Oriana was at the Evanston farmer's market yesterday

Hi- Oriana was at the Evanston market for the first time as far as I know yesterday. It seems like she spent way more time handing out free samples than she did collecting money. She was selling both pawpaws and asian pears. I bought one small pawpaw, and a bag of pears. The pawpaws were definately different. The couple that I cook for and purchase groceries for, did not really like the pawpaws. They felt that they were sort of bland. I don't know if she is coming back to Evanston anymore this season. Hope this helps, Nancy

Oriana Kruszewski - The Pear Angel

Pear Shaped World

We were suprised to see Oriana at the Farmers' Market at the entrance to the Chicago Botanic Gardens today. Thank you, GWiv, for a post earlier in the year that contained the above links. I had a chance to read her story, and when I saw her table today, could not wait to speak with her.

She is an absolutely delightful person. Open and engaging. And her pears are simply delicious, beyond my expectations.



It was cold today, especially in the shade where the Farmers tables were set up. And I suspect, it was a long day for Oriana, as she had quite a lot of fruit available just 30 minutes before the market closed.

We selected a basket containing Japanese and two kinds of Korean pears, one she calls 'ugly', which is possibly the most remarkable pear I have ever sampled. One has been sliced into tonight's green salad and awaits me now.

I would love to know whether she will be presenting her pears at any of the Farmers' Markets in these last weeks before they all close.

It seems like she spent way more time handing out free samples than she did collecting money.

That's definitely her!

The oddest thing she ever gave me was some red-tinged, oak-like leaf that's supposed to cure stomach ailments in Chinese medicine; each leaf (which was absolutely perfect, I'm sure she selected them by hand) was tucked into a thin cellophane envelope. I never dared consume it in any fashion....

I haven't seen her for a few months so I don't know her planned schedule but she tends to be there with pears up till Christmas, and to have other things, mainly black walnuts, well into winter.

I saw her last week and mentioned Sky Full of Bacon (and that Sparky loved her episode.) This week, I brought Sparky along and he gushed over her go-cart, pears, and the chicken foot soup in the video that she seemed a little embarassed about (he protested "I love chicken feet!") He was totally charmed to meet somebody On-TV-Famous in person.

And the pears are really good.

Mike G wrote:I haven't seen her for a few months so I don't know her planned schedule but she tends to be there with pears up till Christmas, and to have other things, mainly black walnuts, well into winter.

FWIW, she was at the GCM two Wednesdays ago.

Hi- The outdoor Evanston farmer's market opened for the season yesterday, and Oriana was there selling plants. I noticed that she had a few Paw Paw seedlings for sale, and she had some other trees there. I don't know if she had asian pear trees she was selling or not, since I don't have the room to plant any of them. I asked her about her Asian pear crop this season, and it does not sound good. It sounds like she has some, but nowhere near 50% of a crop.

I talked to most of the fruit growers that were there selling bedding plants and asparagus, and spinach, and it sounds like Seedlings in South Haven has the largest peach crop. They said that they did not receive as much frost damage as most of the farmer's in Berrien county. They are probably looking at 30% of a peach crop, and their blueberry and raspberry crop is going to be okay. They have a very small cherry and apple crop though, and so I am sure that they are going to be pressing very little if any cider this fall.

Another one of the farmer's at Evanston, only has 1% of a peach crop, and has a very small cherry and apple crop, and has a smaller than normal blueberry crop, but he sells a lot of corn and tomatoes starting in July, and he will have a full crop of strawberries in a few weeks. It sounds like people are going to have to mostly stick to berries and melon at the farmer's market this summer. There are going to be a very small crop of cherries, apples, and grapes. and no apricots or plums. There is going to be a somewhat larger crop of peaches, but they are not going to be cheap. There is going to be way less than 50% of a crop of peaches. Hope this helps, Nancy

Hi- I went to the Evanston winter market today over at the Evanston ecology center, and Oriana was there selling Asian pears and walnuts. Apparently she had been there a few other times this winter. She said she is not going to be there next Saturday. I bought a box of Asian pears from her. I love her pears. Hope this helps, Nancy