I must say that even though Denver has got some great little neighborhood Farmer’s Markets, they’re just not the same as a trip to Pete’s. Don’t get me wrong, I love out little street markets which offer up a few vegetable vendors, always a good variety of Western Slope Peaches and Rocky Ford Cantaloupe, and home to lots of local product vendors offering bbq and pasta sauces, pestos, gourmet dog foods and not to mention the long lines at the Danish Bakery stand.  But again, there’s no place like Pete’s.

For over 20 years,  the late summer/early fall season highlight for me has been taking the 40 minute drive north from Highlands Ranch out to Brighton and to Pete Polombo’s Roadside Market.  Folks, this is the real deal!  A market chock full of a huge selection of fresh Colorado grown fruits and vegetables.

The area northeast of Denver contains miles and miles, acres and acres of large vegetable “truck farms” and is also home to many smaller organic growers. The trip is always a fun guessing game to identify the variety of vegetable growing in the large planted fields along the roads.

The area is rich in agricultural history with sheep, cattle and vegetable growers settling to the area in the late 1800′s. If you’ve ever seen the mini-series Centennial, it highlights the trials and tribulations, feuds and partnerships that transpired during the pioneer settlement to this part of our state.

Join me for a little tour.

I must say that the flat-bed trailers that hold mountains of sweet corn is always the best I’ve ever tasted! THE BEST! You’re always guaranteed corn that is picked that day and it’s always a treat to get home and slather butter over an ear of corn that just came off the stalk a few hours earlier. Nothing better in the world. I usually favor his “Super Sweet Yellow” variety, but the white Silver Queen and the bi-colored Peaches and Cream may have been even sweeter this year. I brought home five dozen and within two hours had them shucked, blanched, kernels cut from the cob and in the freezer for a winter stash.

I bought this handy little tool last summer at a beautiful little kitchen store in downtown McMinnville, Oregon. It made quick work of removing kernels and freezing all that corn. It’s one of those kitchen gadgets that actually works.

This time of year the roasters are in full swing, and the aroma of peppers wafting through the air as you browse the market is purely intoxicating.

Each year my trunk is loaded to the gills with a variety of Colorado Produce.

Stick around and enjoy the slide show.

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