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A Downers Grove man is bringing a taste of California to the Elmhurst’s farmers market.
Dominic Senese’s Sonoma Farm is one of four new vendors to this year’s market, which kicked off Wednesday morning. Sonoma Farm carries nine flavors of olive oil, which Senese ships straight from the Sonoma Valley to the company’s headquarters in Berwyn.
“It’s as close as you can get to homemade,” he said. “It costs me a small fortune to do it that way, but you get better taste that way.”
Sonoma Farm carries about 40 products, including salad dressings, balsamic vinegar and giardiniera. Senese bought the company about a year ago, changed the label and expanded its product line significantly. One of his goals is to provide a lighter, healthier way of cooking.
“We’re riding the coattails of (the health craze),” he said. “We’re teaching them to cook with oils, get away from butters and commercially made barbecue sauce. We’re not just trying to promote our products but also better health.”
Sonoma Farm joins 16 other companies this year, 13 of them returning from last year. The vendors’ flowers, vegetables, cheeses and breads will be available each Wednesday morning for the next four months.
Vendors will fill the small market to its capacity this summer. Although the event is limited by the size of the municipal parking lot it occupies, business owners seem to prefer the small setting, said Jason Janes, president of the York and Vallette Business Association.
“One problem with scale is if you get to the point where 30 vendors are selling fruits and vegetables, it’s hard for them to differentiate themselves,” he said. “We prefer to keep our vendors happy, and that’s why we don’t have much turnover.”
Also new this year will be Greg Frederick’s That Pickle Guy. Frederick sells his flavored dills in original, garlic, spicy and hot flavors.
He also sells giardiniera, a mixture of minced vegetables and spices native to Chicago, and muffalata, which is similar to giardiniera but made mostly of olives. Muffalata is a popular item in New Orleans.
Another new feature of this year’s farmers market: Nonprofit groups are welcome to sign up for one of the weeks and set up booths for free, said Janes. One week, representatives of the Elmhurst Garden Club will sell tickets for their upcoming Garden Walk and Faire. Another week, the Elmhurst Junior Women’s Club will sell cook books to support their scholarship program.
A Downers Grove man is bringing a taste of California to the Elmhurst’s farmers market.
Dominic Senese’s Sonoma Farm is one of four new vendors to this year’s market, which kicked off Wednesday morning. Sonoma Farm carries nine flavors of olive oil, which Senese ships straight from the Sonoma Valley to the company’s headquarters in Berwyn.
“It’s as close as you can get to homemade,” he said. “It costs me a small fortune to do it that way, but you get better taste that way.”
Sonoma Farm carries about 40 products, including salad dressings, balsamic vinegar and giardiniera. Senese bought the company about a year ago, changed the label and expanded its product line significantly. One of his goals is to provide a lighter, healthier way of cooking.
“We’re riding the coattails of (the health craze),” he said. “We’re teaching them to cook with oils, get away from butters and commercially made barbecue sauce. We’re not just trying to promote our products but also better health.”
Sonoma Farm joins 16 other companies this year, 13 of them returning from last year. The vendors’ flowers, vegetables, cheeses and breads will be available each Wednesday morning for the next four months.
Vendors will fill the small market to its capacity this summer. Although the event is limited by the size of the municipal parking lot it occupies, business owners seem to prefer the small setting, said Jason Janes, president of the York and Vallette Business Association.
“One problem with scale is if you get to the point where 30 vendors are selling fruits and vegetables, it’s hard for them to differentiate themselves,” he said. “We prefer to keep our vendors happy, and that’s why we don’t have much turnover.”
Also new this year will be Greg Frederick’s That Pickle Guy. Frederick sells his flavored dills in original, garlic, spicy and hot flavors.
He also sells giardiniera, a mixture of minced vegetables and spices native to Chicago, and muffalata, which is similar to giardiniera but made mostly of olives. Muffalata is a popular item in New Orleans.
Another new feature of this year’s farmers market: Nonprofit groups are welcome to sign up for one of the weeks and set up booths for free, said Janes. One week, representatives of the Elmhurst Garden Club will sell tickets for their upcoming Garden Walk and Faire. Another week, the Elmhurst Junior Women’s Club will sell cook books to support their scholarship program.
