Dupont Farmers Market

This may sound completely crazy to you but after living in DC for two years now, I've yet to visit the Dupont Farmers Market. I know, I know. Everyone keeps telling me all about it and I've read several reviews but could never find myself up at 8am on a Sunday.

All excuses aside, I woke early this morning to check out what the rave was and boy was I missing out! When I first arrived, I didn’t know where to start. They offered everything from ice cream, fresh bread and pastries to meats, farm fresh eggs and fish. I was in awe by the array of fresh produce and herbs available as well.

My original plan was to walk around first to see all there was to offer before I started buying but that plan soon fell short when I spotted ripe summer squash blossoms. It was officially on! At 3 for $1, I bought 6 and was quickly adding a gorgeous heirloom tomato and a luscious bunch of basil to my order.  After several samples of fresh watermelon, peaches and tomatoes I treated myself to a few ripe peaches for breakfast this week.

Waking so early and being surrounded by so many gorgeous foods, my apatite was growing and I needed to eat something soon before I bought the whole lot.  Rounding the corner I saw a large group of people placing orders for freshly baked empanadas at Chris’s Marketplace. They were selling out fast so I had to grab one quick. One of my weaknesses is crawfish so I went with their crawfish mango empanada. The salty hue of the crawfish paired wonderfully with the sweetness of the mango. The textures married well with the soft dough, the crawfish and the gooey mango. It was a pleasant break for the overwhelming verity of the market and now I was ready for dessert.

I saw several children walking around with smiles on their face as they ate cups of fresh ice cream. Coming to the end of my journey, I finally came to her; the ice cream lady. Children were surrounding her both giggling over samples of fresh sorbet and ice cream she was handing out. One flavor, in particular caught my eye; Blueberry Lemon Thyme. I was taken away to a place of pure bliss when I sampled it and had to take one home. She expressed to me that blueberries would soon be out of season and this was, unfortunately, her last batch of that flavor for the year. I would have loved to purchase two but at $6 a pop for a 4oz cup, I’d have to enjoy what little I had.  I thanked her and quickly walked to home before it melted.

Upon returning home, I enjoyed the pure beauty of my findings of the day. I couldn’t wait to try everything and finally experiment with squash blossoms. I plan on returning to this little gold mine up the street from me next week in hopes I can find something I’ve never seen before. There was a buzz about figs in the air today and I’m determined to get my hands on some next week.

Stay tuned for my squash blossom recipe this week. Happy exploring everyone!