If you haven't visited the Wayland Winter Farmer's Market since last year, do come back. Russell's Garden Center is hosting the market again and most, if not all, of the vendors have returned, plus there seem to be some new additions.
Both Red Fire Farm of Granby and Winter Moon Organic Farm of Hadley have impressive vegetable stands and, if you're lucky, fresh eggs. There's lots of cheese on offer, including superb marinated feta, cheddar, blue cheese, and a lovely goat tomme from award-winning West River Creamery in Vermont. Lawton Family Farm from nearby Foxborough is selling asiago and fromage blanc. The asiago is very meltable and I enjoyed it on several Tuscan ham sandwiches with local dill pickles and a touch of mayo. The fromage blanc was lovely on garlic-rubbed toasts with smoked bluefish from Dave's Cape Cod Smokehouse, sliced red onion, and capers.
This Saturday (2/12) is Wool Day, so they'll have all kinds of yarn and knitting stuff for sale as well as the usual bagels, apples, meat, fish, gelato, bread, pastries, maple and honey products, coffee, root beer, salsa, and granola. I also heard a rumor that a knife-sharpener sets up shop at the market, though I have yet to actually locate him. Yooooohoooooo!! (It's amazing, though, how people get right out of your way when you're waving your dull knives around.)
Side note: Russell's has a small but cute kids section at the top of the big stairs that I often use for last-minute gifts for birthday parties (puzzles, Thomas trains, science kits). They also have a free, self-serve gift-wrapping station that I take full advantage of, though I do stop short of gift-wrapping my produce for myself!
The market runs on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through March 12 at Russell's Garden Center, 397 Boston Post Road (Rt. 20), Wayland, MA, 508-358-2283.
This looks awesome!! I so wished I lived by here to go. The farm fresh eggs had me :) I heart farm fresh eggs! I also just wanted to tell you that you brought my friend joy and laughter at the end of her battle with cancer last month. When she was bed ridden (with a laptop though), I sent her a link to your blog. You brought her so much laughter in such a dark time. Thank you so much for all of your postings, recipes, and humor. You have touched our lives :) I have started to re-read old postings and am having a blast!
Posted by: Grateful Reader | February 10, 2011 at 10:08 PM
I love to go to Russell's for the Winter Farmer's Market. My husband and I pack up the 3 kids and it's our outing for the day. I am hoping to get there tomrrow, I love wool days.
Posted by: Amy | February 11, 2011 at 06:55 PM
so glad i read this in time to hit the market yesterday. had to force the 11YO to come along with me, but he sheepishly admitted after we'd been there 15 minutes that it was really awesome and he was glad i made him go. if i had known ahead of time about the unbelievable stuffed grape leaves we found there, it wouldn't have been a hard sell at all. we had fresh eggs for breakfast this morning with FOTF hash browns and my family couldn't be happier that i read this blog! thanks!
Posted by: snippyscissors | February 13, 2011 at 01:35 PM