From hot cross buns to jumbo eggs and ham, Miles Farmers Market puts a fresh spin on traditional Easter fare

By Laura Briedis

Every family has their own Easter and Passover traditions. Some color Easter eggs in bright pastel colors or dye them naturally in boiled onion skins with leaves and twigs leaving their prints behind in white. Others have traditions that focus on the meal, which typically features a delicious spiral ham, roast of lamb or kielbasa—usually inspired by a family’s culture.

At Miles Farmers Market, you will find everything you need for the holidays, with influences from all parts of the world—but made in Ohio.

A traditional favorite in England, hot cross buns, a soft, slightly sweet, spiced yeast roll, are sold in the bakery during the spring holiday season. These individually hand-rolled buns are marked with a cross on top (hence the name) after they are done baking. And for those with Ukrainian and other Eastern European roots, Paska bread is another Easter staple.

The market also sells Miles Very Own Jumbo Eggs. For more than 40 years, the store’s jumbo eggs have come from the same local egg farm, and there are a dozen varieties, including brown and organic. So make sure to stock up early, whether you are coloring eggs, making deviled eggs or just doing a lot of your own cooking and baking.

And if you don’t feel like cooking, there are plenty of ready-to-eat meals in the market’s Bistro. You will find everything you need to simply heat and serve for your family meal, including side dishes like green beans almondine, roasted asparagus and scalloped potatoes.

It is ham, lamb and brisket, however, that take center stage for Easter and Passover brunches and dinners.

“Our hams are the best in town,” says Justin Golobek, Miles Farmers Market store manager. “Our Miles traditional spiral cut ham comes with a glaze packet if you want to add a bit of sweetness. Our fire-glazed ham features brown sugar and honey glaze torched onto the ham, so it is crispy and crunchy.”

“Our meat department also has leg of lamb, lamb chops, crown roast and brisket in our meat department,” he adds.

As your one-stop shopping market, you will also find fragrant lilies and tulips, popcorn Easter bunnies, and hand-dipped chocolates throughout the store.

Lenten Fish Fry
For Lent, the Bistro at Miles Farmers Market prepares its own hand-cut and hand-battered cod, as well as fried shrimp, that rival any restaurant or pub. And fish is fried every day during Lent—not just on Fridays. There is a fish fry station set up inside the Bistro, so when you order your fish the chef will cook it for you while you wait. It only takes three to four minutes to fry to a golden crunch—and it’s as fresh as it gets.

“Our fish fry and shrimp fry have been customer favorites for years,” says Frankie Cangemi Jr., who, along with his father, Frank, owns and operates Miles Farmers Market.

“We cook hand-battered cod and shrimp, and serve it with fries and homemade coleslaw. After 20 years of making different batters, we have perfected our fish fry batter. It is light and crunchy, and it stays crispy in our to-go containers.”

In addition to the fish fry, the store gets fresh seafood in every day, from Faroe Island salmon and sea bass to crab legs and house-cooked shrimp.

Miles Farmers Market is located at 28560 Miles Road, in Solon. Visit MilesFarmersMarket.com or call 440-248-5222 for more information.