Local fruits and vegetables, croissants, pickles, empanadas, cider and french pastries abound every Wednesday from 3-7 pm at the Foggy Bottom farmers market (right next to the GWU metro station). Here’s how to make the most of the free samples and what’s worth splurging your precious college budget on:
1. If you missed apple picking this fall, don’t fret! Quaker Valley Orchard has a booth filled with over ten different kinds of apples, and you can try every one of them to see which one is your favorite. The apple cider is crisp and refreshing, and comes in quart sizes if you don’t want to take home a gallon. They also sell homemade honey, baked goods, sauces and jams.
Photograph by Annabel Epstein
2. Pickle addicts rejoice, FreshCrunch is here. Pickling everything from carrot ginger beets to wasabi green beans, FreshCrunch will satisfy all your pickled cravings. You can try anything that master pickler Matt Bressan has on display, so make sure to try the sriracha pickles, or my personal favorite, the garlic dill.
3. Pretend to be in walking the streets of Paris for a bit when you reach Bonaparte Breads. Whether you’re craving custard filled chocolate croissants, quiche lorraine or a mushroom garlic and cheddar cheese tarte—Bonaparte Breads has got it all. At $2-4 each, these patisseries won’t break the bank but’ll definitely hit the sweet spot.
4. Head on over to Chris’s Marketplace for the closest and (arguably the most delicious) empanadas on campus for a satisfying $3 snack. With varieties ranging from mushroom to salmon and spinach feta, there’s one for every tastebud. Grab a sample of the gazpacho, and if you’re feeling like cooking up an extravagant meal, Chris sells some of the best crab meat and other various seafood around.
Photograph by Rachel Weitzman
5. For a small taste of Greece head over to Baklava Couture, created by pastry entrepreneur Katrina. “Inspired by haute chocolates, she began in her herb garden by infusing syrups with rosemary and lavender, eventually pairing her baklava with scratch made candied garlic, smoked salts, florals, fruits and other exotic combinations to rediscover how enjoyable nuts, flaky pastry and a light drizzling of sweetness can truly be,” explains the sign at the stand. Biting into a baklava transports you to the white and blue houses of Santorini without leaving campus.
Grab a friend, buy local, and take advantage of fresh local produce until it closes on November 26th. Check out a complete list of Foggy Bottom Farmers Market vendors here.
Photograph by Annabel Epstein
Foggy Bottom Farmers Market
Location: 23rd and I St. NW Walkway, Washington D.C. 20052
Hours of Operation: Wednesdays 3-7 pm until November 26th