It may not be readily apparent, but I am a ruthless self-editor. I’m not talking about typos and punctuation, because I do miss those occasionally, much to my chagrin.  I’m talking about leaving barrels of stuff out, when it doesn’t move the story along or support my point.  And the gut-wrenching part is that sometimes the cuttings are pretty good… they’re funny or accurate or interesting, and it’s tempting to leave them in. 

I’m telling you this to fess up to what I didn’t write about from the beach house. I didn’t tell you that Jamie’s grandparents were there for a few days, or how I had the most delightful conversations with each of them, or how it made me ache for my own grandparents, who have all been gone for several years now.

I didn’t tell you about the official unoffical cocktail of the beach house, which is Mount Gay and tonic with a lime, or how it earned such a lofty title, or how everyone agrees on the Mount Gay, but no one agrees on the specific brand of tonic water, and the ensuing debate spawned a blind tonic tasting in the house, with shocking Jerry Springer-like drama.

And there’s an embarrassing amount of food (and wine) I didn’t cover. I didn’t tell you about how, at Marc’s suggestion, I learned to steam crab legs in the microwave, à la Alton Brown. I didn’t tell you about Paul’s balsamic glazed salmon which was so good my eyes rolled back in my head, or the summer pudding I made for dessert, or that the Domaine Serene that Paul served convinced me that Oregonian Pinot Noir is my new favorite default wine preference, because it seems to go with everything, even seafood, and is just as delicious on its own. And finally, I didn’t tell you about the portobello risotto Paul made, and the genius of cooking the mushrooms separately, so that their black ink doesn’t tinge the golden loveliness of the rice, and how if this flexitarian had fewer manners, she might have grabbed the pot and licked it clean, right there in front of everyone.

So if editing is so important, why am I pointing all this out? Ah, because there were a lot of folks at the beach house, people whose opinion I care about, and if I were one of them, I’d be wondering where the heck all that other material went. So, I apologize. It was too much inspiration for my little weekly blog. I had to make some judgement calls. Not everyone gets a soccer trophy, you know.

And now that I’ve made my confession, I can move on. Thank you for indulging me.

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After experiencing the amazing produce in Alabama, I was inspired to come home and give the Houston farmer’s market scene another look. The last time I did was a several years ago, and truth be told, it was pretty sad. Houston is an industrial city, I told myself… it’s not artsy or passionate or even all that opinionated. I was making excuses for the town I loved dearly. It’s just not a foodie type of place, I told myself, and that’s okay.

I am happy to report that all that has changed. I have visited three farmer’s markets since being home, and each has something unique to offer. Check it out:

Highland Village Farmers’ Market. From what Mickey, the affable fellow who runs the market, tells me, last year the owner of the Highland Village shopping center built the structure here specifically for a new farmer’s market, which provides shade and includes giant high-powered fans that keep the place bearable during the hot summer months. The market is very small, which can either be a strength or a drawback, depending on how you see it. The small size allowed me strike up a conversation with pretty much each vendor, and it turns out that this is group of really cool people.

I’ve only been once, but my impression is that this is a place to find very high-quality ingredients you probably can’t find elsewhere. For example, Bryan Farms was there, and their free-range organic chickens appear on the menus of some of the best high-end restaurants in town, by name. I was curious to see how much difference a high-quality ingredient could actually make (how much yum belongs to the bird, and how much to the chef?) –  so I purchased a three-pounder, butterflied it, brushed it with olive oil, sprinkled it with salt and pepper and broiled it until the skin was brown and crispy.  It was divine. Even with such sparse seasonings, the meat sang with delicate flavor. Needless to say, I will definitely be going back for more.

Other vendors I enjoyed speaking with were Blue Heron Farm, Cloud Stone Garden, and Queen Bee Marshmallows. These are all the kind of people that you’d want to sit and have a cup of coffee with. I was interested in how they grew and/or made their wares, and they were interested in what I was planning to do with them. Sharon from Queen Bee even shared that she serves her marshmallows in martini glasses as a simple and elegant way to end a meal. Her husband doesn’t really need dessert, she said, he just wants “a little closure”.  How can you not love that?  In addition to being the perfect dessert when you don’t feel like firing up the oven, I’m headed back for more in the fall/winter, for killer s’mores and an honorable way to top a real cup of cocoa.

The Boy had a great time chugging lemonade and dancing to the music of Pete Simple while on the resulting sugar high. In fact, he loved the band so much that he would pitch a wall-eyed fit when they finished each song, demanding “Morrrrrre music!!”

Escalante’s was also on site with made-to-order breakfast tacos, but subscribing to the “never shop while hungry” philosophy, I’d already had breakfast and didn’t partake.  Next time…!

Hours: 9am – 1pm, every Saturday, rain or shine

Location: 2720 Suffolk Drive, Houston, TX

Vibe: Reserved-but-friendly artisans with high-end wares.

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Midtown Farmers’ Market at t’afia. This little gem of an experience happens in and around Monica Pope’s restaurant, t’afia. (In case you didn’t know, Monica is pretty well-known nationally, and recently got completely ripped off by Marcus Samuelsson on Top Chef Masters, in my humble opinion.)  When walking around, one gets a feeling that most of the patrons are regulars, and there’s a strong sense of community here – almost like the restaurant, vendors, and clientele are all one big happy family.

Lots of people made a point to say hello to us, and everyone lavished attention on The Boy, encouraging me to let him run around and play. In doing so, I didn’t have as much time to chat up the vendors, but they all seemed friendly, and I’d love to go back and do a little networking. 

I picked up some organic wild blueberries, which I made gelato with, as well as some garden tomatoes, homemade ciabatta, and a lovely Havarti from Houston Dairymaids.

Chef Pope also gives free cooking classes, which is very cool if you don’t have a vivacious toddler in tow.  And you can also sit down for a hot breakfast at t’afia, which is another thing I’ll do next time.

Hours: 8am – 12noon, every Saturday, rain or shine

Location: 3701 Travis, Houston, TX

Vibe: Outgoing, socially conscious folks with restaurant-quality ingredients.

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Urban Harvest on Eastside. This is a much larger and more traditional farmers’ market, with a whole lot more veggies and a whole lot less chatting. If you’re looking for variety or bargains, and not necessarily new friends, this is your place. The other two markets are more boutique-ish, having perhaps one or two vendors with tomatoes or peaches, for example, whereas Eastside might have half a dozen to choose from.

With the variety and low prices come the annoyances, though – like the overly aggressive shoppers who cut in line or want to taste one of everything before they buy something… or even worse, the overly aggressive vendors who are either too pushy with their products or preach condescendingly about how to cook/store/tote your purchases. Yes, I have eaten a peach before, and yes, I do know when they’re ripe. Thank you. (Eye roll.)

There’s music here, too, although whomever was playing the morning I was there was, I must say, forgettable. But the guys at Pete Simple told me they play here on occasion, which would definitely brighten up the scene.

Hours: 8am – 12noon, every Saturday, rain or shine

Location: parking lot behind 3000 Richmond, Houston, TX

Vibe: Early bird gets the worm. / Every man for himself. / May the force be with you.

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In addition to the three farmers’ markets I tried, I simply can’t not mention my ever-dependable…

Froberg’s Vegetable and Fruit Farm. This is in Alvin, not Houston, but it’s a place I’ve shopped for years with my family and have never been disappointed. The offerings are a combination of wholesale produce and stuff they’ve grown themselves, and the format is an open-air grocery store. They also sell fried pies and plants (both vegetables and flowers), and in the spring, you can pick your own strawberries. A quaint, throw-back, family-run type of place that’s well worth the side trip to get to.

Hours: 9am – 6pm, 7 days a week, excluding holidays.

Location: 11875 County Road 190, Alvin, TX

Vibe: Old school mom-and-pop store, where everybody would know your name, except they’re too busy taking money from the good city folk.

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All in all, I was impressed, and happy to see that within just these few options, there’s a little something for everyone.

Readers, which farms and markets do you enjoy? Is Caninos on Airline still there? Have I missed any others? I know there are berry farms north of Houston that I’ve yet to try – which are your favorites?