Portland Farmer’s Market

My first visit to Portland happened last week over the long Veteran’s Day weekend and I have been officially cast under it’s spell.  I visited Boston a few falls ago and I have to say that the fall colors in Oregon out shined-at least my memory-the colors in and around Boston.  My family and I stayed with some friends in a small town outside Portland called Newberg.  I expected rain most of our stay but it ended up hovering around 60 degrees with sunny skies.  We went on a countryside bike ride, walked around the town of Newberg, made a day-trip to Portland for my husband’s birthday and lastly the old town of Carlton, known for it’s wine tasting.  Carlton is nestled in the hills of Western Oregon, halfway between Portland and the coast.  It was incorporated in 1899 and there are over 40 wineries doing business within it’s city limits.  Half the town is dedicated to wine tasting, which says a lot when it’s only about one small street.

One of my personal highlights from the trip was a quick stop at Portland’s Farmer’s Market, held on Saturdays outdoors.  It’s the largest farmer’s market I’ve ever been to, set against the serene and peaceful backdrop of gorgeous fall trees.

We bought some broccoli romanesco, which was first documented in Italy and tastes more like cauliflower than broccoli. My husband joked that it was broccoli in weaponized form.  I’ve never seen it in Southern California but apparently it grows well in the north west.

The vegetable stands went as far as I could see, with the largest, most vibrant vegetables.

And of course we couldn’t leave without some treats.

If you could dream something to be at your ideal farmer’s market, it was at this one.  Homemade salami, mushrooms, all types of baked goods, and an amazing array of veggies.

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