I’m a sucker for a farmer’s market, stemming way before it ever became cool to go to one. I certainly appreciate local, sustainable food, but I like going to them for a different reason – everything tastes a heck of a lot better. Throw down an apple from the Pick N’ Save against one from a local orchard… actually, don’t even bother. You know that whatever you buy at a farmer’s market will be the best you can buy.

I also love the fact that you can talk one-on-one to the growers/makers/producers themselves, which is awesome because they have a plethora of information (and a lot of times offer free samples).

During the summer, I love to hit up the Westown Farmer’s Market in Zeidler Union Square in downtown Milwaukee. Milwaukee County also holds a great winter market at State Fair Park (Visit their Web site here).

I went for the first time this season last week and had a great time.

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This is the building it’s in and the parking lot was packed.

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Our first stop was Aleka’s Kitchen, a hot spot for all things Greek, like baklava, homemade pita chips, and feta spread.

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We bought the feta cheese spread, garlic walnut spread and pita chips (shown on the right). They were delicious, and I would definitely recommend snagging some if you go here.

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More from Aleka’s Kitchen, reasonable prices, too.

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Several bakeries were also at the market. This is the Amaranth Bakery and Cafe, but we didn’t buy anything from here.

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Wisconsin Soup Company is my new favorite place. They had samples of the artichoke bisque and it was delicious. I also would love to get my hands on these pots.

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So many choices, but we went with the Wisconsin Beer Cheese. Although we ate it last week with those grocery store/frozen pretzels , I am still thinking about that soup.

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Water House Foods Cafe and Bakehouse. We bought a salted sourdough bread that had whole cloves of garlic tucked it. They also had samples of almost everything they sold.

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Honey, anyone?

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Fresh apples in January? Sign me up.

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You can also find a wide selection of winter vegetables, from leeks to spinach.

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This pan of tri-pepper enchiladas stopped me dead in my tracks. They’re from Cocina DeLeon in Brookfield. I bought a pan of two spinach/bean enchiladas for $6.50. They are still in my freezer, but I can’t wait to try them.

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The Milwaukee County Winter Farmer’s Market runs every Saturday until April 30. Although they’re open from 8 a.m. to noon, get there early for the best selection.

Happy cooking!

Alysha

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