If you are looking to stock up on goodies for your Fourth of July celebrations check out the 2 Farmer’s markets happening on Saturday morning: The Cowtown and The New Public Market.

Every Saturday you will find plenty of fresh produce at The Cowtown Farmer’s Market from 8AM – Noon. Last Saturday there were plenty of delicious peaches available. Along with that I saw leeks, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, blueberries, plums, apricots, and blackberries. This is just a sampling of the fresh produce available, check out The Cowtown Farmer’s Market website for a full list of available produce.

In addition you’ll find jarred preserves and salsas, Coffee and Tea from Aduro Bean and Leaf, bread from Artisan Baking Company, Cheese from Latte Da Dairy, soaps and bath products, cut flowers, tamales, and even dog treats.

The New Public Market takes place once a month. It’s current location is at 4600 Dexter Avenue from 8am until sold out. On my last visit the produce selection was not as large as what you’ll find at The Cowtown Farmer’s Market but there were plenty of other great products. Take a look at their vendor list for full details on the products available.

The Honeybee Guild has a variety of products available and they even have live honeybees for you to observe. Look for the guy in the bee suit and he’ll answer just about any question you’ve ever had had about honey and bees.

Brazos Valley Cheese had a booth at the New Public Market and we were won over by the unique flavors of the Rosemary Garlic Jack and the Gouda. They give out samples so you can see if you like the flavors before you buy.

Check out the beautiful soaps from Soap Addict. I love my oatmeal soap I got from them last month – it has a nice exfoliating effect. They also have a bargain bag filled with all their leftover odds and ends – a great way to save a few bucks.

This next go round I’ll definitely be picking up some olive oil from the Texas Olive Ranch.

Cowtown Farmer’s Market
Saturday 8AM – Noon and also Wednesday 8AM – Noon
3821 Southwest Blvd. (parking lot of Edelweiss Restaurant)
Fort Worth 76116
Fresh Line: 817.462.1426
Twitter: cowtownfm

The New Public Market
First Market day – Saturday May 15th
8 am until sold out (or 4 pm)
Into the Garden parking lot
4600 Dexter Avenue, Fort Worth, Texas
(near the corner of Camp Bowie and Hulen)

Kick off the Fourth of July Weekend with First Friday at The Modern from 5Pm – 8PM.  Enjoy the specialty cocktail, The Firefly, and music from The Tom Reynolds Trio.  This is a fun event and a casual way to enjoy the exhibits at The Modern.  Cafe Modern is also open for dinner and reservations are no longer necessary.  Chef Dena Peterson features seasonal and local ingredients in many of her featured dishes.

Magnolia at The Modern- Mic Macs
Friday 6 and 8 pm, Saturday 5 pm, Sunday NO SCREENING
Tickets are $8.50, $6.50 for Modern members. Advance sales begin two hours prior to the show.
I saw a preview for Mic Macs last weekend and it looks highly entertaining. The film is from the same director who brought us Amelie (one of my all time favorite movies) and it looks to have the same quirky and endearing elements. But then again I’m no film critic, here’s what The Modern has to say about the film:

A David-and-Goliath tale, Micmacs is the story of a man and his friends who come up with an intricate plan to destroy two big weapons manufacturers.
R, for some sexuality and brief violence; 105 minutes

Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
3200 Darnell Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76107
817.738.9215

As part of my Magnolia Avenue Restaurant Series, I thought I’d start with the newest restaurant to grace Magnolia Avenue in Fort Worth – Ellerbe Fine Foods.

Ellerbe Fine Foods

The Vibe
This former filling station on Magnolia Avenue has been transformed into an airy, casually urban space with rustic touches.  The patio feels like a relaxing front porch that invites you to stay with colorful chairs and large fans to keep you cool on warm evenings.  The interior dining space evokes simple sophistication with white tablecloths and clean lines.

The Food
Seasonal ingredients from local and regional producers find their place on the menu at Ellerbe Fine Foods.  Ellerbe’s fills the Fine Dining niche on Magnolia so the prices are higher compared to the other restaurants on this street but completely worth it.  With write-ups in Gourmet, high praise from the Fort Worth Star Telegram, and 4 1/2 stars from the Dallas Morning News – Ellerbe’s deserves a visit.

The thoughtfully planned out menu highlights the best qualities of these ingredients.  Deborah’s Farmstead Chevre, produced in Fort Worth, is a delicious standout in a number of into menu. The Summer Melon and Deborah’s Farmstead Chevre featured this beautiful artisanal cheese.  The constantly changing menu accommodates available produce and ingredients.

The Service
The staff will knowledgeably explain all the ingredients and their origins.  Even in the midst of a busy dinner service the waiters maintain their composure and ensure that you are well taken care of.  You will appreciate thoughtful attention to small details such as a black napkin for patrons wearing dark colors to avoid leaving lint.

Eat This
The Homegrown Tomato Salad lives up to the name with luscious Carter Farm’s tomato wedges drizzled in rich buttermilk dressing and accompanied by a creamy Brazos Valley Blue Cheese and crunchy Hush Puppy croutons.

Brie Crostini and Bella Vista Truffle Oil make the Roasted Cauliflower Soup positively luxurious.

The Curried Lamb Chops were given just a tease of curry, which keeps the rich lamb flavor dominant.

Seasonal ingredients shine in deserts such as a Texas Peach and Prosecco Semifreddo.

If you’re looking for a down home, sticky sweet desert the Maw Maw Bread pudding is the way to go.

Desert paired with a pot of French Press coffee completes the upscale, Southern dining experience.

Ellerbe Fine Foods
1501 W. Magnolia Avenue
Fort Worth, TX 76104
817.926.3663

Start your weekend off right by checking out The Cowtown Farmer’s Market. You’ll find a beautiful bounty of produce and artisinal products. An early arrival will ensure that you get your hands on the freshest produce in town – none of it has traveled more than 150 miles and it is unloaded right from the farmer’s truck. In addition to seasonal fruits and vegetables, there’s more exotic fare to choose from such as Israel Melons, figs, and baby eggplant. I’ve enjoyed all the produce that I’ve gotten at the market and I don’t know where you could get a better tasting tomato or a sweeter melon.

Artisan Baking Company’s breads are one of the main reasons you should try to get to the market early. Artisan Baking Company’s assortment of breads, scones, biscotti, muffins, cookies, and granola sell out quickly. I haven’t had a chance to sample everything but the zucchini bread is simply the best. I couldn’t stop eating the moist and delicious bread and quickly devoured half a loaf. I don’t advocate overindulging, but I do recommend picking up some of their baked goodies.

Now if you have a love affair or addicition for coffee you must stop by the Aduro Bean Micro Roasters Booth for fresh roasted, artisinal coffee beans. If you like a light roast, the Nutty Blonde is flavorful without being overpowering. The Guatemalan Blend’s medium roast is my current favorite. If you want COFFEE, The Cowtown Blend delivers a dark, rich, and strong flavor.

While you are there, be sure to sample some of the locally produced, award winning goat cheese by Latte Da Dairy. I visited the day after they won first place at The American Cheese Society competition for the Latte da Feta with kalamata olives. One taste and it’s clear why it won, creamy with a little sharpness from the olives.

Laden with bread, coffee, and produce, I stumbled past some beautiful cut flowers and gathered up some zinnias for a simple arrangement. A bargain at 80 cents a stem! They made a beautiful centerpiece on my table.

You’ll also find handmade soaps, dog treats, plants, jams and jellies. On the way out don’t forget to buy some tamales and salsa, they make for a great lunch. The Cowtown Farmer’s Market website lists all the available products.

With all the freshly grown and artisinally produced items available at The Cowtown Farmer’s Market it’s easy to become a locavore. Locavore simply means that you pay attention to where your food comes from and purchase locally grown or produced foods whenever possible. Take a look at the menus at several Fort Worth restaurants and you can see the locavore movement taking hold with chefs increasingly showcasing local ingredients. Food trendiness aside, local foods simply taste better because they haven’t been trucked in thousands of miles to get to you. Additionally you are supporting your local farming community in a very direct way. So set those alarm clocks early! And don’t forget your eco-friendly totes and cash.

Cowtown Farmer’s Market
Saturday 8AM – Noon and also Wednesday 8AM – Noon
3821 Southwest Blvd. (parking lot of Edelweiss Restaurant)
Fort Worth 76116
Fresh Line: 817.462.1426
Twitter: cowtownfm

The Parker County Peach Festival happens every July in Weatherford, this year the festival was held on July 12th.  The promise of peach slushies and ice cream helped lure my kids to the festival.  I was anticipating getting my hands on some serious peach cobbler.

The festival occurs under the watchful eye of the beautiful Parker County Courthouse.  The surrounding historic town square is a great venue for the festivities.  There were plenty of vendors surrounding the square selling peach treats, festival food, as well as a variety of other tchotchkes.

The promised peach slushie helped cool us off as the day was starting to get wicked hot.  With a peach ice cream chaser, the kids were sufficiently sugared up to tolerate us checking out the rest of the festival.

And then we found the cobbler.  Wow!  So worth the drive.  The cobbler had the perfect peach to crust ratio, which is key.  The sweet peaches were perfection swimming in their sugary syrup and the crust was wonderfully flaky (you could tell it was baked with love and butter, lots of butter).  As if all that wasn’t  enough, it was topped off with cinnamon ice cream.  I almost didn’t get any pictures because I didn’t want the ice cream to melt before I could get my paws on it.

Speaking of melting it didn’t take long for the hot day to quell the sugar high my kids were on.  Drinking peach tea in the shade on the square was a lovely but brief respite.

After checking out the goods offered by all the vendors we left the festival with some peach salsa and a bag full of peaches.  Oh, and a wooden slingshot -  not sure if that was a wise purchase for a 6 year old.

Next blog: What to do with a bag full of peaches.