Spring is upon us, even though the weather hasn’t been much of a clue. How do we know? The eagerly-anticipated farmer’s market season officially kicked off this weekend with the premier of Chicago’s Green City Market. Key words – local, sustainable.

It is in its twelfth season and has come a long way from its humble beginnings next to the alley near the Chicago Theater. Today, it is a Foodie haven with chefs, restaurateurs, foodies, and friends frequenting the market on Wednesdays and Saturdays (7:00am – 1:00pm Lincoln Park). We took a stroll this Saturday and spotted some local favorites like Tomato Mountain (tomato-based sauces), Tiny Greens (microgreens, wheatgrass) and River Valley Ranch (mushrooms, sauces, spreads).

The fresh vegetables we saw reminded us that we live in the Midwest… asparagus, lettuce, and some in-ground varieties like spring onions. We Inflatable Water Slide picked up a beautiful and tasty Boston lettuce, some purple asparagus, a jar of tomato basil pasta, and a couple of cucumbers. Toward the end of the day we thought of picking up some olive load… similar to what we’ve picked up at other markets throughout the year. To our surprise the bakers said that they didn’t sell any… why? “Olives are not local” was the reply… and we were quickly assured that Green City truly is Chicago’s local market.