The answer to my prayers…Houston Farmers market number II!

For those of you who read my blog regularly, you’ll have seen my post about Sugar Land Farmers Market, last Saturday.  I’d definitely consider it more of a mini-craft market than a farmers market, so my search to find the best place to buy fruit and veggies continued.

One of my newest friends Tammi, invited me out to another market, she guaranteed that it would be better than the Sugar Land one, it also happened to be the same market that a Twitter buddy of mine had recommended, so I looked it up, Canino Produce on Airline road.

Busy market place

It’s about a 35-45 minute drive from my house to North Houston/The Heights.  As distance and ‘time to get there’ goes in Houston, it probably falls on the ‘below average’ side of the scale.  But let me tell you it was well worth the trip!

The product list is extensive, there are plenty of vendors to choose from and when you go, go prepared with a pocket full of one dollar bills, because this place is cheap!

Buckets of veggies!

Each stall has flower-pot like buckets lined with plastic bags and filled with fruit and veggies.  When you shop, you pull the bag out of the pot and hand over a few bucks.  From memory, grapes were $1.50/lb, strawberries $2/bucket, bell peppers $2/bucket, some places even had a $1 table, buckets of okra, zucchini, green bell peppers and other yummies for only $1!

Like I said, it’s cheap!

Across the street from the market, is the most dangerous place I’ve happened upon in Houston, in three years.

It was a bakery, we hoped it’d be some kind of sandwich place, but when we got inside, it was so much more.

Tortilla station

I stood inside the door and told the girls I’d wait there.  But the longer I stood smelling those smells and seeing people piling trays high, the less I could stand it!

I grabbed a mah-oosive pizza tray, a set of tongs and I started to load up.  I got half a dozen lunch rolls for Col (hot and fresh out of the oven) for 30c a piece, I got half a dozen of the smaller rolls for 20c a piece to make mini garlic bread loaves with dinners, I got two huge macaroons, a giant snow ball, two cookies and a custard filled pastry all for around six bucks.  Bargain!

The cabinets don’t provide much protection…

Cakes, tortillas, bread rolls and walls lined with glass cases filled with pastries, cakes, flans, muffins and cookies – at seriously low prices.  It was fantastic!

Fresh bread rolls

Linds and I split a roll on the way home, it was hot, crunchy and the bread inside was light, fluffy and delicious.  The boys have just had paninis made with them and they both enjoyed them immensley.

I’m going back on Monday with Magz, to do *actual* shopping as opposed to just a reconnaissance trip.  I can’t wait – and I’ll definitely tell y’all about that when I get back.

I can’t believe it’s taken me THREE YEARS to find this place, it’s going to become a regular in my weekly pilgrimages!!!