben, took over the farming operation in 1969 and continued his father’s wholesale business for the next 35 years. Beth and her husband, Brent, began farming in 1996. Meeting Abby Mandel at the Best of the Midwest Market inspired the couple to bring their sustainably raised food to farmer's markets in Chicago. Expanding on the Asian vegetable niche, they also grow more than 500 varieties of heirloom vegetables, fruits, and specialty greens. With two daughters, Beth and Brent are proud to continue the family tradition of farming.  (Bio from Green City Market Website)

 

Their strawberries are really tart but in a good way with an earthy sweetness.  I am thinking both gin and whiskey could work well...or maybe genever the slightly funky product of Holland to pair with these berries for my weekly Market Cocktail. 

One final note.  When you find yourself at Green City make sure to go to the back to Hoosier Mama Pie Company and get yourself a sausage hand pie.  Like my buddy Michael Simon would say, "These Pies are Baller!"