On Saturdays through mid-November, the Bushwick Farmers’ Market sets up a neat row of white tents along the Knickerbocker side of Maria Hernandez Park and is open for business from 9AM until 4PM. In addition to the local (and über-local) farm stands, there are some new vendors selling offbeat and super-tasty fare. We stopped by on a recent sunny Saturday to get an update on the old and a sample of the new at our very own local farmer’s market.
#1 Loncheria: Eat Fresh Ceviche
Loncheria was the most exciting find of our trip. This stand, helmed by good friends Emma Lipp and Laura Veit, serves up filling cemita breakfast sandwiches and big servings of fresh ceviche poured into plastic cups (perfect for eating while perusing the market). They both have a background in food service and became members of Mermaid’s Garden in Park Slope, a CSF, or community supported fishery, that’s open to the public and accepting members, “–so, we have an amazing fresh fish source,” Emma explained. They use it to their advantage, crafting new ceviches each Saturday, some of which include a cabbage cup with striped bass, a sweet potato one, and a corn salad. The cemitas are created with sesame rolls filled with a salsa roja and a salsa verde, papolo (a Mexican herb), egg, cabbage slaw, onion and Queso Oaxaca (aka: Oaxacan string cheese). The name “Loncheria” came from Emma’s travels though Mexico.
“The little places I’d stop for lunch were’s always called things like Loncheria Isabella,” Emma said. “It means luncheonette, but I think it’s sort of a bastard term.” Laura agreed, “It’s their own take on the word lunch.”
#2 Isshimo: Yummy Japanese Honey Cake
Isshimo serves up handmade Japanese honeycake, a tasty delicacy made out of eggs, sugar, honey and flour, without any oil or baking soda. The cakes come in a variety of flavors, including lavender lime and caramel sesame, with one gluten-free option; they’re small and light and less sweet than one would expect, and the mix of flavors made each bite interesting. The two owners and music partners Ai Isshiki and Sakiko Mori cook their creations in the kitchen of Cafe 248, the small coffee shop in the McKibbin Loft building, so it’s truly a neighborhood treat.
#3 La Abejita Dulce: Sweet Honey Bee
The name means “sweet little honey bee,” and the stand sells honey from upstate New York, near the Finger Lakes region. The day we stopped by, they were selling wildflower, golden rod and summer flower honeys.