Louisville has a vast and fruitful (excuse the pun) selection of farmers markets around town. Earlier this summer, we published our 2016 Guide to Farmers Markets for the entire city to get out and try all the various markets here. They definitely all have different personalities and specialties. One thing many of them have in common, though, is delicious food — some of it pre-prepared, some of it made to order. You could feasibly go the farmers markets and not buy one piece of produce, instead only eating breakfast or lunch as we have been doing this month. SB team members have spread out to sample the different great eats at Louisville farmers markets, and we have returned full and happy. Here’s what we sampled, scoped out and recommend.
Bardstown Road Farmers Market
1722 Bardstown Road, Louisville, KY 40205 • (502) 220-0947
Hours: January through March, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.; April through December, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Open: Saturdays, year-round
More info: bardstownroadfarmersmarket.com
This farmers market on Bardstown Road is a biggie, not in size per se but in clientele. Set up in a small parking lot, this market is so popular that they are open year-round — a hard task to do during a Kentucky winter. There is a lot of food to buy and to eat, all while listening to sounds of live music playing at the front of the parking lot.
We sampled a farm fresh omelet from Harvest owner Ivor Chodkowski made with vegetables from his personal farm, Field Day Family Farm. The Field Day Family Farm booth is set up next to the omelet station, so the chef just picks out his fillings from there and cooks them up. During our visit Ivor made fresh omelets over Blue Dog bread filled with Dreamcatcher Farm’s sausage, Kenny’s Farmhouse cheese, kale stems, kale, black beans, roasted potatoes, onion blossoms, white onion and dill. Dreamcatcher Farm and Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheeses are both available at the market as well.
There are wonderful pre-made baked goods here too, from muffins and lavash to individual sweet and savory tarts.
Farm-fresh omelets from Harvest owner Ivor Chodkowski and his Field Day Family Farm
Ivor is making each one of these omelets especially for you on Saturdays.
The finished product with a blueberry tea … delicious!
My table mate let me take a picture of this scrumptious muffin, which appeared to be blueberry crunch … he wasn’t sure. Regardless, he told me it was great!
Roasted vegetable and cheese tarts
Douglass Loop Farmers Market
2005 Douglass Blvd., Louisville, KY 40205 • (812) 968-3693
Hours: Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Open: March through December
More info: douglassloopfarmersmarket.com
Douglass Loop Farmers Market is just up the road from the Bardstown Road Farmers Market, and it starts two hours later and ends later as well. It’s the farmers market for those who like to sleep in! People rave about the pretzel bread found there, and we spotted it immediately when we saw the longest line. Next to the bakery is a made-to-order breakfast sandwich and sandwich grill, serving up great meat and eggs on this notorious bread.
Grilling the eggs, brats, peppers and onions for this yummy sandwich on pretzel bread.
The meat and veggies await a perfectly fried egg on the top.
Kentucky Kombucha was there as well; be sure to stop and sample ALL of the flavors there. This kombucha is light and tangy with flavors such as jasmine, lemongrass, ginger and black tea. It’s so popular that it’s on tap at Ramsi’s and Proof on Main.
Iced cold Kentucky Kombucha awaits you!
Jeffersontown Farmers Market at Sunny Acres
10434 Watterson Trail City Pavilion, Jeffersontown, KY 40299 • (502) 267-8333
Hours: 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Open: Saturdays, May through October 29
More info: jeffersontownky.gov
The Jeffersontown Farmers Market has an assortment of breakfast staples. We tried the sausage biscuit and the burrito, which was loaded with eggs and just the right amount of spicy sausage. The biscuits were light and fluffy, and the sausage was cooked perfectly. They also had salsas, pickles and other jarred goodies to take home. We were thankful for the shady picnic tables to enjoy our hot breakfast on a very HOT day.
Breakfast burrito loaded with eggs and spicy sausage
SB intern-in-training, Charlie, loved his sausage biscuit.
While we were not there for cake, Marcy Mae’s Petite Cakes lured us in for a sample. Similar to petit fours, the petite cakes were delicious — we tried the lemon and chocolate. When our SB interns-in-training, Will and Charlie, tasted the chocolate, we asked if it was so good that it melted in their mouth. After a blank stare, one stated “No, I chewed it.” A box of six came home with us.
Marcy Mae’s Petit Cakes are melt-in-your-mouth good.
Westport Road Baptist Church Farmers Market
9705 Westport Road, Louisville, KY 40241 • (502) 425-2350
Hours: 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Open: Saturdays, April through October
More info: mywrbc.org
When you pull up to the Westport Road Farmers Market, you can’t help but notice the giant smoker parked near the booths. The smell is enough to get your mouth watering and your stomach growling even if you just ate lunch. The sandwich is good — and even better when you add BBQ sauce. Once you take your first bite, you will find yourself contemplating buying a pound and taking it home for dinner. You definitely can’t leave the farmers market without trying some of this smoked pork.
You can smell the smoker when you pull into the parking lot!
We ate this after we’d ALREADY EATEN LUNCH. That’s how good it is!
Nanny’s Chow Chow relish can be found at this market, and it’s a recipe that has been in this family for 150 years. Gloria Brownlee makes it right here in Louisville, with a perfect mix of tomatoes, cabbage and onions, among other fresh local veggies. We love eating it on a chip or cracker, but it’s good enough to eat right off the spoon! (We did not eat off these spoons though.)
Nanny’s Chow Chow relish comes from a recipe that is 150 years old.
St. Matthews Farmers’ Market
Beargrass Christian Church
4100 Shelbyville Rd., Louisville, KY 40207 • (502) 896-1161
Hours: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Open: Saturdays, May 14 through October 8
More info: smfarmersmarket.com
This farmers market is always hopping — like the Bardstown Road ones — complete with a party atmosphere and live music. As for the food, you could spend hours there just eating. The longest line was for the breakfast burritos, filled with chorizo, egg, cheese, beans and salsa. They’re simple, delicious and only $5.
Breakfast burritos with egg, chorizo, beans, cheese and salsa are very popular with this crowd.
Gallrein Farms, a place that many of us go to pick pumpkins and seasonal fruit, has its kettle corn popping fresh and hot. They blaze through bags of this because customers of all ages are completely addicted to its salty-sweet flavor.
Gallrein Farms has its famous kettle corn.
Fresh baked goods are all around the market. We spotted many people in line for a burrito as they munched on a croissant or scone. That’s a pretty tasty appetizer!
Eating a croissant while waiting in line for your breakfast burrito is brilliant!
And what would a meal be without dessert, especially Gelato Gilberto? They were scooping up all their favorites and their seasonal delights when we were there.
Chocolate gelato from Gelato Gilberto … yum!!
We are full, fat and totally happy after sampling all this delicious food over the past few Saturdays. Get out and try the amazing options for yourself — and make sure to tell them StyleBlueprint sent you!
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