I’ve written about mushrooms a lot, but haven’t properly introduced our source: The Mushroom Stand, or Mother Earth Organics from Pennsylvania. Ferial Welsh, better known as The Mushroom Lady, can be found each week at FRESHFARM Penn Quarter or Dupont Circle patiently explaining the difference between her numerous mushroom varieties and offering cooking instructions. I first seek out the stand in early spring for those coveted wild morels, but the cultivated mushrooms are available nearly year-round. More frequently, we buy my son’s favorite, tiny honey mushrooms. But shitake, maitake and others make an occasional appearance on our dinner table as well.

Try The Mushroom Stand’s mushrooms in some of these favorite recipes:

• polenta al funghi (with honey mushrooms)
• stir-fried wood ear mushrooms
• turkey chanterelle pot pie
• braised lamb shanks and trumpet mushrooms via FireFly Farms

Find The Mushroom Stand at FRESHFARM‘s Dupont Circle and Penn Quarter markets, and at the Falls Church Farmers Market.

PS Obviously that is not a recent photo… but I couldn’t resist a flashback to cooler times as we suffer through 100 degree days here in DC this week.

We had such a blast at the FRESHFARM Markets’ 15th anniversary bash yesterday at Dupont Circle. There were scrumptious eats from some of our favorite farmers and restaurants — the foodie tot was especially pleased to catch up with her personal pickle purveyor, Sarah of Gordy’s Pickle Jar. The boy loved watching the giant paella created by Jaleo/Think Food Group. There were crab cakes picked on the spot by the Hyatt Chesapeake. Fabulous Pleasant Pops to keep cool — their blueberry pancake was every bit as awesome as it sounds. And the kids loved rocking to local bluegrass band Newgrass Effect, too.

During the cake cutting ceremony, local politicians, including Councilmember Jack Evans and a representative from the DC Department of the Environment, lauded FRESHFARM Markets for their impact on the community. Chef Nora Pouillon, founder of the first certified organic restaurant in the country who inspired the creation of FRESHFARM Markets, remarked, “We never imagined it would be so big and so wonderful, and have so many farmers.” Chef Ris Lacoste, of Ris, noted that she spent $30,000 on market produce for her restaurant last year. Founding market farmers Bev Eggleston (Eco-Friendly Foods) and Mark Toigo (Toigo Orchards) were among the farmers on hand, too.

But enough chit chat, here’s a slideshow of the fun. The FoodieTots look forward to spending the next 15 years with you, FRESHFARM! (And hey, they’ll be old enough to volunteer for the 30th anniversary party.)

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Farm two in our FRESHFARM Markets Week is Toigo Orchards of Shippensburg, Pa. Of all our local market vendors, Toigo is probably most likely to be a household name. Not only do they appear at a dozen markets around town, their produce is on the menu at Clyde’s and other restaurants and you can find their applesauce, pear butter and bloody mary mix — even fresh produce, in season — at local MOMs and Whole Foods grocery stores.

I first met Mark Toigo at a Slow Food DC dinner in 2008, but the Toigo family has been farming at Toigo since 1972. They practice Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which emphasizes natural and eco-friendly pest prevention. With over 21,000 apple trees (450 acres of fruit), they offer plenty of variety each fall and my foodie tots have always enjoyed their generous samples at market as they select their apples each week.

In addition to the apples, peaches and tomatoes Toigo is known and loved for, you can also find extra special items like quince and chestnuts, in season. And cherries, stone fruit, pears, the cutest pickling cucumbers, honey and more.

Try our peach tomato panzanella with some of Toigo’s fresh fruit this summer — you won’t be disappointed. Or, try Clyde’s Peach Cobbler with Cornmeal Biscuit Topping or Emeril’s Roasted Toigo Pears with Honey and Goat Cheese.

Find Toigo Orchards at FRESHFARM markets at Crystal City, Dupont Circle, Penn Quarter, and the White House, and the Del Ray, Arlington, Falls Church, Glover Park, Reston, Bethesda Central, Columbia Pike or Takoma Park farmers markets.

The capital’s own FRESHFARM Markets is celebrating their 15th anniversary this weekend. Led by co-founders Ann Yonkers and Bernadine Prince, the now 11-market network in the metro Washington area (DC, Maryland and Virginia) has been promoting “local food with a face, a place and a name” throughout the Chesapeake foodshed since July 4, 1997. Alice Waters herself shops the original Dupont Circle FRESHFARM market when she’s in town, and local chefs proudly feature FRESHFARM farmers on their menus all across town. There will be an official celebration Sunday, July 15, at Dupont. Leading up to the big day, we here at FoodieTots are going to introduce just a few of our favorite FRESHFARM producers — the farmers we know by name and whose products grace our table every week.

Up first is Smith Meadows of Berryville, Va. You see, I believe in meat. I support Meatless Monday not because I’m anti-meat, but because I believe we should think before we consume it. And when we do, it should be healthful meat raised with care by farmers who are dedicated to the environment. Grassfed meat is richer in nutrients, leaner, and free of GMO feed and other bad things that come from feedlot meat.

Smith Meadows is an eighth-generation family farm that converted from conventional farming to natural methods in 1989. Farmer Forrest Pritchard practices rotational grazing of the farm’s cows, lambs, pigs, turkeys and chickens on pasture that is never treated with chemical pesticides or fertilizers.

Nancy Pritchard makes fresh pasta each week from their free range eggs, organic flour and herbs, produce and cheese either from their own or other local farms {lemon verbena pasta pictured below}. Smith Meadows’ eggs are often the first to sell out at the market. We’ve enjoyed their brisket, pork, turkey, lamb and much more over the years.

You can find Smith Meadows each week at FRESHFARM Dupont Circle — and at the Del Ray Farmers Market in Alexandria, Arlington and Falls Church markets.

(You can learn more about what it takes to run a farm like Smith Meadows on Farmer Forrest’s blog or find them on Facebook. You know we’re on Facebook, too, right? Get all our latest posts, and more, right in your news feed.)

The younger foodie tot and I stopped by the H Street NE FreshFarm Market last weekend to finally scope out one of the few markets on the east side of town. At a new location this season (on 13th at H St., NE) , it’s a great little neighborhood market with some well-known vendors (Atwater’s Bakery, Quaker Valley Orchard and Keswick Creamery) as well as ones I’d yet to shop with. And, the fabulous new Gordy’s Pickle Jar was there as well. Made in the District, their Sweet Chips have already won an award at the International Pickle Festival (yes, there really is such a thing) — and, won over a new fan in the foodie tot as well. (I loved their Thai Basil Jalapeños and will be back for a jar of them next.)

The balloon artist was there as part of the Food Revolution Day festivities (we unfortunately missed the cooking demo) — while our ladybug was adorable, the little girl ahead of us took home a ballerina in a pink tutu modeled after herself. So cute!

I don’t think I have to tell you that asparagus and strawberries are the stars of the season at market right now. We also found beautiful red rhubarb as tall as the toddler and delicious Red Russian Kale. And for all your upcoming pie needs, Cedarbrook Farm sells lard. If you live on the Hill, or are just looking for a more mellow (and kid-friendly) market experience than Dupont Circle in the summer, give H Street a try.

(And after, stop by SOVA for an Intelligentsia coffee treat for mom and dad. The front window seat is perfect for toddler people watching.)

H Street NE FreshFarm Market
at 13th St. & H St., NE
Saturdays, April 21 – November 17
9am – 12noon