Farmers' markets are a wonderful thing: politically, ecologically, economically, and gastronomically correct. We love the idea of them; we love the quality product we can get at them.
What we don't do is shop a whole lot at them. After all, most farmers' markets are open only on weekends, usually just Saturdays, and shut down in early afternoon. If you're not really committed to shopping your
local market and can't plan out a week's worth of menus in advance,
chances are you're not often going to bound out of bed first thing
Saturday morning to face the markets' inevitable crowds and parking
hassles after a long week in the salt mines.
Ah, but what if
you could get excellent-quality fruits and greens and veggies from
local farmers at a plain, cheery, unpretentious place that's not only
open from morning to evening seven days a week but is also easy to get
to and park at?
That's
the deal at the new Harvest Time Market at Hypoluxo Road and Military
Trail in Lake Worth. The product of four men with long ties to local
agriculture, Harvest Time is 32 acres of farmland, a strawberry u-pick
site (with another for tomatoes coming in two to three weeks), and a
pair of barn-red buildings where Harvest Time's own produce and items
from other local growers is sold. Think of it as a farmers' market with
all the convenience of your local Publix.
A quick trip
through Harvest Time is good news for locavores or anyone who just
wants good, fresh food to eat. Tomatoes are in short supply now, but
there's an abundance of other fruits and veggies: fat globe eggplant,
fist-sized red and green cabbages, red and yellow onions, milky-white
Florida onions, oranges and apples and grapefruits, a few lettuces and
herbs, plus sweet peppers and a colorful assortment of hot and mild
chilies.
They
also sell their own Harvest Time O.J. -- fresh-squeezed, unpasteurized
-- that makes any other orange juice taste like it was pressed from
moldy gym socks. Prices are reasonable too, especially when you
consider the quality, which makes being politically, ecologically, and
gastronomically correct easy and affordable.
