Robert's Market Report

Tomatoes
Almost
There

I’ve yet to taste a tomato at from local farmer’s markets or the Reading Terminal Market that truly taste of summer, but we’re getting close. Benuel Kauffman’s Lancaster County Produce featured these cherry tomatoes at the RTM today.

Nonetheless, I’ve been enjoying BLTs this week, including one using the last of my unfrozen lamb bacon (the other side resides in the freezer). The best of what I’ve had so far has come from Livengood’s, though it was from a neighbor’s crop: they sold out by 10:30 a.m. of their own tomatoes.

Kauffman’s cherry tomatoes were selling for $3.50 a half-pint, $6 a pint. Also featured were red raspberries, $4/pint; apricots, $2; peaches, $1.99/pound, green peppers, $1.99/pound;, and corn, 50-cents/ear.

The green peppers were even less expensive at Fair Food, $1.25. A.T. Buzby’s cantaloupes were $3.75 apiece, heirloom tomatoes $750, cherry tomatoes $5.50/pint. Three varieties of string beans could be had: green at $3/pound, wax at $4, and burgundy at $5.75. Livengood’s organic stringbeans were $3.95/pound.

Iovine Brothers priced California peaches at the same price as Ben Kauffman’s locals, $1.99/pound. Pacific Northwest cherries (the local season is, for all practicsal purposes, over) were $2.99 for a two-pound bag and $3.99 for a three-pound clamshell. Limes remain a value at a dime apiece. Bell pepper survey: green 99-cents, red $1.99, yellow $3.49, orange $3.99. Frying peppers were $1.49, long hots 99-cents. Jersey blueberries, $1.99/pint.

L. Halteman’s field tomatoes were $3.19/pound, two pounds for $5.59. Corn 60-cents an ear, or $1.49 for three or $2.89 a half dozen. Small cantaloupes were 99 cents apiece.

Ice Cream Festival

Iovine’s and Bassett’s are combining forces for a new ice cream flavor in conjunction with the RTM’s July 18 Ice Cream Festival. It will be a berry-flavored ice cream using fruit from Iovine’s contract grower, Bucks County’s Shady Brook Farm.

Market Twitters . . . Me, Too

The Reading Terminal Market is now on Twitter. Find them at RdgTerminalMarket (case required).

If the RTM can do, so can I. I’m at http://twitter.com/robertsmarket

Market Shutterbug

Larry Laszlo, the Denver-based photographer whose shoots of public markets around the world adorn the RTM’s wall along 8th Avenue near Avenue D, was snapping at the market again today. He delivered some photos of additional markets he’s visited; they should be on display sometime next week. Larry’s website can be found http://www.photolaszlo.com.

Market Streets

All of the street signs for market intersections are up, save one. Letter avenues run A to D between Arch and Filbert, numbered avenues 2 to 12 east-west from 12th to the loading alley.