DFW Late Summer Produce Guide

The Dallas-Fort Worth area has become a haven for locally and organically grown goods. With a cornucopia of farms, farmers' markets and gardens selling produce that's been hand picked at its peak of ripeness, there's no need to settle for tasteless fruits and vegetables that had to travel thousands of miles to the grocery store. From succulent peaches and sweet tomatoes to exotic fungi and callaloo, here's a roundup of where DFW locavores can take advantage of summer's bountiful harvest.

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If you have eaten in any of DFW's top restaurants, then you've probably tasted some of Tom Spicer's foraged treasures that he supplies to many of the area's chefs. Nestled among Urbano Cafe and Jimmy's Food Store, you'll find Spicer's storefront stocked with a bounty of eclectic produce from his 11,000-square-foot urban wonderland out back and from other neighboring farms. This time of the year, savvy foodies haunt the shop for exotic mushroom varieties, red stem Malabar spinach, rainbow chard, black garlic, callaloo and more. You never know what you might find, but checking the Facebook page is a good way to get an idea what's sprouting up next.

If the ever-growing selection of hip restaurants, shops and events hasn't persuaded you to head over to Trinity Groves, then the Little D Farmers Market surely will. On the first three Sundays of every month through December— between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.—dozens of local vendors sell everything from free range honey, baked goods and handicrafts to a copious amount of naturally grown produce. Late summer goodies range from sweet watermelon and cantaloupe to okra, tomatoes and assorted varieties of squash. If you're looking for something more exotic, check out Fisher Farm's booth for an awesome selection of Thai melons, Thai pumpkins and Japanese eggplants.

Before 2009, the Dallas Farmers Market was basically the only place in the city to find farm fresh produce, but that all changed when the White Rock Local Market came onto the scene. From July through the fall, expect to see multiple varieties of heirloom tomatoes, pungent arugula, crisp burgundy okra, eight ball zucchini, new potatoes, mizuna and more from an array of local farms. Visitors can find the market open at Lakeside Baptist Church, 9150 Garland Road, every first and third Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., or on the second and fourth Saturdays at the Green Spot location listed above.

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Cooking demonstrations, live music and a host of activities are just part of what makes Keller Farmers Market a popular gathering place between 8 a.m. and noon on Saturday mornings—May through October. The other part is the more than 40 local vendors that come to share their earthly treasures of meats, tamales, baked goods, cheeses and naturally grown produce. Fabulous melons, corn, green beans, eggplants, peaches and even blueberries are just some of the treats still in store through late August. Arrive early to get the best choices before everything runs out.

Between mid May to mid August, the sweet scent of over 30 varieties of succulent peaches fills the air around Ham Orchard, a farm well known for growing the best peaches in the state. You'll find blackberries until the end of July, as well as an array of local produce and homemade ice cream at Ham's farm market store, but it's the peaches that draw in the crowds. From July until the end of August, expect to find different peach varieties every week, ranging from Bounty and Cary Mac Freestones to Loring, Cresthaven, Majestic and Ouachita Gold.

Between April and October, shoppers have a choice of rising early on Saturday mornings to hit the stalls between 8 a.m. and noon at McKinney's Farmers Market in Chestnut Square, or reaping the harvest bounty on Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at McKinney's Adriatica location on the corner of Virginia and Stonebridge. On any given market day, you'll find over 40 local vendors selling everything from locally grown certified organic and natural produce to fresh meat, dairy, honey and olive oil. Come during the latter part of summer to find some of the tastiest apples, snap beans, cantaloupes, cabbages, peaches, peas and a host of various greens.

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