Once a seasonal treat, Third Street Farmers Market goes year 'round

Vendors Terry Banks, in background, and Annie De Piero. Ms. Banks sells her homemade soups at the market; Ms. De Piero sells her baked goods. Stop by the Third Street Farmers Market any Saturday morning this summer and enjoy a social sojourn filled with flavorful treats. Although in its 19th year, Naples' original farmers market has never been open past the traditional winter/spring season before now. Regular hours are 7:30- 11:30 a.m. every Saturday.

Whether you're hunting for gifts with a local flair, hungry for breakfast or shopping for dinner, the open-air market offers something for everyone.

Collette Krupp is a loyal shopper and a big fan. "I buy all of my vegetables here," she said. On a recent Saturday she also stopped at Nina's Naturals to replenish her supply of lime loofah soap.

Nina's Naturals proprietor Nina Downs has run a table at the market for 10 years and has developed a knack for pouring her fragrant glycerin soaps onto loofah sponges and slicing them into disks. "I'm hoping that this is a unique technique, but I'm not sure about that," Ms. Downs mused.

Amy Peters, left, brings her sugar-free, flour-free muffins to the market. Shopper Margie Wood, right, brings her dog for a morning stroll. The most popular soaps at Nina's Naturals are colorfully striped and made with local honey, vitamin E and essential citrus oils, she said, adding none costs more than $3. "I started calling it "recession pricing" during season and had good luck with that," she noted.

The marketplace behind Tommy Bahamas, technically at Gordon Drive and 13th Avenue South, offers convenient parking nearby and is easily accessible by bicycle and on foot. Well-behaved dogs and humans are welcome. Many come for treats from around the globe.

On this day, the Irish soda bread ($3) from Annie's Irish Kitchen was sold out by 9:30 a.m. Annie De Piero catered in Ireland for 30 years before moving to Naples eight years ago. After a successful first season at the market, she and husband Tony signed on again for the summer. "We love coming out and seeing everyone," she said. "We had a wonderful season, so we've decided to try the summer as well."

Some of the offerings at Ralph's Seafood. Ms. De Piero makes breads and scones fresh and with no preservatives every Friday at her commercial kitchen on J & C Boulevard for sale at the next day's market. Appetizers such as chicken liver brandy pate ($3) and sausage rolls ($5) are sold frozen. Auntie Claire's almond tart ($4) is delicious.

Bella Maria Café, the eatery on Fifth Avenue South known for tapas, wine and pastries, enjoys a brisk market business in petite cherry and key lime tarts ($4). While sales of bacon and cheese and spinach and ham quiche ($5) are strong, the crémefilled Napoleon is the top draw.

Gourmands looking for local flavor flock to Gatorbait for homemade pepper jelly and mango salsa. This is the seventh year at the market for Naples native and Gatorbait owner Michael Mumm, who also makes an exceptional blueberry cream cheese. While the chili and mangos used in his jellies and jams are grown locally, his blueberries are handpicked at an organic farm in Cross Creek, Fla. Harvest is soon, and regulars are chomping at the bit for Mr. Mumm's blueberry preserves and syrup. Many buy the blueberries dry in bulk.

Cathy Knepper of Cathy's Herbs and Botanicals, left, with satisfied customers Sharon Kurtz and her son, Brandon. Business during the winter/spring season was good at Gatorbait. "We've done well in other years, but this year's been the best," Mr. Mumm reported.

Likewise at Cathy's Herbs and Botanicals, where traffic has remained steady into the first summer season. At her self-described apothecary, Cathy Knepper offers samples of herb tea to passersby. She sells potpourris and teas along with rosemary, oregano, rosemary, sweet basil, fennel, parsley and dill that she grows and dries. She grows with organic fertilizer and prefers pots to the ground.

A faithful farmers market shopper during season, Margie Wood is thrilled with the year-round schedule.

Ms. Wood frequents Jacquie's Jamming for mango chutney. "My family in Vermont and New Hampshire love Jacquie's mango jams," she said. Jacquie Hoare-Ward's jams, jellies and salsas are also sold at Wynn's Market and Oakes Farm, and at Ms. Hoare- Ward's tiny kitchen/shop on Yahl Street, as well as at the weekly market. Her mango chutney is a tasty complement to grilled salmon, crab cakes, chicken and pork loin. Mango lemon salsa pairs well with fish; jalapeno pepper jelly with lamb chops.

Farmers Market regular Collette Krupp accepts vendor Nina Downs' offer of a sniff of Nina's Naturals glycerin soap. Ms. Wood never misses Amy Peters' stand, where she has a standing order for a baker's dozen of apple, raisin and walnut, sugar-free, flour-free muffins ($1 each). Ms. Peters, also known as the sugar-free, flour-free muffin lady, has attracted a loyal following. When she started at the market four years ago, she sold salad dressing, but that "was a hard sell early in the morning," she recalled. "I was having incredible success with my own diet, and I thought that maybe I should share what I was learning." She added she lost 165 pounds on a sugarfree, flour-free diet.

The muffins Ms. Wood bought were made with Splenda, apple sauce and five grains — flax, oat, barley, rye and triticale. Ms. Peters also makes rice-flour muffins and a sugar-free granola, but she's most passionate about the muffins. The healthy muffins are not the prettiest things at the market, but the preservative-free gems freeze well for an extended shelf life.

"Good things happen when you start eating these muffins," Ms. Peters said. At different times in the year, her booth at the market features carrot raisin, multi-berry orange, blueberry, peach almond, tropical pecan and five-grain fruit and nut muffins. "We've all got to try different things to keep it interesting," she reasoned of the farmer's market economy.

Ms. Peters said that she's happy to have summertime Saturdays.

"We're catering to everyone else during season, and this is a great opportunity to finally give that extra attention to the locals," the 37-year Neapolitan from Ohio said. "They deserve it."