A Visit to the Riverplace Market

New to the Riverplace courtyard this year is the Riverplace Market, open 3p-7p Wednesdays thru September 28. It's a beautiful setting for an outdoor market - the cobblestone, the river, the water fountain. We wandered over there this past steamy Wednesday to check it out.  It's a good thing I brought a canvas bag with me.

There's a different food truck onsite each week. On June 22 it was Turbo Taco.

Musicians from McNally Smith provide background music each week.

We picked up a bag of Honeycrisp apple chips from Brand Farms out of Farmington. Great snack for the office.

Check out the cheeky names of these cheeses from The Lone Grazer Creamery.

I picked up some baby cukes from Untiedt's Vegetable Farm - the first of the season for me.  What a treat!

Creature Comfort Hot Sauce offers some fun flavors, including a sweet carrot-based version.

Roasted nuts from Isadore Nut Co. are a hit-the-spot snack or fun gift.

We were happy to see Dorothy of HeathGlen’s Farm and Kitchen. She's an award-winning master of jellies, jams, syrups and sauces. My favorite is Romesco - wow, just wow.  And, please, don't get me started on the Harissa!

Local artisans from the A-Mill Artist Lofts were selling natural sodas, designer cookies, sterling silver jewelry and sassy greeting cards (the best kind!).  I picked up some earrings by Lynn Soetebier of Wyrd Sisters Shop for Christmas, but they're so darn cute I don't think I can wait that long to give them as a gift.

We sampled oils, vinegars, and seasoned salts, peppers and sugars from Annona Gourmet. A jar of sweet onion flavored cane sugar came home with us.  I'm thinking it will work well with grilled veggies, or in a marinade or an Asian sauce.

Here's something you don't see every day (or ever, considering we're in the Midwest): Microgreens and pet grass grown with ocean water. According to Minnesota Microgreens owner Chad Martin, their GMO-free, organic greens are fertilized with pure ocean water - "Ocean Solution" - which contains every mineral in the periodic table. Chad's adorable son informed me that he likes basil. Love it!

Hard decision at the Curt’s Special Recipe booth - Salsa, BBQ Sauce or Bloody Mary Mix? BBQ Sauce won. Riverplace Market shoppers can take advantage of a Frequent Buyers Club card - get a stamp for each jar purchased, and once you hit six stamps you'll get the seventh jar free.

Sometimes you come across something you didn't know you couldn't live without. Dave fell in love with the Man Cave Craft Meats' "Buffalo Wing Style with Bleu Cheese" bratwurst.

Regrettably, we missed a few booths.  You'll just need to make a trip yourself - check out everything the Riverplace Market has to offer.  :)