A Moveable Feast

Our picks for the best finds at local farmers markets

April 22, 2014 10:34 a.m.

Olney Farmers & Artists Market

MedStar Montgomery Medical Center, 18101 Prince Philip Drive, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays, May to November; Sandy Spring Museum, 17901 Bentley Road, Sandy Spring, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays, January through March; www.olneyfarmersmarket.org

Zest of Bangladesh: Order from this stand and you’ll be eating like a sultan. Indian food fans will fancy the chicken biryani, with all the classic, intriguing tastes and aromas and a little heat—onion, garlic, ginger, cumin and turmeric—plus the traditional basmati rice, for $9. The puri provides an amazing, non-greasy treat of deep-fried lentils and flour stuffed with a spicy filling of carrots and onions for $1 each. Chef Jacob Gomes, who also caters, was chef to the sultan of Oman for 30 years, according to his son, Francis Gomes.

Dalat Deli: Anyone who has ever visited Vietnam will immediately be transported there when walking by this stand owned by Trung Nguyon; the exotic aromas that perfume the air on the streets of Vietnamese cities are just as enticing here. Give in to the compulsion to try everything, including tender grilled pork with rice served with nuoc mam (fish sauce) for $6; two summer rolls stuffed with rice noodles, shrimp and green-leaf lettuce perfumed with Thai basil and served with peanut sauce for $4; and two chicken skewers marinated in lemongrass, nuoc mam, honey, soy sauce, lime leaves, onion and garlic for $4. Trung Nguyon’s mother, Alice Vu, is one of the cooks behind the authentic food.

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Go Fish: Missy Carr graduated from L’Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg and now has a food truck from which she sells the best lobster roll in town: a quarter-pound of sweet lobster meat tossed with just the right amount of mayonnaise, a touch of lemon and parsley and piled into the classic New England split-top hot dog bun for $15. Another top-notch option is the shrimp taco. Served in a soft, warm flour tortilla, shrimp are bathed in a slightly spicy creamy sauce; two for $9. “I happened into this by accident,” Carr says of her business. “I got a truck and it took on a life of its own.” Also available at Shady Grove Farmers Market on Wednesdays, on Rockledge Drive in Bethesda on Thursdays and at the Montgomery Farm Women’s Market on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Pike Central Farm Market

Rockville Pike between Old Georgetown and Montrose roads, Rockville; 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays, April to November; www.centralfarmmarkets.com

Young Harvests: Gossamer-thin rice noodle wrappers hold a deeply flavored mix of tender lettuces, organic tofu and shredded carrots and red cabbage mixed with the pungent flavors and fragrances of basil, mint and cilantro, and served with snappy coconut peanut sauce. Two salad rolls go for $6. But the main product produced by Robert and Annie Young is an amazing selection of salad mixes of young tender greens, arugula and pea shoots, grown on 7 acres of what was once the home of George Washington’s nephew, Bushrod, in Charles Town, W.Va. A 5-ounce bag costs $5. “The idea is a fresh, healthy way to balance all the carbohydrates,” says Robert Young, who came up with the salad mixes about three years ago. Be sure to also get the tangy dressing of extra-virgin olive oil, apple vinegar, molasses, low-sodium soy sauce and ginger and herbs; 8 ounces costs $5. The couple also sells at the Bethesda Central Farm Market on Sundays.

Rita’s Crepes: The lines can be long for Rhita Douglass’ crêpes. They are the perfect Sunday morning made-to-order brunch that can be prepared with many fillings, both sweet and savory. Order a crêpe and pay, then shop while it’s prepared. The sweetness and lightness of the 16-inch crêpe adds another dimension to the warm and satisfying hominess of the potato, zucchini, onion, cheddar and egg fillings; cost is $8 each. Douglass also sells at the Bethesda Central Farm Market on Sundays.

Meat Crafters: The King of Sausage Makers has a variety for everyone. Mitch Berliner, a fixture in the Washington-area food world for years and co-founder of both the Pike Central Farm Market and the Bethesda Central Farm Market, co-owns the business that makes these amazingly non-greasy—but flavor-infused—sausages. Favorites are Santa Fe chicken, with sun-dried tomatoes and a hint of heat; lamb merguez with fennel, mint and North African seasonings; and rosemary lamb. Cost is $10 to $12 for 12 ounces, depending on the type of sausage. You also can find the sausages at the Bethesda Central Farm Market on Sundays.

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Potomac Village Farmers Market

Potomac United Methodist Church, Falls Road and Democracy Boulevard, Potomac; 2 to 6:30 p.m. Thursdays, May to October; potomacvillagefarmersmarket.net

Hardy’s BBQ: Last year Roxie and Corries Hardy decided to make a full-time job of cooking and selling barbecue made from family recipes. The recipe for pulled pork ($8) and ribs (half-slab for $15) comes from Roxie’s grandfather and dates back to the 1920s, while the recipe for the pulled smoked chicken and barbecue sauce used on the ribs comes from Corries’ grandmother. “Barbecue is my husband’s passion. He eats it almost every day,” Roxie says. The couple also sells at Montgomery Farm Women’s Cooperative Market on Fridays and Saturdays.

I Heart U: The desserts sold by Samin Malik and her sisters reflect their Middle Eastern upbringing. Here you’ll find one of the more elegant baklavas that you’ll ever encounter—its classic paper-thin layers of buttery phyllo are bursting with pecans, almonds and cashews and convey just the right amount of sweetness. An ample slice is $4.99. For something much plainer, but equally well-made, try the moist pound cake made with butter and bearing the slightly exotic flavor of cardamom; a mini loaf is $5. Malik always reminds her customers that the sisters use organic ingredients. “One day my sisters and I want to have a chain of bakeries,” Malik says.

Shady Grove Farmers Market

Johns Hopkins University Medical Center at Key West Avenue and Broschart Road, Rockville; 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays, May to October; shadygrovemarket.org

Simply Delicious Desserts: Keisha Sherman is following in the footsteps of her grandmother, who ran a bakery in Petersburg, Va. Don’t miss her Apple Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake with a brown sugar glaze. It’s old-fashioned perfection—moist with just the right amount of sweetness. The cake slices beautifully and is baked fresh every morning. A 9-inch, 1-pound loaf is $8. “I love doing the markets because you meet a lot of different people and meet the farmers from whom we buy our ingredients,” says Sherman, who began baking full time about seven years ago. Sherman also sells at Bethesda Central Farm Market on Sundays and Potomac Village Farmers Market on Thursdays.

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Rod’s Sharpening Service: Rod Koozmin provides same-day service, making it easy to get your knives sharpened. Drop them off at Koozmin’s stand, go shopping and pick up the sharpened knives when you leave. “No matter the length, six knives can be sharpened in about 15 minutes, any kind including those with a serrated edge,” says Koozmin, who charges $7 for each item and also sharpens scissors and garden tools. He says he also teaches customers how to sharpen the knives themselves, but it’s probably better to let him do the job.

Silver Spring Fresh Farm Market

On Ellsworth Drive between Fenton Street and Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring; 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays, April to December; 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays, January through March; www.freshfarmmarkets.org/farmers_markets/markets/silver_spring.php

Praline Bakery: Thank the White House for this splendid partnership between Susan Limb and Patrick Musel. “I met Patrick during the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations,” Limb says, when both were working with famed White House pastry chef Roland Mesnier. In 2006, the pair opened a bakery and bistro in Bethesda and branched out to farmers markets. It’s hard to choose from among their classics, whether it’s the individual ham-and-cheese quiche with custard filling flecked with nutmeg for $5; a seldom-seen pissaladiére with crispy crust, gooey cheese and just enough anchovies for $3 per slice; or a sugar-and-cinnamon-topped apple-walnut Danish with buttery, browned flaky crust for $2.50. The pair also sells at the Rockville Farmers Market (Route 28 and Monroe Street) on Saturdays.

Atwater’s Bakery: Mention the jalapeno bread to anyone from Baltimore, where the bakery is located, and those in the know simply smile and nod. Toast it a little to intensify the cheddar flavor and enhance the heat from the freshly pickled jalapenos. Interestingly, the flavorful bread was created by accident years ago when one of the bakers mistakenly made a double batch of dough and didn’t know what to do with the extra. He decided to experiment and created the bread, which has gone through several iterations since, head baker Dylan Meyers says. The jalapeno bread, an organic white bread with a little whole-wheat flour and Mexican oregano, is $6 for a 1½-pound loaf. You can also find Atwater’s Bakery at the Olney Farmers & Artists Market on Sundays.

Marian Burros is a longtime Bethesda resident and former food writer for The New York Times. To comment on this story, email comments@moco360.media.

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