Category > Local Bites
Those who shop our Market at the Square, held Saturday mornings at the corners of Illinois and Vine in Urbana, know that it is a fantastic source for fresh, seasonal and local foods. But those new to East Central Illinois this fall might not realize what a great social scene our little market provides. Thousands of local patrons show up every Saturday to buy vegetables from arguably the richest soil on earth, sustainably raised meat and eggs, baked goods …
| Everyone had a great day at the Market on the Square last Saturday. The sun was shining and although it was a little hot later in the day, shoppers packed the aisles and kept farmers and vendors busy throughout. This coming Saturday looks like great weather again and we can expect plenty of watermelons and cantaloupe as well as all of the great grilling vegetables, including zucchini, peppers and eggplant. Corn, heirloom tomatoes, green beans, beets, potatoes, herbs, onions …
Upon returning from a long vacation, I was pleased to find the Market on the Square well into pepper season. Browsing the aisles I noted the stunning number of varieties you can find in our little market. Peppers are native to America and come in a wide range of colors and flavors from mild and sweet to wickedly hot and spicy. In general, peppers are divided into three categories, and our market well represents.
Urbana’s Sweet Corn Festival isn’t for another three weeks but that doesn’t mean we can’t start celebrating. We don’t grow much sweet corn here in Illinois; as a matter of fact, of the millions of acres of corn planted on all four sides of Champaign-Urbana, and across the state, only a fraction is suitable for human consumption. So eat all the local corn you can this summer, as it is a precious commodity. If you’ve never picked up corn …
Every time I think I know what to expect at Market at the Square, someone shows up with something new. Case in point: early orange plums from Jeff Meyer of Villa Grove. Last Saturday, I bought a quart for five dollars and they were well-worth the cash. Sweet and slightly tart, these little orange beauties made a great little tart perfectly paired with vanilla ice cream — definitely summer at its best.
Last Saturday was the worst weather in current market history. Heavy rains and strong wind gusts made the opening hour of the morning difficult for farmers and vendors who were holding on to their tents and protecting their goods. The rain didn’t end until 8:30 a.m., and several vendors packed it up and headed home calling the day an entire wash. (Pun intended.) Eventually the skies cleared, and patrons showed up in droves turning it into a pretty good …
I can’t tell you how many people in the last several weeks have commented about the organic salad greens from Blue Moon Farm. How much they have come to love and depend on a generous bag every week, how remarkably fresh and interesting they are, how they stay so fresh in the fridge, and how they are such a great deal compared to the lesser quality greens one finds in the grocery store. Jon Cherniss from Blue Moon takes …
Market at the Square has been shaping up nicely and every week it just gets better and better. Last week brought us fuzzy peaches, beautiful apricots and more cherries, raspberries, strawberries, gooseberries and blueberries. The folks at First Fruits had a mountainous display of sweet broccoli and cauliflower, along with a gorgeous stack of tri-colored beets that had my mouth watering. This coming Saturday market patrons can expect to find this year’s first apples and plums along with more …
Truth be told, I didn’t make it to the market last week. Only an event such as the marriage of dear friends can keep me away this time of year, and I am thankful to the Common Ground Co-op and a steady supply of goat cheese for getting me through the week. Broccoli, cauliflower, green beans and beets are some of my favorite vegetables — finally in season — and I cannot wait to start eating my fill. But …
Broccoli grown at Blue Moon Farm in Urbana. With the fear of sounding redundant, I must say that we had a great market again last Saturday. Beautiful weather, great produce and a ton of patrons — the vendors couldn’t have asked for a better day. This week, visitors to the market can expect to find many of the same vegetables we have seen over the past few weeks as well as raspberries, gooseberries, cherries, blueberries, broccoli, green beans, squash …
Most Recent Food Comments
I understand the disclaimer, and I appreciate it, but given the title of the article, it would be nice to have more of a talk with the owner and less of a “to the best of my knowledge” thrown in the article as an aside, when vegan…
Um. Yeah — check out that “General Disclaimer” at the bottom of the article, folks.
I highly doubt a single dish is vegan at Bombay. Most Indian dishes use Ghee(essentially clarrified butter) as the base fat. While I guess they could make some dishes with canola oil, I would for sure ask the exact ingredients before I consumed if you are following a vegan diet.
Bread Company can do some fantastic vegan dinner dishes! Several of their pastas are vegan or could be made vegan and their pizzas can be ordered (and taste great) without the cheese. I also recommend their roasted potatoes and their roasted garlic head appetizer.
Glad you asked Stuart. In the 1950s (well before they were approved for human use) poultry producers began using subtherapeutic doses of quinolone antibiotics, specifically fluroquinolone, to reduce the incidence of respiratory disease in overcrowded production conditions. In humans, quinolones are a last line of defense antibiotic…
Hah! Good one, Joel. But my question was a serious one. I only buy eggs from a couple of local organic farmers, so I never thought about antibiotic-free eggs. I’m assuming that Anna meant the hen was not fed antibiotics, but am not wholly sure. I’m…
That sounds like a setup to a joke at a CSA’s annual banquet. Q: “How can you tell an antibiotic-free egg?“ A: “It just can’t seem to get rid of that cough.“ /shows self out
I love eating Vietnamese food, and having growing up my entire life eating it, I was excited to go. I really wanted to like this place because of all of the hype I had heard——unfortunately, I was sorely disappointed. I got the pho (vietnamese soup) and thought…
Kaiyo was decent for a sushi buffet, but it definitely isn’t as good as KO fusion. I thought it was better than any sushi I’ve ever had at a chinese buffet, but was not as good as my least favorite sushi item at KO fusion. However, I…
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Awesome looking lineup… I’m excited. Another vote towards the Smoking Popes rocking out at the first Laughing Prairie Dog festival… it was a pretty good energy, and plenty of groups considering the cheap ticket. The rest all look pretty good for the ticket price as well. …
(Not to talk too much, but I would delight in being proven wrong. I hope that there are many vegan dishes, and next time I am there, I will ask the owner for dishes that are vegan that are offered and post them as a comment here,…
I understand the disclaimer, and I appreciate it, but given the title of the article, it would be nice to have more of a talk with the owner and less of a “to the best of my knowledge” thrown in the article as an aside, when vegan…
Nate, No offers to crash but I was wondering if you’d ever considered publishing the plans to your trailer. You might make a dollar or two especially after you go solar! Let me know if you do it. Sincerely, Don
Not sure if it’s been mentioned here, but they’ll also be playing the Old Rock House in St. Louis on May 22
Interesting about who owns land in the path of the Olympian Drive extension. My comment was in response to ‘Tony C’s remarks about the I-74 expansion. Just who owns land in the 150 [BloomingtonRd]-I-74 corridor?? Because the corridor is zoned for future use as Commercial/Industrial, I am…
(happy face)
Wow, great article. I wish you the best in your endeavors and hope you have a nice trip.
Um. Yeah — check out that “General Disclaimer” at the bottom of the article, folks.
As an adoptee, I can empathize—although I’m not an international adoptee, and I apologize if I’m assuming too much on the nature of your adoption. You can feel what you feel, but don’t be too hard on yourself. When I started a search for my birth family,…
I highly doubt a single dish is vegan at Bombay. Most Indian dishes use Ghee(essentially clarrified butter) as the base fat. While I guess they could make some dishes with canola oil, I would for sure ask the exact ingredients before I consumed if you are following a vegan diet.
You’re right! Every runner, in my opinion, is a real runner.
Congratulations on the AG place! In all of your accomplishments, don’t forget what it was like to think a mile was an impossible distance. Getting to the six-mile point takes a lot of training and preparation to acclimate the mind and musculature to so much pounding. Your…
Sounds like it!
I heading out on my 9 miler before my 10 hour work day right now. Do I have what it takes?
Nice, killer work pretty man…the channeled, one sided collaborated rhyming poem. An oft forgot genre. The ruckus was felt even here in my living room, which is normally a safe haven from ruckus.
wait, I was commenting on the wrong thing - sorry - he’s actually a gigantic sellout but who really knows what all this is about.
If the democrats didn’t have Kucinich, and the republicans didn’t have Ron Paul, where would both these parties really stand? These men actually mean what they say.
Joel, thank you for the opportunity to answer these questions and have them posted here. I really appreciate it! Yes, I was thrilled to see that Rep. Kucinich flipped today, so he will has committed to voting yes for health reform. I appreciated his comments which seem…
It appears to me that your reviewer did all that could be expected: she paid her money, saw the play and conveyed her impressions. The review (on the whole, laudatory) may have been rushed, in a generous attempt to publicize the production while it was still available…
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(Not to talk too much, but I would delight in being proven wrong. I hope that there are many vegan dishes, and next time I am there, I will ask the owner for dishes that are vegan that are offered and post them as a comment here,…