Not quite a year ago, I almost moved to Oak Park. And now, even though I think it was the right decision not to go, every now and then, I think of what it might have been like to live there, especially when I have weekends like this last one.
Saturday morning, I met my friend/once-roommate Katie at the Oak Park Farmers Market and tasted fresh, homemade donuts at the Pilgrim Church and bought a huge green pepper for $0.75 and drank the best apple cider I’ve ever had. (No, really, it was like drinking a pure, fresh-picked apple.)
The day was a cool, jacket-weather kind, and everywhere I looked were children covered in powdered sugar, bites of donuts crumbling around their mouths.
Since I couldn’t bring you with me, I thought you might enjoy a few pictures:
About the donuts: These home-baked goods are what brought me to this market in the first place, after I read someone’s comment on Joy the Baker’s Great Doughnut Hunt. Obviously, then, they were the first thing I looked for when I arrived.
My brother and I got there first, so, when Katie came, I told her I was sorry only one kind (the cinnamon sugar) was left in our box of a dozen.
I had assumed the cake version would be boring and the powdered sugar too sweet and only gotten one of each of those. Big mistake.
Trust me: they’re all delicious, but pace yourself. There are a lot of things to try, and, you don’t want to miss anything.
Oak Park Farmers Market
460 Lake St
Oak Park, IL 60302
Contact Number: 708.358.5780
E-mail: farmersmarket@oak-park.us
About Shanna Mallon
Shanna Mallon is a freelance writer who holds an MA in writing from DePaul University. Her work has been featured in a variety of media outlets, including The Kitchn, Better Homes & Gardens, Taste of Home, Houzz.com, Foodista, Entrepreneur, and Ragan PR. In 2014, she co-authored The Einkorn Cookbook with her husband, Tim. Today, you can find her digging into food topics and celebrating the everyday grace of eating on her blog, Go Eat Your Bread with Joy. Shanna lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with Tim and their two small kids.
hmmm! i love going to the Farmer’s market! there’s just something about the atmosphere: festive and the choices… i went to the farmer’s market early yesterday morning too and it was cold! but i grabbed some fresh fried mini donuts that were sooooo divine… 30 minutes later i had a week’s worth of groceries for under $15. thanks for sharing your pictures!
Beautiful pictures. Looks like you’re having fun playing with your new, shiny camera! 🙂
Lan: This was actually my first farmers’ market, officially. (There was another this summer, in the middle of Chicago’s Gold Coast, but I don’t think that counts because I came by accident and because I was too hot to enjoy it). I think I will be a loyal fan of markets from now on.
Jacqui Thanks! I LOOOVE it! 🙂
What gorgeous pictures. Those sunflowers are amazing. I love farmers markets. We have one in Priddis, just outside of Calgary and the cars are lined up for miles.
Yum. You just reminded me that I have to look up a recipe for apple cider doughnuts to try. Those were always my favorite we’d get from this little shop in Jersey. And, I must look into buying some sunflowers this week. They make me happy!! 🙂
Raina: Thanks! And how incredible about the cars lining up for miles for your market!
Nealy: Oh, you’ll have to tell me how you like it! And I agree–sunflowers are gorgeous. It was all I could do to hold myself back from grabbing a bunch of fresh flowers to take home.
Love the shot of the raspberries! What a great farmers’ market experience!!
Tartelette: Thank you so much for stopping by!
I found your website through your sweet potato gnocchi recipe and was browsing around before I stumbled on to this post. I grew up in Oak Park and have great childhood memories of begging my parents to let me get a donut (or better yet, two: one powdered and one cinnamon-sugar). Thank you for documenting the market and all the beautiful products they offer! Summer can’t come soon enough…
PS: it’s still, to this day, the best cider I’ve ever had.
Nora! Lucky you, growing up in Oak Park.. one of the prettiest Chicago suburbs by far. Love hearing about your farmers market memories. Thanks for sharing here! -s