“Big Ed” Nigretti and his son, EJ, were fishing on the banks of the Q River when they smelled something good to eat.
The father and son caught a couple bluefish Thursday afternoon and threw them back. Then they wandered over to a row of white tents, where Connecticut farmers had set up stands for opening day of CitySeed’s waterfront farmer’s market in Fair Haven.
The market is open on Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Quinnipiac Park on the corner of Front Street and Grand Avenue.
“Smells good!” said Ed Nigretti, who came across the market for the first time Thursday. He picked up a sourdough rosemary “flute,” a stick of fresh bread baked in Deep River. His son EJ scored a cucumber. He held it in both hands and chomped down right in the middle, corn-on-the-cob style.
“It’s good,” reported the six-year-old, who was sporting a Spiderman lifejacket. The pair went back to the river, munching along the way.
Fair Haven Alderman Joey Rodriguez came forward to conduct the honorary lettuce toss, a tradition for CitySeed’s seasonal openings. He was thanked for helping CitySeed forge new connections in the Hill area of town, where a new program will be starting soon.
Rodriguez lobbed the lettuce high into the sky. A few leaves flew off in the air before it came down to earth, into the hands of an agile tomato. Click on the play arrow to watch an impressive catch by the tomato, a.k.a Elliot Brennan, CitySeed’s summer intern.
The market is one of four across the city run by CitySeed. (See a schedule here.) Fresh food under the tents included:
Some fine green beans from Stone Gardens in Shelton (pictured with farm stand staffer Hannah Farley and a few globes of cabbage);
Robust zucchini and yellow “zephyr” squash from the Northfordy farm in North Branford;
And the onions and radishes pictured at the top of the story, from Hall’s Farm in Windsor.
"Fair Haven Alderman Joey Rodriguez came forward to conduct the honorary lettuce toss..."
So glad he didn't toss the salad.