Lunch options at Chicago Farmer's Markets

Market season is upon us, so I thought it might be valuable to share some tips about where to pick up lunch while stocking the larder.

I just got the following post for the Logan Square Farmer's Market (opening day is this Sunday, June 3, from 10am-3pm -- at the southwest corner of the monument circle, where Kedzie, Logan, and Milwaukee meet):

From Katherine Anderson:
**
I will be working with my friend Grace, proprieter of the Galewood
Cookshack, serving pulled pork delights. The website isn't up yet, so
here's a short description:
We'll be serving a North Carolina-style pulled pork sandwich with
homemade sauce and buttermilk coleslaw for $7, as well as debuting
pulled pork nachos for $7 . Grace uses a secret spice rub on the pork
shoulders before smoking them over hickory and apple wood for 12-14
hours. No liquid smoke, no steaming, no finishing in the oven, this is
old school real barbecue!
The pork is from Harbach's Meats in Freeport, IL. It's a small family
farm that raises hormone-free animals that are raised on feed from low
input agriculture. There's a store on the farm and you can go there
directly to buy meat and see the cows and piggies in person... they're
just walking around in the fields. Well have price sheets and contact
info for Harbach's on the truck.
**

Katherine Anderson wrote:I will be working with my friend Grace, proprieter of the Galewood Cookshack, serving pulled pork delights.

I will be at the Logan Sq Farmers Market Sunday morning for a pulled pork sandwich. Grace is both a friend and serious about BBQ.

Grace w/smoker


Enjoy,
Gary

I just had some of Grace's pulled pork, and even reheated in the microwave it was DELICIOUS. Highly recommended. It's another reason I'm glad that the Logan Square Farmer's Market is on my way to work on Sundays...

LTH,

Noted BBQ aficionado Steve Z and I headed off to the wilds of Logan Square this lovely Sunday morning in search of the elusive Pulled Pork Sandwich. Upon arrival who should we bump into but noted frozen treat authority Cookie Morowitz and her husband Michael.



Quickly dispensing with the very pleasant pleasantries of running into Cookie and Michael, we got to the matter at hand, pulled pork. Ordering directly from Grace, chief cook, bottle washer, owner of Galewood Cookshack and, incredibly enough, inventor of Sooey Sous Vide. Pulled pork for me, pulled pork nachos for Steve Z.

Grace D, inventor of Sooey Sous Vide.


Pulled pork had a light, though distinctive, smoke flavor, which enhanced the Harbach Meat's pork. Sauce, which is served on the side, is Western North Carolina style, thin, little bit of tomato product with a sharp vinegary bite. Michael and Cookie commented on the sweetness factor of the sauce, though I found it tilted more toward the vinegar side of the equation.

Pulled Pork Sandwich


Pulled pork nachos are on offer, I liked Galewood's version which was mercifully devoid of the BBQ sauce lake those who are not proud of their BBQ foist on the unsuspecting public.

Pulled Pork Nachos (Picture by Mr. Pizza aka Mark Bello)


Grace, who I should mention again is a friend, gave me a peek inside her BBQ vending truck, very efficient design with absolutely no wasted space. Here's an inside-out view of a couple of happy customers.




Even though the Logan Square Farmers Market was not particularly busy, it's still quite early in the season, Galewood Cookshack was doing a brisk business. Galewood Cookshack will only be at the market the 1st Sunday of every month.

This early in summer prepared food vendors almost out numbered produce, there was a stand selling sandwiches and Lula Cafe had a charcoal cooker setup and was grilling terrific looking, and smelling, Gunthrop Farm chicken thighs.

Lula Cafe


Looking forward to Sunday July 1st, which is the next time Galewood will be at the Logan Square Farmer's Market.

Enjoy,
Gary

G Wiv wrote:Grace D, inventor of Sooey Sous Vide.
....
Pulled pork had a light, though distinctive, smoke flavor, which enhanced the Harbach Meat's pork. Sauce, which is served on the side, is Western North Carolina style, thin, little bit of tomato product with a sharp vinegary bite. Michael and Cookie commented on the sweetness factor of the sauce, though I found it tilted more toward the vinegar side of the equation.

As an explanation of Sooey Sous Vide: On this day, Grace had vaccum-sealed her pulled pork (smoked earlier in the day) and re-heated it in a warm water bath, dubbing it "Sooey Sous Vide". I thought it was a pretty smart, gentle way to reheat the meat, retaining it's flavor, moisture, and without sacrificing any significant texture.

Having met Grace once before, I was pleased to finally have a chance to try her BBQ. I enjoyed the pork very much. Like Gary said, a discernible smoky flavor that worked well with the pork. It barely needed any sauce.

The market as a whole was a bit of a disappointment in terms of shopping. There were only 3 or 4 booths selling produce and many of them had sold out of part of their stock within the first hour of the market being open. I hope it expands.

Best,
Michael

The market as a whole was a bit of a disappointment in terms of shopping. There were only 3 or 4 booths selling produce and many of them had sold out of part of their stock within the first hour of the market being open. I hope it expands.

It's really a little too early for most produce, especially if you want local grown. A farmstand that I went to Saturday only had several types of greens, onions, asparagus, small potatoes and small Illinois strawberries. They had tomatoes but they were from a southern state. Sweet corn here was just planted a few weeks ago and is about 6" high so you have a long wait for good local fresh sweet corn!

I'll echo eatchicago's comments on the Sooey Sous Vide method of reheating the pulled pork. It had none of the mushy texture that often results from reheating using more traditional methods. The pork was very good. The only downside for me was the surprise addition of standard issue ballpark style nacho cheese sauce to the pulled pork nachos. Somehow I was expecting either real shredded cheese or something better than the orange processed stuff, but this is just a small constructive criticism of an otherwise stellar dish. I know not everyone is as averse to this particular cheese product as I am. Next time, I'll stick with the sandwich.

LikestoEatout wrote: A farmstand that I went to Saturday only had several types of greens, onions, asparagus, small potatoes and small Illinois strawberries.

Even this would have been a vast improvement over what was on offer at Logan Square on Sunday, but like you say, it's early in the season. I'm sure things will improve as the crops come in.

LikestoEatout wrote:

The market as a whole was a bit of a disappointment in terms of shopping. There were only 3 or 4 booths selling produce and many of them had sold out of part of their stock within the first hour of the market being open. I hope it expands.

It's really a little too early for most produce, especially if you want local grown. A farmstand that I went to Saturday only had several types of greens, onions, asparagus, small potatoes and small Illinois strawberries. They had tomatoes but they were from a southern state. Sweet corn here was just planted a few weeks ago and is about 6" high so you have a long wait for good local fresh sweet corn!

I'm not looking for things that are out of season, simply a greater quantity of the things I expect in season. I've been frequenting the Federal Plaza Farmer's Market for over a month now where lately I've seen a variety of onions, garlic, mushrooms, herbs, potatoes, strawberries. Asparagus (green, white, purple) and rhubarb have been plentiful but are now falling out of season.

My point was that there were very few vendors and those that were there had very little stock.

Best,
Michael

stevez wrote:

LikestoEatout wrote: A farmstand that I went to Saturday only had several types of greens, onions, asparagus, small potatoes and small Illinois strawberries.

Even this would have been a vast improvement over what was on offer at Logan Square on Sunday, but like you say, it's early in the season. I'm sure things will improve as the crops come in.

When asked about the size of the market, one vendor told me that this weekend looked like "a very good showing".

Best,
Michael

I think most of the Sunday markets are smaller. I only go to the Sunday market if I don't get to one on Saturday.

Must have missed a memo as there was no Logan Sq winter farmers market at the Congress Theater this Sunday. (11.28.10)

Hi GWiv,
The market definitely publicized this holiday closing. Do you follow it on Facebook?

annak wrote:The market definitely publicized this holiday closing. Do you follow it on Facebook?

Follow the market on facebook, well, no I do not. I did however check the Logan Square Farmers Market web site and there is no mention of closing on their official web site. It seems poor practice to post on facebook and not on the official web site.

As I was leaving a locked up tight Congress Theater at ten after ten this morning two carloads of people and a bicyclist were greeted by locked doors so I'm not the only one who doesn't feel the need to check facebook for my info.

As an aside, if my tone sounds ticked-off its not directed at you, the messenger.

G Wiv wrote:

annak wrote:The market definitely publicized this holiday closing. Do you follow it on Facebook?

Follow the market on facebook, well, no I do not. I did however check the Logan Square Farmers Market web site and there is no mention of closing on their official web site. It seems poor practice to post on facebook and not on the official web site.

As I was leaving a locked up tight Congress Theater at ten after ten this morning two carloads of people and a bicyclist were greeted by locked doors so I'm not the only one who doesn't feel the need to check facebook for my info.

As an aside, if my tone sounds ticked-off its not directed at you, the messenger.

I'm already anticipating a similar market shutdown, the Sunday after Christmas and the Sunday after New Year's. I don't know why it's not on their website, they certainly told me when I was there last week.

I haven't been over to the Congress yet this year, but last year definitely they were closed all three holiday weekends - Thanksgiving, Christmas and NYE weekends. I am guessing the same this year......

Too bad they don't have more formal announcements on the website, I do follow their Facebook page, but hard to keep up with everything.

-miss ellen

G Wiv wrote:

annak wrote:The market definitely publicized this holiday closing. Do you follow it on Facebook?

Follow the market on facebook, well, no I do not. I did however check the Logan Square Farmers Market web site and there is no mention of closing on their official web site. It seems poor practice to post on facebook and not on the official web site.

As I was leaving a locked up tight Congress Theater at ten after ten this morning two carloads of people and a bicyclist were greeted by locked doors so I'm not the only one who doesn't feel the need to check facebook for my info.

As an aside, if my tone sounds ticked-off its not directed at you, the messenger.

Gary I feel your pain. But websites are notoriously difficult to update on short notice-they probably have their IT farmed out to a part time consultant-so it might be a good idea to follow Facebook which is a low tech way of posting things instantly. I can't tell you how many websites I've seen lately which have info that is months out of date.

I am not on facebook, but I subscribe to the weekly newsletter, where the closing was mentioned. I still almost forgot when I considered going yesterday morning.

I apologize to everyone who came to the Congress Theater last Sunday expecting a Market and found none. The schedule was in our weekly newsletter and on our facebook page, but we forgot to put the information on the website. Absolutely our mistake. Going forward we'll post the remaining "no market" dates (December 26 and January 2) on the Market website, and we'll try to get a sign on the door at the Congress as well.

We're back open this coming weekend, December 5th, 10 AM 'til 2 PM. (Remember we close an hour earlier in the winter.) We're expecting to have a new fresh pasta vendor, and Dave, our knife sharpener, has told us he will be coming, doing sharpening while you shop. Also fresh-cut Christmas trees from here in northern Illinois.

If you'd like to get the weekly e-mail, send your address to info@loganchamber.org. We don't share that list or use it for any un-related purpose, it's strictly the Market visitors.

Thanks to all the LTH-ers for your interest and support.

Paul Levin, Executive Director
Logan Square Chamber of Commerce