Baltimore Farmer’s Market: Foodie Haven Under the Freeway

Things usually found under a busy freeway: trash, gutters, unfortunate souls and the occasional furry creature. Things found under a busy freeway in Baltimore: organic vegetables, children hula hooping, arts and crafts, and some of the best food carts in the city. The Baltimore Farmer’s Market has its share of degenerates but the sights, smells and smiling faces make up for it. It is a haven of good grub if you are able and willing to get up early enough to get the good stuff.

On Sunday we went a little late (around 11:00 am) so my favorite bacon man was sold out of slabs. Perhaps this is a good thing since I ate more than my fair share of bacon last week and should feast on salad until further notice. Conveniently, the farmer’s market was packed to the rafters with baby sweet potatoes, okra, peppers of all varietals, broccoli, leafy greens and other seasonal treats. These are all inspirational goodies for this week’s personal food journey.

If you ever find your way to this foodie oasis hidden in Baltimore's belly, please do not go home without a falafel sandwich from B-more Alive! This rainbow in a wrap is made with all local and seasonal ingredients. The toppings change and can get pretty creative, but the falafel is always hot and flawlessly cooked with a soft center and a crunchy exterior. My wrap was stuffed with apples, carrots, peppers, tahini dressing, sriracha, carrots and at least five other vegetables.

The most creative vendor award goes to Wheely Good Smoothies. The owner, Natan Lawson, created blenders that are powered by bicycles. You have the opportunity to blend your own smoothie (Natan will do it for you if you are hung over or wearing a dress) by simply pedaling the bike for a few seconds. This just reiterates that MICA kids are totally cool.

Be sure to stop by the Baltimore Farmer’s Market when you are in the city, and bring a big bag to carry your loot, a wad of cash and a huge appetite. Unfortunately, it's not year round so check the website for dates.

With the wonderfully fresh okra, I made a hearty chicken gumbo last night. Although noteworthy, it isn’t quite perfected yet. It is my new mission in life to make a flawless gumbo. Wish me luck.

Bacon Guacamole

So, here's the thing. Bacon is so played out in the food world right now. We have bacon chocolate bars, bacon oil, bacon salt, bacon print band-aids, and bacon sundaes at Burger King. There is even a small restaurant in Austin, Texas called Bacon that serves, well, everything bacon (try the the bacon doughnut...just do it). Some truly sad souls people have a difficult time understanding why bacon should play such a leading role off the breakfast table. I say everything should taste like bacon. Bring it! Here is my small contribution to our over-saturated bacon kingdom, Bacon Guacamole . I actually shed a tear when I tasted this. You can thank me later... Bacon Guacamole Time in kitchen: 10 minutes Servings: 8 (2 T serving) Nutrition information per serving: 100 calories, 9 grams fat, 3 grams fiber, 2 grams protein, 4 carbs Ingredients: 2 ripe avocados the juice of 1/2 lime (or more to taste) 1 small garlic clove, grated 1 T fresh c

Grilled Asparagus Salad with Fried Quail Eggs

The Baltimore Farmer’s Market was beaming with pride as the stalls opened for the season on Sunday morning, and it has good reason to be prideful. It was recently voted #1 Farmer’s Market in the nation by Country Living. Since it was 7:00 am after a long night out I was appropriately armed with coffee, sun glasses, and hippy-ass reusable tote bags. Asparagus has been in the forefront of my thoughts since eating a memorably crisp asparagus salad at Woodberry Kitchen . When I saw a pile of garden-fresh spears I couldn’t resist getting a few bundles for the week as well as my fair share of blue kale, foraged mushrooms, spinach, organic quail eggs, ramps, and a multitude of other goodies. It is going to be a wonderfully food-filled week. Grilled Asparagus Salad with Fried Quail Eggs utilizes many of the seasonal ingredients I scored at the market. It’s only lightly seasoned to give the ingredients the stage. Fresh tarragon is laced throughout and the yolk from the gently fried

The Gathering: Baltimore's Food Truck Rally

Baltimore, with its big city grit and artistic underbelly, was destined to become an integral part of the Food Truck Nation. Over the last few years, gourmet food trucks have been popping up everywhere from LA to Austin, but mobile catering has been around since the beginning of times. Coupled with the weakened economy and people’s undying need for great street food, we find ourselves at a fortunate cross road. We can eat gourmet food on the street. Lucky us. Talented chefs and savvy business people are all getting with the trend. The newest generation of food trucks are classing it up and getting experimental with menu items like crab fries and Korean tacos. Baltimore’s food truck scene has grown over the last two years, and The Gathering propels the movement forward by forming a food truck rally that competes on a national scale. Lamb vindaloo? Check. Fish tacos? Check. Creamy soft serve and pretty cupcakes? Check. This all happens within a small city

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