Blackberries

I’ve wanted a Seattle market update for so long. Huge thanks to Aubrey for making it happen.

Aubrey Bach is one of the co-founders of www.yay-today.com, a Seattle-based blog dedicated to sharing the best (and cheapest) things to do, see, buy and eat in the city.

If you’re interested in finding out more about the deals the girls at yay-today are busy finding, visit their blog www.yay-today.com, like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter @yay_today.

Farmers Market Update: Seattle’s University District

by Aubrey Bach

I am super excited to be representing Seattle for the Summer Tomato Farmer’s Market Update this week! I’ve been an avid reader of Darya’s for well over a year and love her enthusiasm for fresh produce and good food. Luckily, I live in Seattle, where you can find a neighborhood farmer’s market going on nearly every day of the week during the summer months, so I get to indulge in my own veggie voyeurism every week as well.

This Sunday, we headed to the University District Farmer’s Market, the oldest farmer’s market in Seattle (and one that’s been included in Huffington Post’s top 10 list).

Of course, I set out with my handy shopping list–it’s the only way to keep your grocery budget under control.

Blueberries

It hasn’t exactly been a hot couple of months, but the produce certainly looks like summer. The Pacific Northwest has the best berries I’ve ever tasted- blueberries are just barely hanging on, while blackberries are just coming into their own.

Who needs donuts when you have sweet, drippy donut peaches? YUM.

Donut Peaches

These baby carrots are pretty sweet too.

Baby Carrots

You can never have too many big bunches of fresh spinach. Of course, you don’t only have to stick to spinach when you have a variety of greens to choose from.

Greens

Spinach

I’ve been having a major moment with radishes lately. So good in salads and on buttered bread. If you frequent a farmer’s market, you know that green beans don’t always have to be green.

Yellow Wax Beans

Radishes

Of course, you can’t post about Seattle without mentioning salmon. It’s what we’re known for–whether it’s fresh, smoked, or even roe! And it’s freshest (and definitely the best value) when you buy it from fisherman at the farmer’s market.

Smoked Salmon

This week’s haul:

• Fresh and smoked salmon – Loki Fish Co.
• Blueberries – Ernie’s Berries
• Cherry tomatoes – Billy’s Gardens
• Padrona Peppers – Billy’s Gardens
• Donut Peaches – Martin Family Orchards
• Basil – Youa Her & Kaying’s Garden
• Carrots – Alm Hill Gardens
• Green Beans – Alm Hill Gardens
• Radishes – Growing Things
• Spinach – Youa Her & Kaying’s Garden
• Purslane – Stony Plains Organic Farms
• Kale – Stony Plains Organic Farms

Tags: Seattle

Yellow Doll Watermelon

I’m extremely excited to welcome the Spinach Tiger herself, Angela Roberts, who is providing a beautiful visual tour of the Franklin Farmers Market in Nashville.

Angela Roberts  is a faux artist turned food blogger.  As an artist, her food has to look good as well as taste good. She always starts with fresh, local ingredients, combining healthy and hearty, which inspired  the tag line, “food a woman will love and a man will marry her for.”

You can follow her on twitter @spinachtiger or become a fan of Spinach Tiger on Facebook.

Farmers Market Update: Nashville

by Angela Roberts

When Darya offered me an opportunity to talk about our own farmer’s market, I got excited for two reasons. Summer Tomato is one of my favorite blogs, and one of the reasons is her weekly highlight of my all time favorite farmer’s market.

Although I live in the Nashville area, I have visited the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market several times. Just like Darya is at the Ferry Plaza every weekend, I can be found every Saturday morning at the Franklin Farmer’s Market, and this might seem a bit odd, but I usually spend a good part of my morning there.

Cherry Tomatoes

Music

The Franklin Farmer’s Market, held in an outdoor pavilion at the Factory in Franklin, has a lot of heart and much to be proud of. We even have music.

Franklin is a small historic town, in cahoots with Nashville, and the market serves all of Williamson County. It’s special for several reasons:

It’s a local only market. All of the meat, herbs and produce come from middle Tennessee. The people selling you the food are the same people growing the food.

It’s dynamic, growing by leaps and bounds, adding new food artisans and farmers every year. In 9 seasons, they have grown from 9 to over 70 vendors.

Watermelon and Tomatoes

Its open year round, and this says a lot about the commitment level of both the farmer’s and the local shoppers. I never knew about muscadine grapes, purple hull peas or yellow doll watermelon. Every week there is something exciting in produce that I’ve never seen before. But, at this time of year, I face the heat to get the season’s best tomatoes.

Heirloom Tomatoes

Green Tomatoes

I love purple foods, not just the health benefits, but the beauty.

Muscadine Grapes

Eggplants

The Produce You Expect to Find: Green Beans, Corn, Squash

Corn

Green Beans

Thai Chilies

Purple Hull Beans, Baby Limas

And, then there are the local food artisans, who seem to work 24 hours a day baking bread, making cheesecakes, jellies, jams, honey.

Local honey can help with seasonal allergies

There is never a Saturday that we don’t buy one of Lucy’s Super Muffins. For those desiring a richer treat, Lucy is known all over town for her cheesecakes. She also sells savory homemade dips and spreads.

My most recent purchases were a chick pea gluten free and yukon potato/truffle oil ravioli.

You can buy excellent quality grass fed meat from local farms, such as West Wind Farms, Bear Creek Farm and Hatcher Family Dairy to name a few.

Hatcher Family Dairy

Alfresco Pasta

I know many of the vendors personally, as I engage with them every week. I have even visited a few of the farms. You might be surprised how open the vendors are to a visit.

Once you meet the goats that bring you Nobel Springs fabulous cheese, you’ll head to market every week to stock up. I am a fan of Hatcher cream and Nobel Springs Goat Farm. I’ve seen first hand how hard they work and the quality of their product.

Nobel Springs Goat Farm

Cooking from the Market

I left the market with a bushel of heirlooms, happily taking home the discarded tomatoes that couldn’t be sold. In two days, I made bruschetta, tomato marmalade and tomato panzanella topped with farm fresh eggs. I also made homemade pasta.

Fresh Pasta

Fresh Eggs

The farmers have had challenges this year with the May flood and then the severe heat. Yet they have managed to do their best and bring food made with care. There are many organic farmers and many farmers who aren’t certified organic but heed exceptional farming practices to bring you the best tasting, healthy food. I am proud to honor them here at Summer Tomato.

Purchases:

• Eggplant from Rocky Glade Farm, Eagleville
• Carrots from Beaverdam Creek Farm, Centerville
• Green Beans from Kirkview Farm, College Grove
• Poblano and Serrano Peppers from Triple Springs Organic Produce
• Heirloom Tomatoes, Yellow Doll Watermelon from Rainbow Hill Farm, McMinnville
• Fresh Eggs – Gardner Grove, Lewisburg
• Chevre Goat Cheese from Noble Springs Dairy, Franklin
• Cream, Hatcher Dairy Farm, College Grove
• Super Muffins from Lucy’s Kitchen
• Purple Hull Peas from See Sun Vu Farms, Toone
• Corn on the Cob from Delvin Farms, College Grove

If you’d like to share your local farmers market with Summer Tomato readers, use the contact form to drop me an email.

Tags: Nashville

Summer Squash

It was a beautiful day today in San Francisco. I’m feeling much better and was super excited to hit up the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market and snap some photos.

Apparently though, I’m still not quite in top form. When I tried to take a picture of these beautiful grapes, my camera smugly informed me that it did not contain its memory card. PhotoFAIL. Luckily, I had my trusty iPhone 4.

Lovely Grapes

I was curious how the new iPhone would perform at the farmers market, and today it had it’s chance to prove itself. I still think I prefer my regular Canon SD900, but overall I was pretty impressed with my pocket phone. What do you think?

Not too much has changed at the market from last week. The late summer produce is beautiful, especially the eggplants, peppers, peaches and plums.

French Prunes

Rosa Bianca Eggplants

The beets have been marvelous (and impressive!), as are the summer squash.

Magda Cousa Squash

Impressive Beetroot

I’m happy to see green bean season is starting to take off. We are experimenting with pickling some beans this weekend. Recipe on its way.

Pickled Blue Lake Beans

Don’t forget the greens and onions either, they are all amazing this time of year.

Spanish Onions

Escarole

Fresh chamomile was nice to find today as well.

Seedless Grapes

Chamomile

Today’s purchases:

• Flavor king pluots (Frog Hollow Farm)
• Peaches (Frog Hollow Farm)
• Watermelon (Capay Organics)
• Blue lake beans (Iacopi Farm)
• Blackberries (Glashoff Farms)
• French prunes (Glashoff Farms)
• Piquillo peppers (Happy Quail Farms)
• Thyme (Star Route Farms)
• Chamomile plant (Orangewood Farm)
• Ham (Marin Sun Farms)
• Eggs (Marin Sun Farms)
• Whole wheat bread (Acme)

Tags: beets, chamomile, eggplant, escarole, Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, grapes, green beans, iPhone, onions, pickling, prunes, San Francisco, summer squash

Bicolor Corn

You’re probably sick of hearing about how sick I am. Trust me, so am I.

On Tuesday I was diagnosed with pneumonia. Fortunately antibiotics are a miracle and I’m definitely getting better. But I still would have stayed home from the farmers market this weekend to rest up if the wonderful lady that was scheduled to cover the Farmers Market Update this week hadn’t come down with strep throat. Seriously, what’s up with all the summer illness?!

Flavor Grenade Pluots

Flavor King Pluots

Though my energy was low, a couple things were notable from the market this week. We are definitely seeing the transition into late summer. The flavor king pluots at Frog Hollow Farm have arrived. These are magical fruits. If you’re in SF you absolutely must find a way to try one in the next few weeks. I promise you won’t regret it.

We are also in the midst of melon season. I’ve only tried a few, but so far they are sweet and flavorful. Next weekend I’m getting a watermelon for sure.

White & Yellow Nectarines

Summer Melons

I was also surprised to see grapes appearing already. Though I love grapes, this makes me kind of sad. Grapes remind me of fall, and it has been so cold this summer in SF the idea of skipping the rest of the season is heartbreaking. Fingers crossed for a warm September.

Gravenstein Apples

First Grapes

Seeing these apples would have made me sad as well, but I recently learned (thanks Pim!) that Gravenstein apples are summer apples. I don’t bake pies, but apparently they work nicely for baking.

I hope the rest of you are healthy and happy, and having a wonderful weekend.

Today’s purchases:

• Passport melon (The Peach Farm)
• Cherry and sungold tomatoes (The Peach Farm)
• Heirloom tomatoes (The Peach Farm)
• Armenian cucumber (Payne Farm)
• Flavor king pluot (Frog Hollow Farm)
• Summer lady peach (Frog Hollow Farm)
• Rainbow chard (Dirty Girl Produce)
• Baby leeks (Dirty Girl Produce)
• Cilantro (Dirty Girl Produce)
• Zephyr squash (Lucero Organic Farms)
• Bicolor corn (G&S Farm)
• Sweet pepper (Happy Quail Farms)
• Poblano pepper (Happy Quail Farms)
• Mediterranean cucumbers (Happy Quail Farms)
• Collard greens (Green Gulch Farm)
• Tea bouquet (Green Gulch Farm)

Tags: corn, Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, Frog Hollow Farm, melons, pluots, San Francisco

We’re going to do something a little different this week.

Those of you who have been following me on Twitter or daryapino.com (redesigned site and moved to Squarespace!) know I’ve been really sick this past week. It’s weird, I haven’t been sick in years and years.

Anyway, being bed-ridden makes it tough to go to the farmers market and I didn’t have enough time to get a guest blogger from another city. Instead I’m going to share with you an article of mine that was recently published in Edible San Francisco, SF Superfoods: Basil. It’s about basil, so it’s kinda farmers markety.

I’m only giving you a little teaser here, but head over to read more about how to store and use basil, and the best places to find, eat and drink it here in SF.

SF Superfoods: Basil

by Darya Pino

Stroll through a farmers’ market at the height of summer and you’ll be tantalized by the sweet perfume of basil. This pungent herb brings a taste of the garden to summertime dishes around the city. Basil’s intoxicating aroma comes from several different essential oils, many of which show up in other herbs, including mint, clove, and anise. The unique scent of each basil variety—there are over 20—is represented by a specific ratio of its different aromatic components.

WHAT IS IT

Basil is most commonly associated with Italian cuisine, but is also a popular herb in Southeast Asia. Sweet Italian basil is bright green, usually has large leaves, and has a sweet, clove-like flavoring. Genovese basil is the most popular cultivated variety, particularly for making pesto, the traditional sauce of Genoa. Thai basil can be recognized by its smaller leaves and purple stems. It is more pungent and has stronger notes of anise and mint than does sweet Italian basil. Thai basil is popularly used in Thai stir fries, curries, and the Vietnamese noodle soup pho.

HEALTH BENEFITS

Basil packs one of the biggest antioxidant punches of any plant, boasting levels of phytochemicals much greater than found in most other herbs or even spinach and broccoli…

SOURCING AND STORAGE

Sweet Italian basil can be found at local farmers’ markets during the summer…

AT HOME

Some of the best basil dishes are the simplest…

EATING OUT

The restaurant Farina has perfected a classic Genovese pesto…

Continue reading…

I hope all of you are having a lovely weekend and are in better health than I am. Tell me what you got at the farmers market this weekend (Flickr links welcome) and I’ll live vicariously through you.

xoxo

Tags: basil, EdibleSF