In Portland, the signs of spring aren’t limited to robins picking at worms and bulbs bursting through soil. You also see tents popping up in parking lots and closed-off streets, as farmers’ markets set up shop.
The city’s biggest and most popular outdoor grocery is already up and running: Operating every Saturday through Dec. 21, the Portland Farmers Market at Portland State University isn’t just a great place to pick up leeks, kale and broccoli — it also sells some of the best prepared goods in town. From Alma Chocolate to salmon from The Smokery, there’s plenty to take home from the market’s more than 150 stands (even if your home is thousands of miles away). If you’re in the mood for take-out, grab some eats from local vendors like Verde Cocina or Pine State Biscuits and enjoy live music as you stroll.
Come May, more market locations bring fruit, berries, melons and veggies to downtown: The Shemanski Park Market runs Wednesdays, May 1 – Oct. 30, while the Pioneer Courthouse Square Market comes to Portland’s Living Room on Mondays, June 17 – Sept. 30.
And the bounty isn’t limited to Portland proper — there are farmers’ markets all around the metro area. In fact, at the height of the season, there’s a market somewhere every day of the week. And that’s a good thing — because, after all, springtime runs seven days per week.
It’s officially spring. Asparagus and other seasonal goodies are popping up on menus throughout town. Best of all, the mother of all Portland markets has returned. As of Saturday, March 17, the Portland Farmers Market is back for its 21st season.
Visitors shouldn’t shy away thinking this is just a market meant for stocking your kitchen with fresh produce; this is also the perfect place to pick up freshly prepared breakfast and lunch before biking, walking or driving around to explore other parts of town. So, enjoy a biscuit and a wander through the market to see what’s in season. Chances are you’ll see some of the very same items on your dinner menu — Portland chefs love to search the market for the freshest ingredients.
Our food scene has bloggers buzzing – and TV audiences salivating, thanks to Travel Oregon’s new spots that feature the range of the state’s culinary experiences: from food carts to wine, from Dungies to truffles, and from farm to table.
Oregon Bounty, the state’s culinary promotion, runs through Nov. 6. Planning your trip?
I could see it out my window. Trucks rolling in, colors popping. The Wednesday Portland Farmers Market officially returned last week, marking the start of weekday markets to compliment the larger Saturday editions in the South Park Blocks, Hollywood and Beaverton. Weekday visitors will find themselves mingling with local chefs, students, lawyers and the downtown lunch crowd (get in line early for a Salvador Molly’s tamale). My purchases last week included asparagus from Veridian Farms, fresh flowers for home and soppressata salami from Olympic Provisions. Berries will be here before we know it and if you don’t make it through town on a Wednesday or Saturday, don’t worry, there is also a Monday market at Pioneer Courthouse Square.
The Portland Farmers Market at the Park Blocks at Portland State University (SW Park & Montgomery) has officially opened! The market opening is a welcome sign of spring. It’s a great community gathering of local farmers, food vendors, foodies and all those who want to live and eat well. (more…)
Recently, my co-worker, Karen, and I created a lunch that came almost entirely from the Portland Farmers Market at Shemanski Park. It’s only a block from the Travel Portland offices and we go there all the time, but we’d never created an entire meal from there … so off we went.
And what a lunch we had! We created a salad of mixed greens, carrots, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and Ba-a-arely Blue Cheese from Dee Creek Farm. To go with our lovely bounty, we purchased a link of Arles salami from Olympic Provisions and a peach, arugula and feta hand pie from Little Pots & Pans Co. for dessert.
Piles of veggies at the downtown market (Wednesdays)
Today on my lunch break I took a walk out onto the Park Blocks, just to wander around the Portland Farmers Market. I didn’t need to buy anything, I just wanted to look at all of the beautiful flowers and produce, and be entertained by all of the people buzzing through the stalls deciding what to purchase for their lunch and dinner. It is quite a sight, and it can be difficult to choose between piles of pastries, baskets of berries, wood-fired pizzas, and sizzling sausage.
We’re so lucky to have so many of these markets in the Greater Portland area. In the summer season (when produce is at its peak) there are markets in the city five times a week! And then there are all of the markets in the suburbs, like Beaverton, Lake Oswego and Oregon City, selling food even closer to its source out in the country. Portlanders might assume that the Saturday market at PSU is the biggest in the area, but that distinction actually goes to the Beaverton Farmers Market. And these markets are only a tease of what is to come from our local farms — soon U-pick farms will be open, farm stands will dot our country roads and food festivals from Forest Grove to Hood River will be on the calendar every weekend.
On my way to work this morning, I biked past a painting that kids had recently made on a wall near their school. It’s their vision of Portland, with roses, ladybugs, and all. It put such a huge smile on my face that I had to stop and take a picture. Now, there’s nothing uniquely Portland about a kids’ painting on a wall. However, there’s something special about the fact that people are not surprised — and I would dare say, are HAPPY– to see a young woman on a bike taking the time to snap a kids’ painting on a wall, just because it made her smile.
This is what I love about this city, and what I’d miss if I were to leave. We keep room in our lives for the little things of life. We pay attention to them. And we share the joy they give us with others. So, here are a few of my recent little discoveries, which I thought might bring you some enjoyment: (more…)
50 different dishes from around the country, but made at 90% with local ingredients. That’s the concept of one of the Pearl District’s newest restaurants, 50 Plates.
Located on the edge of the Pearl District at 333 NW 13th Avenue, the 3,000 ft former industrial space now plays host to a swanky bar and one large dining room with private party capabilities. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, but also for breakfast (the pastries are so yummy, and they serve Stumptown Coffee).
I ate there today for lunch and was in heaven. Of course, the salad and appetizers were delicious, made from local ingredients picked at the farmers’ market (the co-owner’s wife is the Director of the Beaverton Farmers’ Market); but most of all, they have a dreamy dessert menu. With no less that three chocolate cakes, and three “melted chocolate” drinks. What more could I be asking for??
Cool fact: the bar offers a different, thematic happy hour every day. Manhattan Monday, Whiskey Wednesday, etc.
In Portland, the signs of spring aren’t limited to robins picking at worms and bulbs bursting through soil. You also see tents popping up in parking lots and closed-off streets, as farmers’ markets set up shop.
