I go to one of 3 or 4 farmers' markets once weekly and most times, arrive soon after they open for business.

I usually have eaten my breakfast at home so don't eat any food there but in the event that I'm running late and have breakfast there, I buy a buttered roll. My favorite ones are small wheat rolls with a texture like a baguette. The items I most often see people eating while walking around are sticky buns or a slice of pizza.

There are only two of us at home so I don't buy any baked goods in quantity, although I am one of the customers who'll buy two cookies or two rolls or a mini-loaf of bread. That's one of the reasons I like shopping at the farmers' markets.

I don't buy a large quantity each week but spend more there on an annual basis than I do in any regular grocery store.

I'd think "breakfast" items: muffins, cinnamon buns, coffee cake, biscuits. Not everyone eats breakfast at 5:30 like I do. I'd package singly or by twos. Have napkins if they want them. I'd do coffee if I could, too.

Teresa

I know it sounds odd, but when I worked the French Market in New Orleans, my most sold items were slices of quiche and cups of vegetable soup. Consistently. I kept the veggie soup in those large coffee pots. Even in New Orleans which isn't known for it's cold weather it was something people always bought in the early mornings [and later too]. I sold whole quiche but I sold slices too. Six slices in a pie so a good size slice for a breakfast. I sold whole quiche too and did a good business with them. Everyone's favorite was a mushroom quiche. The dealers always came over for breakfast after setting up, and there was a lot of food available. I sold individual pecan pies too and they ate them for breakfast. Just my experience.

When I was a pastry chef (working graveyard, so that my items were ready by 7:00 a.m.), the most popular early morning item was cinnamon rolls. I baked them in muffin pans, and I made the dough layered with butter, as in a puff paste. A quicker and easier recipe would be cream puffs, which are a better alternative to doughnuts or beignets, both of which require a hot beverage. Another favorite was double chocolate brownies. Apple fritters would be another good choice - I haven't made them, but I buy them.

Lars

Our farmers market has a couple of vendors selling baked cakes,biscuits, cookies and tea loaves. There are two vendors selling artisan breads. And we have a catering vendor that serves wonderful foods, including a $10.00 breakfast of sausage, scrambled eggs and potato chorizo fritters. Worth every penny. And there is also a vendor that sells made to order waffles.

Ann

If I were there in the morning I'd be looking for something for lunch or dinner. I like to buy something for lunch that I can eat in the car on the way to wherever I'm going next. I get frustrated that I cannot find a take-away lunch that is also low-ish in calories. All I see are huge sandwiches or big squares of lasagna. I'd love to find a nice pasta salad with a choice of lo-cal dressing, even light mayo. Chicken salad (light mayo) with fruit.

How about granola for breakfast? Sell it in cups that people can nibble with a spoon or their fingers. Maybe yogurt on the side? Mmmmm, that sounds good to me.