Up until last weekend, our vote for the best farmers’ market had to go for Santa Fe’s. That is until we visited Kansas City’s City Market last Saturday and Sunday.
We went on Saturday because that is what we do—we like to seek out the farmers’ markets in whatever city we are in. Is that nerdie? We went back Sunday for the bargains.
I had no idea the City Market’s events on Saturday were so huge. On this particular weekend it was the “Corn Festival,” as well as the KC Library Sale, and a giant rummage sale. It was packed!
All aboard the City Market train!
Most of the vendors were giving out samples and we basically composed our breakfast from slices of peaches, watermelon, cantaloupe and grapes. I could not believe the prices and the produce—outstanding. Check it out!
Beautiful produce and awesome prices
Tons of tomatoes
Exquisite flowers
We bought a few things on Saturday—some pasta and some spices, but for the real deals shop on Sunday. We bought pints of cherry tomatoes and blueberries for $1 a box (and the farmer threw in a huge cantaloupe for free!) We bought some Mars grapes from a kind old man, and about fifteen pounds of Roma tomatoes for only $10.
I ended up making ten cups of roasted tomato sauce and three pints of salsa that night after we got home from the trip. (I am going to try some of the salsa tonight in a southwest chicken pasta salad with pasta we bought from the Pappardelle’s vendor. See the “tweaked” recipe below.)
I wish we had such a market near us!!! It is on my list of MUST DOs for every KC trip from now on.
If you can’t make it to KC, I encourage you to make a trip to your local farmers’ market this weekend.
Southwestern Blend Pasta Salad with Chicken and Grilled Corn
(For the original recipe go to http://www.pappardellespasta.com/recipes/recipe_southwestern_blend_one.php)
1 lb. Papparelle’s Southwestern Blend Pasta
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 boneless chicken breast, poached and diced
8 green onions, chopped
1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
4 grilled ears of corn, removed from cob
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 4 oz. can mild green chilis
1/2 to 3/4 cup fresh salsa
Cilantro
Salt and pepper
Toss cooked and drained pasta with olive oil. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add fresh jalapenos for more bite.
I found the grilled corn in the freezer, used the remaining cherry tomatoes from the farmers’ market, chopped freshly pulled green onions from the garden, threw in some Hatch chilis from New Mexico, and finally used our fresh homemade salsa. (The original recipe calls for black beans but all I had were garbanzos.)
We are just sitting down to eat it now for dinner!
