Crop Rapport: Vienna’s Market is Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Thursday, August 11th, 2011

Vienna’s Farmers Market is both for the kids, and the young at heart. The Optimist Club of Greater Washington has run this Saturday market for the past five years, and in accordance with its mission to sunnily serve the youth of Greater Vienna, it succeeds in making this space a true family affair.

This past market day was a first Saturday of the month, which market co-managers and husband and wife team Sarah Brady and Dave Lanphear always celebrate with a special kid-centered event. When I arrived, I found an orderly queue of parents with adorable, stroller-bound tots in tow, along with a good crowd of 4-to-7-year-olds either eagerly vying for the attention of volunteer balloon artist Marcia Gallagher or “fishing” for toys out of a kiddie pool.

This month’s event was a combination Hawaiian Luau and limbo contest. Lanphear kept tabs on miniature limbo dancers as Sarah Brady effused encouragement over the small but determined hula novices.

I asked Brady what had inspired the Luau and Limbo event, the first of its kind hosted by the market. She told me it was triggered by listening to the Joni Mitchell tune, “Big Yellow Taxi.”

Brady was struck by the irony of the times. Whereas the paved parking lot was once the enemy, now you can find more and more lots in the area filled with farmers during market days. She also wanted to bring some cheer during the “dog days of summer” and in the midst of a recession. “People can’t get away for vacation, so we’ll have a vacation in the middle of the parking lot!”

And speaking of children . . . one of the regular Vienna market vendors brought to mind a nursery rhyme. It isn’t just little girls who are “made of sugar and spice and everything nice.” Following the enticing perfume of cinnamon sugar, I discovered The Swiss Bakery, where I met Chris Panther and her young assistant Emily Dunston.

The Swiss Bakery, owned by pastry chefs Reto (who is Swiss) and Laurie Weber, is  located in both Burke and Springfield Virginia. Because Laurie Weber previously worked as a chef in New York, where she had easy access to farmers markets with the best fresh fruits and vegetables, it was important for her that the bakery have a presence at local markets. The Swiss Bakery has sold at the Vienna market for the last three years; and the Lorton market for almost as long.

Panther says that the hardy whole grain breads move just as well as the breakfast pastries. Her regulars will sometimes surprise her by switching up their orders, but usually she can predict what they are looking for any given day.

Right now, you will find peaches and blueberries in the seasonal rotation, as well as zucchini (in the form of zucchini walnut muffins); in the fall, the emphasis will switch to one of Virginia’s finest, the apple. Before peach season ends, treat yourself to a  peach kuchen, which Chris perfectly describes as akin to a buttery “lemon pound cake” nestling fresh peach slices, its surface lightly kissed by powdered sugar.

 

My husband opted to break bread for the day with the “Health (Nut) Roll” (an apt choice–he’s my (health) nut, but I love him). A whole wheat roll with confetti of dried cranberries, raisins, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, nuts, and pearl sugar, the health roll is a big seller and ultimately a more nutritionally satisfying option than a donut or a muffin. Since I, on the other hand, have no qualms about starting the day off less responsibly, I selected an almond croissant. Round in shape like a danish, this buttery pastry’s center cradled a layer of almond paste,  garnished with sliced almonds and a generous coating of powdered sugar.

Visit the Swiss Bakery for its full selection of pastries, cakes, breads, as well as select imported items like chocolate, coffee, tea, condiments, and Bavarian pretzels (the latter burly-sized knot of a bread is also available at the Vienna market).

The Swiss Bakery
Ravensworth Shopping Center
5224 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22151
(703) 321-3670

Burke Town Plaza
9536 Old Keene Mill Road
Burke, VA 22015
(703) 569-3670

For more information on the Optimist Club of Greater Vienna’s upcoming program and events, including the September 24 Walk for Growing Hope & Family Fun Day, a pediatric cancer fundraiser, click here.

-Johnisha M. Levi

August 7-13 is Virginia Farmer’s Market Week!

Northern Virginia’s Farmers Markets and Hours

Annandale Farmers Market • 6621 Columbia Pike, Annandale – Thu, 8-noon
Arlington Farmers Market • N. 14th St. & N. Courthouse Road, Arlington – Sat, 8-noon
Ashburn Farmers Market • 44036 Pipeline Plaza, Ashburn – Sat, 8-noon
Ballston Farmers Market • N. Stuart St. & N. Ninth St. – Thu, 3-7 p.m.
Brambleton Farmers Market • 22875 Brambleton Plaza, Ashburn – Sun, 9-1 p.m.
Burke Farmers Market • 5671 Roberts Parkway, Burke – Sat, 8-noon
Cascades Farmers Market • 21060 Whitfield Place, Sterling – Sun, 9-1 p.m.
Clarendon Farmers Market• 3100 Wilson Blvd., Arlington – Wed, 3-7 p.m.
Columbia Pike Farmers Market • S. Walter Reed Drive & Columbia Pike – Sun, 9-1 p.m.
Community Farmers Market • West & Main Streets (Sat), North St. & Old Lee Highway (Sun), Fairfax – Sat: 8-1 p.m.; Sun: 10-2 p.m.
Crystal City Farmers Market • Crystal Square Arcade between S. 18th and 20th Streets – Tue, 3-7 p.m.
Culpeper Farmers Market • E. Davis & Commerce Streets – Sat, 7:30-noon
Dale City Farmers Market • Dale Blvd. & Minnieville Road, Dale City – Sun, 8-1 p.m.
Del Ray Farmers’ Market • E. Oxford & Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria – Sat, 8-noon
Fairfax Farmers Market • 3720 Old Lee Highway, Fairfax – Tue, 8-noon
Falls Church Farmers Market • 300 Park Ave., Falls Church – Sat, 8-noon
Fredericksburg Farmers Market• George and Prince Edward Streets, Fredericksburg – Mon-Sat, 7-6 p.m.; Sun, 12:30-4 p.m.
Frying Pan Farmers Market • 2709 West Ox Road, Herndon – Wed, 8-12:30 p.m.
Great Falls Farmers Market • 750 Walker Road, Great Falls – Sat, 9-1 p.m.
Haymarket Farmers Market • 1500 Washington St., Haymarket – Sat, 8-2 p.m.
Herndon Farmers Market • Lynn and Station Streets, Herndon – Thu, 8-noon
Kingstowne Farmers Market • Kingstowne Center & Kingstowne Blvd., Franconia – Fri, 4-7 p.m.
Leesburg Farmers Market • 20 Catoctin Circle S.E., Leesburg – Sat, 8-noon
Lorton Farmers Market • 8990 Lorton Station Blvd., Lorton – Sun, 9-1 p.m.
McLean Farmers Market • 1659 Chain Bridge Road, McLean – Fri, 8-noon
Middleburg Farmers Market • 300 W. Washington St., Middleburg – Sat, 8-noon
Mount Vernon Farmers Market • 2501 Sherwood Hall Lane, Alexandria – Tue, 8-noon
Nokesville Farmers Market • 13005 Fitzwater Drive, Nokesville – Sat, 8-noon
Oakton Farmers Market • 3200 Jermantown Road, Oakton – Wed, 8-noon
Old Town Alexandria Farmers Market • 301 King St., Alexandria – Sat, 5:30-11 a.m.
Old Town Manassas Farmers Market • 9201 Center St., Manassas – Thu, 7-1 p.m.; Sat, 7:30-2:30 p.m.
Nokesville Farmers Market • 13005 Fitzwater Drive, Nokesville – Sat, 8-noon
Purcellville Farmers Market• 751 E. Main St., Purcellville – Sat, 8-noon
Reston Farmers Market • 11400 Washington Plaza W., Reston – Sat, 8-noon
Smart Markets – Centreville • 5875 Trinity Parkway, Centreville – Fri, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
Smart Markets – Fairfax Corner • Grand Commons Ave., Fairfax – Tue, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
Smart Markets – Gainesville • 13297 Gateway Center Drive, Gainesville – Sun, 10:30-1:30 p.m.
Smart Markets – Herndon • 460 Elden St., Herndon – Thu, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
Smart Markets – Oakton • 2854 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton – Sat, 10-2 p.m.
Smart Markets – Reston • 11890 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston – Wed, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
Upper King Street Farmers Market • 1806 King St., Alexandria – Wed, 3-7 p.m.
Vienna Farmers Market • 131 Church St. N.E., Vienna – Sat, 8-noon
Wakefield Farmers Market • 8100 Braddock Road, Annandale – Wed, 2-6 p.m.
Warrenton Farmers Market • Branch Drive and Warrenton Village Center (Wed), S. Fifth & Lee Streets (Sat) – Wed, 7-1 p.m.; Sat, 7-noon
West End Farmers Market • 4800 Brenman Park Drive, Alexandria – Sun, 9-1 p.m.

Or click here for our full list of local farmers markets

Tags: Almond Croissant, Big Yellow Taxi, Chris Panther, Dave Lanphear, Emily Dunston, fundraisers for children, Gut Check, health nut roll, Health Roll, Hula, Johnisha M. Levi, Joni Mitchell, kid friendly farmers markets, Laurie Weber, Leto Weber, Limbo, Luau, National Farmers Market Week, Northern Virginia, Northern Virginia farmers market, Northern Virginia Magazine, NoVA, nursery rhymes, peach kuchen, pediatric cancer, Sarah Brady, sugar and spice and everything nice, Swiss Bakery, The Optimist Club of Greater Vienna, Vienna Farmers Market, Virginia bakeries, Virginia Farmers Market Week, Virginia pastry chefs, Walk for Growing Hope & Family Fun Day