I guess it’s about to time to say it: I’ve officially left D.C. and have moved to San Antonio, TX with my husband (although I’ll actually be in Cambridge in the fall.. more on that later). While there are many things to be excited about, I’m seriously going to miss going to the Dupont Farmers Market every Sunday. Since I moved to D.C. from Vermont ten years ago, the market was one of the first places that I went to.
For me, the Dupont Farmers Market was one of my biggest sources of inspiration for new recipes and just cooking in general. I’d come home from a market haul and often be overwhelmed by new ideas for combinations, colors, and experiments. Sundays would become a day that I’d take photographs and cook until it got dark. I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
For both my own memories and for others, I wanted to do a write-up to feature my favorite vendors at the Dupont Farmers Market and go through what produce I got at each one. After going to the market on an almost weekly basis for the last ten years and an actually seriously weekly basis for the last two (yes, I’ve been known to go to serious lengths to get the market- I actually drove from Annapolis to the D.C. just for the market for four months during the pandemic), I felt obligated to highlight some of these amazing farmers and vendors. Enjoy <3
Dupont Farmer’s Market: The Must Go To’s for Produce
1. Chicano Sol @ Dupont Farmer’s Market
This family run farm is one of my absolute favorite stands that I’ve been going to consistently since I’ve been in DC. Their greens are the BEST. Seriously I’m so sad I don’t get to purchase them every week. I’m not entirely sure how or why (maybe due to packaging?), but they last much longer than any other green I purchase at the market. I can buy spinach and it’ll last a week. And not just last, but actually stay really fresh. Same goes for their herbs- I can buy mint and use it throughout the week without it going brown. They’ve really grown and during the pandemic, they often would have one of the longest lines but it’s so worth it.
BEST FOR:
Greens – my favs were their baby rainbow chard, gem lettuce, spinach, arugula, and baby kale. If I had to just choose one- their baby rainbow chard. It was my go-to for sauteed greens in the morning with my eggs.
Tomatoes– they have great heirloom tomatoes in the summer
Summer Squash and Zucchini– they’re always super fresh and vibrant in color. In particular, they have a striped green one as well as a vibrantly yellow summer squash.
Other Seasonal Goodies like strawberries, peppers, garlic scapes, and ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS! (they have the most reasonably priced and beautiful ones IMO).
2. Twin Springs Fruit Farm @ Dupont Farmer’s Market
The pandemic showed just how popular this farm is- their line was consistently the longest, but another one that’s worth the wait. They have a good variety of consistent produce like carrots, potatoes, and apples, as well as seasonal favorites like peaches.
BEST FOR:
Carrots – a seriously underrated vegetable that tastes SO much better than one at the grocery store. When I buy these carrots, I often will eat them just raw. They taste sweeter and just overall have more flavor. I’ll also sometimes roast them. They have a great rainbow variety pack and this year experimented with a new variety- I can’t remember the exact name, but it’s purple with a reddish hue on the inside. So beautiful!
Apples– Their Gold Rush apple is to die for. It is worth going to the market just for this variety. I already know my descriptions really not going to do it justice. This yellow-ish apple is the perfect balance of tangy and sweet. I’d eat just eat one plain or add into my salads for lunch.
Potatoes– I love their Japanese Sweet Potatoes and Purple Potatoes.
Peaches and Nectarines- Crowd favorites. I don’t think I need to say much more here.
Berries– While they are one the pricier end, I do enjoy getting a pint of berries or two from here when in season. They sell strawberries, black and red raspberries, cherries, and more.
Rhubarb– Ya’ll know how obessed I am with rhubarb. They have the most BEAUTIFUL pink and red rhubarb that was the beauty behind most of my rhubarb photos. I even attempted to take it on the plane with me to Texas. Yes, that’s how far I go with my love for rhubarb.
3. Potomac Vegetable Farm @ Dupont Farmer’s Market
This farm is a great one for the surprising find or to learn more about some produce you may never have seen. They have a great variety of herbs and greens!
BEST FOR:
Unique Greens – from stinging nettles to kale raab, you’ll often find a some variety of green you didn’t even know existed. One of my favorite things is discovering new goodies. If you can relate, this stand is for you.The people there are great and happy to explain what it’s like or reccs on how to cook it.
Broccolini– Super tender broccolini can’t be beat. I’d buy a bunch and all I’d need to do is add some olive oil and roast it. SO GOOD! I’ll be honest- they’ve spoiled me to the point where I don’t like normal broccoli anymore because it seems dry and hard.
Herbs– They have a really great variety of herbs here, from dill to mint.
Kohlrabi & Radishes– Super tender and colorful! See my instagram post to learn more about kohlrabi.
Sunchokes– The only place I’ve been able to find sunchokes. Usually in the Winter months like November, as well as March (when they come back after their winter break). I love adding them in pasta like in this Green Sunchoke Linguine.
Dupont Farmer’s Market: More Specialized Vendors
Madison Mushrooms
With absolutely stunning speciality mushrooms and often playing good music, this is a great stop for any mushroom lovers out there. Especially when Matt would be traveling (as he hates mushrooms), I’d stop here and load up. While there are other mushroom vendors at the Dupont Farmers Market, I love this one because they are super friendly and their mushrooms are just gorgeous (and delish).
BEST FOR:
Oyster Mushrooms & Shitake Mushrooms. They have a nice variety of other mushrooms, but these were always my go-to’s. Especially the shitake msurhooms, because if you just put them in a ziploc bag and keep in the fridge, they’d last for a week. The oyster mushrooms need to be used more quickly (within a day or two if you can).
Seylou Bakery
My hands-down favorite bakery ever. While they have a stand at the Dupont Farmers Market, they also have a store front in Shaw. The amount of time and care that goes into their products is like an art form. They mill their own grains and you can learn more about them here on NPR.
BEST FOR:
Whole Grain Croissants- This was like a Sunday ritual for me. They have spoiled me rotten. So buttery, and I personally just love the taste of whole grain because I think it gives more dimension.
Horse Bread– Another weekly ritual for me. This bread is by far my favorite they make. It’s made with millet, legumes, and seeds and if you like nuts and seeds in your bread, this one’s for you. It’s a perfect one to make for toasted bread in panzanella.
Baguettes– They also have some great whole grain baguettes!
Other Shout Outs: Specialty Items
There are a few stands at the Dupont Farmers Market I go to for specific items. Here they are:
Black Rock Orchard – great for figs in the fall and pluots in the summer.
Quaker Valley Farms– delicious apricots and they occasionally interesting berry or fruit (like yellow raspberries or gooseberries!)