I have been making regular pilgrimages to Queen Vic market for 30 years, ever since moving to the ‘big smoke’ to start a cooking apprenticeship. I now have a favourite butcher, baker, deli, fruiter etc and look forward to slices of Polish grandma ham, pickled octopus, great sour dough plus scouring stalls for something new or interesting. Nothing better for a foodie than a food market!!!! I’ve also recently visited another once regular haunt - Preston market - where I found all my old favourites and a few newies including a van selling freshly made Turkish gozleme – feta and spinach filled pastries crisped on a hot grill, even better with a squeeze of lemon.
But my trips to these markets are not as regular now that farmers markets are common place – buying just picked produce and chatting to the producers is a real highlight. One does need to be careful as some market organisers allow non producers to sell at their markets, just buying in bulk and reselling! Usually the most reliable stalls have a limited range of commodities, sometimes only one or two. I love the lady who grows just tomatoes and cucumbers – a perfect salad combo, flavour in raita, souvlaki veg or half a gazpaccho. The only down side is getting up earlyish on a Sat/Sun, a tough call for those of us on cooks time!
I do like the Abbotsford Convert farmers market on the 4th Saturday of each month http://www.mfm.com.au/ and I also rather enjoy the ambience of the Wheelers Hill market on the 3rd Saturday http://www.vicfarmersmarkets.org.au/
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