David Burd (with hat) of Friendly Burds is among the founders of the Third Street South Farmers Market some 22 years ago.
Cathy’s Herbs and Botanicals offers her own blend of spices and specialty teas.
Frank and his wife Kathleen are the owners of Naples’ Top Dog Kitchen. They have homemade all natural dog treats.
Mamey sapote has a sweet, creamy and smooth taste best added to ice cream or sorbets.
Russell Late avocado is a backyard favorite in the summer, recognized by its elongated gourd-like neck. It is smooth and buttery - great in salads.
A summer bounty – Carambola (star fruit). I eat this fresh and thinly sliced. It makes a perfect addition to a fruit or tossed salad.
Empanadas - Argentinian street food from Casa De Loro - a favorite for snacking or a quick meal.
Tropical floral mix from Dominga’s Flowers.
David Burd (with hat) of Friendly Burds is among the founders of the Third Street South Farmers Market some 22 years ago.
Cathy’s Herbs and Botanicals offers her own blend of spices and specialty teas.
Frank and his wife Kathleen are the owners of Naples’ Top Dog Kitchen. They have homemade all natural dog treats.
Empanadas - Argentinian street food from Casa De Loro - a favorite for snacking or a quick meal.
Tropical floral mix from Dominga’s Flowers.
I had a craving for locally grown tropical fruits so early Saturday morning we headed out to the Third Street South Farmers Market in Naples. As they say, “fresh is best,” and one can always expect to find fresh locally grown herbs, vegetables, fruits, honey, freshly baked pies and pastries along with a variety of specialty cuisine.
Mamey sapote has a sweet, creamy and smooth taste best added to ice cream or sorbets.
Russell Late avocado is a backyard favorite in the summer, recognized by its elongated gourd-like neck. It is smooth and buttery - great in salads.
I was hoping to sample the summer seasonal fruits and vegetables and items that I know will not be available fresh for the fall and winter market. This farmers market is a much smaller version of the fall and winter farmers market, but the best part is they are less crowded and you get to talk with the growers about their products. And they might tell you what local fruits or vegetables they are bringing next week or next month to the market.
I particularly enjoyed browsing through Friendly Burds produce. I learned that they are among the founders of the Third Street South Farmers Market some 22 years ago. David Burd is quite a legend. His name tag says, “Mango Man,” and he is known for growing many varieties of mangoes. If you have any questions on growing mangos and avocados, David Burd is the person to visit. Talking with David about anything tropical is worth the visit to the Third Street South Farmers Market. He also grows mangos and avocado trees which are available in pots for sale - in case you are interested. For this you may need to call him in advance. He has developed his own special grafting process with his mangos which he was happy to share. He offers dried mango and other dried tropical fruits, which makes for healthy snacks along with jars of specialty preserves.
I also came to the farmers market looking for not-so-common honey flavors and here I was staring at an amazing array of local honey flavors such as Avocado, Melaleuca, Gumbo Limbo, and Jamaican Dogwood. I settled for the new taste of Lychee Honey (results from honey bees feeding on the nectar of Lychee blossoms) all from Friendly Burds.
Today Friendly Burd’s stand was a mecca for locally grown tropical fruits. For September, they had freshly picked mamey sapote, carambolas, finger bananas and hard to find Russell Late avocados. The Florida Russell Late avocados are gourd-shaped with a smooth, creamy and buttery inside. It is becoming a very popular backyard variety.
Cathy’s Herbs and Botanicals is another long-standing vendor at the Third Street South Farmers market, offering locally grown herbs in four-inch pots. She offers her own blend of spices and teas. I found her basket of freshly harvested turmeric and ginger roots. I use turmeric for teas, curries and stews. The ginger roots were smooth and looked very fresh selling for $5 a bag. Such a find!
A summer bounty – Carambola (star fruit). I eat this fresh and thinly sliced. It makes a perfect addition to a fruit or tossed salad.
You can smell the fresh roasted coffee of Jimmy’s Java across the parking lot. A leisurely morning stroll through the farmers market takes you through several culinary adventures with Casa De Loro’s mouthwatering Argentinian empanadas, Bella Maria’s quiches and delectable fresh fruit tartlets, and Bella’s Cakes with her signature butter and almond cookies. There was also no shortage of food items from Sushi Express, Twila Mae’s Chicken Salad, and King of Conch Salad. And don’t forget Top Dog Kitchen - gluten free and grain free treats for man’s best friend or a fresh floral bouquet from Dominga’s Flowers. It was a perfect morning activity under the shade of a Gumbo Limbo tree while listening to the music of Grant the Guitar Guy.
Note: It is dog friendly and don’t forget to bring your reusable bags to shop local!
The Third Street south Farmers Market is open every Saturday morning from 7:30 AM until 11:30 AM. The summer location is behind Tommy Bahamas in Naples.
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