Category > Local Bites
Those who shop our Market at the Square, held Saturday mornings at the corners of Illinois and Vine in Urbana, know that it is a fantastic source for fresh, seasonal and local foods. But those new to East Central Illinois this fall might not realize what a great social scene our little market provides. Thousands of local patrons show up every Saturday to buy vegetables from arguably the richest soil on earth, sustainably raised meat and eggs, baked goods …
| Everyone had a great day at the Market on the Square last Saturday. The sun was shining and although it was a little hot later in the day, shoppers packed the aisles and kept farmers and vendors busy throughout. This coming Saturday looks like great weather again and we can expect plenty of watermelons and cantaloupe as well as all of the great grilling vegetables, including zucchini, peppers and eggplant. Corn, heirloom tomatoes, green beans, beets, potatoes, herbs, onions …
Upon returning from a long vacation, I was pleased to find the Market on the Square well into pepper season. Browsing the aisles I noted the stunning number of varieties you can find in our little market. Peppers are native to America and come in a wide range of colors and flavors from mild and sweet to wickedly hot and spicy. In general, peppers are divided into three categories, and our market well represents.
Urbana’s Sweet Corn Festival isn’t for another three weeks but that doesn’t mean we can’t start celebrating. We don’t grow much sweet corn here in Illinois; as a matter of fact, of the millions of acres of corn planted on all four sides of Champaign-Urbana, and across the state, only a fraction is suitable for human consumption. So eat all the local corn you can this summer, as it is a precious commodity. If you’ve never picked up corn …
Every time I think I know what to expect at Market at the Square, someone shows up with something new. Case in point: early orange plums from Jeff Meyer of Villa Grove. Last Saturday, I bought a quart for five dollars and they were well-worth the cash. Sweet and slightly tart, these little orange beauties made a great little tart perfectly paired with vanilla ice cream — definitely summer at its best.
Last Saturday was the worst weather in current market history. Heavy rains and strong wind gusts made the opening hour of the morning difficult for farmers and vendors who were holding on to their tents and protecting their goods. The rain didn’t end until 8:30 a.m., and several vendors packed it up and headed home calling the day an entire wash. (Pun intended.) Eventually the skies cleared, and patrons showed up in droves turning it into a pretty good …
I can’t tell you how many people in the last several weeks have commented about the organic salad greens from Blue Moon Farm. How much they have come to love and depend on a generous bag every week, how remarkably fresh and interesting they are, how they stay so fresh in the fridge, and how they are such a great deal compared to the lesser quality greens one finds in the grocery store. Jon Cherniss from Blue Moon takes …
Market at the Square has been shaping up nicely and every week it just gets better and better. Last week brought us fuzzy peaches, beautiful apricots and more cherries, raspberries, strawberries, gooseberries and blueberries. The folks at First Fruits had a mountainous display of sweet broccoli and cauliflower, along with a gorgeous stack of tri-colored beets that had my mouth watering. This coming Saturday market patrons can expect to find this year’s first apples and plums along with more …
Truth be told, I didn’t make it to the market last week. Only an event such as the marriage of dear friends can keep me away this time of year, and I am thankful to the Common Ground Co-op and a steady supply of goat cheese for getting me through the week. Broccoli, cauliflower, green beans and beets are some of my favorite vegetables — finally in season — and I cannot wait to start eating my fill. But …
Broccoli grown at Blue Moon Farm in Urbana. With the fear of sounding redundant, I must say that we had a great market again last Saturday. Beautiful weather, great produce and a ton of patrons — the vendors couldn’t have asked for a better day. This week, visitors to the market can expect to find many of the same vegetables we have seen over the past few weeks as well as raspberries, gooseberries, cherries, blueberries, broccoli, green beans, squash …
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Nice article, Emily! When I get to the CU area, I’ll be sure to give this place a try.
Sorry about the lack of address and hours. All I can say is duuuh
“...who aren’t so savvy with the google…“ You know, the way I’m not so savvy with the typing. That page I linked is one of the best things I’ve seen on the internet, though.
Yeah, I did a little googling and found it. I’d forgotten that there was finally something going into the Boston’s space. But when I was reading the article I was thinking that that kind of info would have been nice for the people who savvy with the google: http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/facebook_wants_to_be_your_one_true_login.php#comments
Mike — Here you are: http://champaign-taste.blogspot.com/2010/03/kaiyo-japanese-restaurant.html
I am embarrassed to say that I gorged on sushi at Kaiyó over the weekend. (Who wants to eat one more grain of vinegar-scented rice? Not I!) In any event, if you’re looking for quantity over quality, Kaiyó is the place to go. ...if you’re looking for…
Some basic info like location and hours would be awesome for articles like this.
The sushi has been great everytime I have been there. The rest of the food varied. I hope the uneveness is just growning pains because when it is all good the resturant is amazing. For the price you can always find something to eat that is tasty.…
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Foreigner had Double Vision, now that’s vision.. It is interesting today how diverse people’s music taste has become. Take 107.1 for instance, depending on what time of you’re listening to it you can hear indie, top 40 alternative, hip hop, and alt country all in the same block of…
In case you think I’m crazy and Obama loves you - http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/03/us-declassifies-part-of-secret-cybersecurity-plan/
YOU PEOPLE
“Evaporated.“ Never said that but cool…. Yes, I do know. But people have wanted to be Elvis for 60 years. And I think what is hipper these days is the switch around. Ya know, how every one in the band “kind of” plays “everything” and switches around…
Make a mental note now - This is for federal control of the internet. It will be phased in. There is a cybersecurity bill in congress right now. just watch…
i just found this article, and am so happy about it! mark is a wonderful person!!
*Shrugs*
Cheesy Computers with evaporated Beats and Samples may not be your taste and I can appreciate that…but in some cases they are born out of necessity. Do you know how hard it is to find a drummer these days? Do you know how hard it is to find…
Sometime between now and their first game in this year’s NIT, the Illini need to practice taking a shot before the game clock expires.
Can we please refrain from ever EVER comparing running a marathon to childbirth? Especially when the comparison is made by someone without a vagina? Kthx.
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I think we are in. But being blown out again by OSU might give the selection comittee doubts. I dunno anymore.
Mark: You raise some interesting points. I’m impressed by anyone who runs a marathon, no matter their finishing time. It’s the commitment people show to accomplishing a goal they set for themselves that impresses me most. A sign I saw at the Illinois Marathon last year along…
To get back to the show, if that’s allowed, we saw it last night. I know a lot about the films of the 30s and 40s and appreciated what Durang was trying to do, though some was pretty obvious and the ending was forced. A literal kitchen…
Every band in CU - I realize this is just a cheeky comment, but I wanted to respond anyway. I think this column is more about the scene and the support system than the bands themselves. The last thing I would ever want is for someone to…
Interesting article, John. I second your comments Doug. I’d really like to see the two of you do a Siskel & Ebert-style review of albums. Can SP make this happen? And if Noiseboy could reappear to DJ one day at Mike & Molly’s…
@Ty I think this article from last year is what you’re looking for: http://www.smilepolitely.com/food/talking_breakfast_at_the_market/ Enjoy!
Thank you SP editors for removing a not-so-nice word from Pope’s comment. I was just going to comment on it myself, wondering if we need an article titled “Down with the F-word”. John, very interesting read. Huzzah for well-written local music opinion.
Ok folks, now that its obvious the wonder bread, gas station eggs, and pasteurized processed cheese food can be marked up sufficiently enough to open two restaurants during a recession and in the same five year span, ya think we can be a little demanding? I’m all…
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I like Kaiyo A LOT, but at Sushi Kame (next to the art theatre) you can get an absolute shitload of good sushi, plus miso, and a bit of noodles in a vineagar cucumber salad for $21, and you know it was made just for you. I…