This cozy and pleasant market draws shoppers from around Harvard Square. Vendors set up their stands on the plaza between the Charles Hotel and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
A portion of this plaza is devoted to an ice skating rink during winter. But come the warmer months, a bevy of local farmers and small-scale food producers sell their goods here. It attracts a local crowd plus tourists, particularly those who spin out of the revolving door at the Charles Hotel. I do my normal routine of walking the entire market (it doesn’t take long, this is a small market) before deciding what I’ll purchase. This Sunday I picked up a bouquet of flowers from Stow Greenhouses;
strawberries, rhubarb and raspberries from Kimball Fruit Farms;
organic salad greens and herbs from Grateful Farm;
and two loaves of cheddar-pepper bread from Hi-Rise Bakery (it gets gobbled fast in our home).
I sampled exotically flavored roasted almonds from Q’s Nuts (so-called “nut artisans”) and decided to try a tall jar of Valicenti Organico’s “Red Gravy” tomato-basil sauce and homemade cracked pepper pasta swirls (I’m in a peppery mood, I guess), even though it meant lugging home a heavy bag.
I’ll try the pasta & sauce for dinner tonight, and I suspect the sore shoulder where the bag strap dented my skin was worth it. During summer and fall, this market is open Sundays from 10-3 and Friday noon-6.
Related Links:
Farmers’ Market at Harvard