La Reine Farmer and Fish Market — Mud Puddles & Motherhood

The welcome sign of the La Reine Farmers Market, Route 75, St. Croix USVI

“Let us not forget that the cultivation of the earth is the most important labor of man. When tillage begins, other arts will follow. The farmers, therefore, are the founders of civilization”
-Daniel Webster

Oh, the beloved Farmers Market.

What may have become the trendy, Instagram worthy place to shop in the last couple years, has been a staple here on the island for decades. The La Reine farmers market has become a traditional gathering place for local farmers, merchants and neighbors to make a living or earn extra income by selling the (literal) fruits of their labor. But not only does this lovely little market serve as a place for money exchange, it also provides a meeting place for friends and passersby to share stories, laugh together, catch up on island gossip or complain about WAPA. It’s the vintage way of social media, where real, true human interaction blossoms and envelops those in its path.

You may find tourists stopping by to pick up some delicious local honey or hot sauce to take home as a trophy of their trip to the Caribbean, a local picking up some fresh produce for lunch, or maybe even a chef’s wife making conversation with a vendor about how she’s going to surprise her husband with a hard to find fruit she just saw for sale.

Or you could find me, with Orion strapped on tight in his Ergobaby carrier, looking like a tourist snapping pictures as we walk around the market in awe. We both are taking in the hustle and bustle of the market. The laughter of vendors sharing stories, the smell of fresh baked goods and incense burning, the chatter of that beloved Crucian accent all around us and the colors, oh the colors, of the fresh produce.

There’s a beauty to see an open air market, with the fruit and vegetables radiating their colors like a peacock spreading its wings for a mate. ‘Pick me’ they shout. And what choices there are!

My favorite local bananas, kid approved too, and the beloved Bush Tea

The hustle and bustle of the La Reine Farmers and Fish Market is a site to be seen. We pulled in at exactly 8:00AM on the dot. I was told by a friend, if you arrive after 8AM, all that would be left is lemongrass, which I do adore and all, but I have some growing wild outside my doorstep. I was on a mission for local cucumbers.

I was slightly intimidated going to a new place with out my husband to bust out his Crucian accent and immediately score points with the true locals. However, I’m thankful that my girlfriend and her son played the role of tour guide for the morning.

We decided to do a loop around the right outskirt of the market first, combing our way through the isles to then end up back where we entered. Our first stop was a beautiful table with fresh sorrel, spices and delicious local juices. Next we marched on to a table with honey and local pumpkin. The vendors were so warm and welcoming and loved conversing with the little ones. One women even offered the boys each a banana which they graciously gobbled. The little ones are so sweet and delicious, unlike any banana you would find stateside.

Finally, on our last table of our market tour, I found what I was looking for; my beloved local cucumbers. Although the larger ones were long picked over, the vendor still had enough for me to make my cucumber juice that afternoon. Orion was so excited by these little green gems that he grabbed a small one and started gnawing on it. With a laugh, the vendor offered that cucumber as a ‘free sample.’ Clearly this man must have children, as taking anything away from a toddler can cause their world to end.

A beautiful aroma of lemongrass and herbs filled the air next to the cucumber table and I knew I needed to grab a glass of bush tea before we made our way to the fishermen section. A favorite among all Crucians, bush tea is known for its amazing health benefits and is a go to for curing many ailments from hangovers to the common cold. Sipping this toasty beverage gave me the courage I needed to leave the market and head over to find our dinner for the evening, as I was on a mission to make us fresh fish.

It was a different ballgame when we walked over to the fisherman section of the market. The vibe was more frat party-esque with fish scales, flies and beer cans scattered at our feet and the elegant smell of incense and bush tea from the market was immediately replaced by that of cigarette smoke.

There was a thickness of eyes upon us as we walked up and down the isle of men with their prized fish, haggling for our sale. I finally settled on fresh red snapper that was caught that morning. What I was going to do with it when I got home was beyond me, but I was determined to buy us dinner.

My fresh snapper being cleaned to take home!

An added bonus to buying your fish fresh from the market is that you can pay a couple extra dollars and take your fish to the cleaning station. For $3 bucks a teenage kid scraped scales off of my fish and properly removed its guts. Take my money kid, and here have a tip! I know myself well enough that this is the time and place where you want to spend the extra money and get your fish cleaned.

I’m so glad I did, because as we were waiting for my fish to be cleaned, I had the pleasure of meeting a very kind gentleman who explained to me his favorite way to prepare local fish. My video wouldn’t start right away since my screen was cracked (the joys of motherhood) and it cut off his introduction when he told me his name. But thank you kind sir, or Mr. Nice Man as I will call him, for allowing me to film your recipe for this blog post! Enjoy his rendition of a lovely lunch below:

Mr. Nice Man’s
HEAVEN Fish Recipe

**Buy a big snapper**
**Season your fish well with local spices like oregano, salt and pepper**
**Make a mix like you would for salmon balls and stuff it in your fish**
**Bake your fish in the oven covered with a lemon and brown sugar glaze**
**According to this nice gentleman, this fish is “HEAVEN’**
*I don’t have all the details of this recipe, so you’ll have to do some digging. I made my fish into a traditional Snapper Piccata,as Italian cooking is what I know. I hope to one day try Mr. Nice Man’s recipe and update this post with my findings!

After my fish was cleaned, it was time to head home.

Orion was getting antsy and needed a nap, and I needed to figure out what I was going to do with my prized fish. Turns out YouTube had a plethora of videos on how to filet a fish! So that is just what I did!

Below is my attempt at filleting my first fish, and I can report it wasn’t too difficult! I turned this fish into traditional snapper piccata that my family devoured before I could snap a picture.

All in all, it was a great day at the Le Reine Farmer and Fish Market. It was more fun than I thought It would be, and i’m ready to head back soon! I’m thankful I had my girlfriend to show me the ropes for my next trip.

If you happen to be on St. Croix on a Wednesday or Saturday, stop by the Market and see, smell and taste for yourself! It’s been a local shopping traditions for generations and you won’t leave empty handed, that’s for sure.

Until our next adventure,

Angela