Margie's Goodies

In honor of the Super Bowl and permanently nice weather, today’s guest farmers market update is from sunny Miami, Florida.

Brilliant and irreverent, Holly Hickman is one of my favorite healthy eating bloggers. Definitely check out (and subscribe to) her blog and follow her on Twitter @Holly_Hickman. You will not regret it.

Holly is also the author of Healthy Eats Here, a guide to local, sustainable restaurants across America. If you like good, healthy food and have done any traveling you know how difficult it can be to find a decent meal on the road. Holly has figured it all out for us and organized an easy to use, state-by-state guide. I’m very proud to be an affiliate for such awesomeness.

I hope you enjoy Holly’s adventures at the farmers market as much as I did. And be sure to listen to the audio clip at the bottom of the post!

Farmers Market Update: South Beach (Pinecrest)

by Holly Hickman

Greetings from South Beach, or, as I like to call it, The Fanny Parade.

The locusts football fans are in town this week for the Super Bowl–otherwise known in Cocaine Cowboy Country as the Super Blow–and I am in need of escape. Normally, escaping from Miami simply requires that you grab your typical fanny parader off the street and use her as a human floatation device. (As I told Darya, she might live near Silicon Valley, but I live surrounded by Silicone Valleys.) However, our lovely ladies are busy partying, so I’m heading to my other –real– escape: the local farmers market.

You might think from the above paragraph that I do not love my adopted town. I do; I just like to tease it. And the great source of my love for this town is not the ocean or insistently happy weather or even the proximity to phenomenal Cuban coffee: it is, ladies and gents, the Pinecrest farmers market.

We have a number of markets here but Pinecrest, although a 30-minute drive from my house, is my go-to haven. My favorite farmers are all there: Margie Pikarsky of Redland Organics; resident goat whisperer Hani Khouri of Hani’s Organics; and Gabrielle Berryer of Gaby’s Farm.

Behold why they are my favorites:

Tomatoes from Margie's stand

If you’re reading this from Iowa, I am sorry. Those are–apologies again, this time to Darya–summer tomatoes. Only they burst forth in JANUARY ’round these parts. Yes! And go through about April. Yes. And Margie grows the best of them.

“Do you know the differences among all these?” she asked me.

Um, no.

“These are the green zebra. This is the Cherokee Purple, kind of a dusky rose. Ooh! Yellow Pear. And then these kind start off pale but will blush into a beautiful mahogany on your counter. Look at the the heirlooms. Beautiful, no?”

I bought two packs.

Farmer Margie & her nearly sold-out broccoli

This is Margie trimming her magical swirling broccoli. OK, so they only taste like magic.

“It’s because of the frost,” she said.  “Makes ‘em sweeter.”

Ka-ching!

She was also selling (clockwise from top left of main photo): freshly-dug potatoes and beets. (She digs beets.) Beautiful Florida avocado, which are not as creamy as the California kind, but which are as large as footballs and make a fine game-time guacamole. Local wild honey, assorted cabbages, herbs such as lemon grass and Syrian oregano (”the only kind”), turnips and luffa. Yes, for scrubbing your skin; it’s a plant that grows beautifully here in subrtropical climes. She also sells those mulit-colored carrots, plus Asian greens such as tatsoi (perfect for stir-fries), several kinds of organic Florida citrus and some gorgeous eggplant. Anything that grows well in Thailand grows well here.

I could spend all day at this stand, but I am hungry for falafel. Time to go see Hani and his wife, Mary Lee.

Hani and Mary Lee Khouri of Hanisorganics.com

Hani is the only goat farmer around, and, luckily for us, his goat milk, goat ice cream and goat cheese are all exquisite. That is why I call him the goat whisperer. He’s originally from Lebanon and sells Mediterranean delights such as fattoush (a pita and tomato salad that won’t make you fattoush); fool (a delightful legume-based dish which, again, won’t make you into one); and fantastic hummus and falafel.

Left from top: fattoush, fool & lupini beans

Hani made me a gorgeous falafel sandwich with his home-pickled turnips while I asked Mary Lee about their beautiful goat’s milk ice cream.  There was none, she said, because the goats are “kidding,” and she doesn’t want to take their milk. Sane and humane.

Hani Khouri makes sure Holly isn't cranky

So, no ice cream from Hani, but I know where I can get some: Gaby’s Farm.

The aptly named Gaby Berryer

Gabrielle Berryer is originally from Haiti and spent years working as a psychologist. One day, she decided to buy a farm south of Miami so that she could grow tropical fruits. And she does–oh how she does! Starfruit, canistel (a creamy, custardy fruit), mamey (which I wrote a post about, since I love it so) passion fruit and myriad other delights.

Gaby's Ice Creams

If you have never tasted any of these fruits, buy a ticket here. NOW. And then go see Gaby. She not only grows these delectable paens to tropical love; she makes ice cream out of them. People. Sit. They have a teensy bit of corn syrup in them to keep them creamy and give them good consistency, but other than that, they are perfect. You can find them at Whole Foods throughout the southeast, but I think she should go national.

Here’s a wee interview with my favorite farmers where we learn about kidding, tropical fruits, and why eating stone crabs is sustainable:

Holly at the South FL Farmers Market

And here is the result of my purchases–homemade pizza that we ate topped with an arugula salad, plus an eggplant/tomato riff on baba ganoush. Dessert? Gaby’s ice cream, of course. Darya, you must come to South Florida; they make the magic happen here. And I’m not talking about Mickey.

Dinner with my purchases

Purchases:

Redland Organics

• Tomatoes
• Eggplant
• Broccoli
• Arugula
• Salad Greens
• Asian Greens
• Kohlrabi
• Starfruit
• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Savoy Cabbage

Hani’s Organics

• Fattoush salad
• Lupini beans — eat ‘em like peanuts
• Fool salad
• Falafel wrap

Gaby’s Farm

• Canistel Ice Cream

From Darya: Are any more of you holding out on me with winter tomatoes? Time to fess up!

Tags: Holly Hickman, Miami, Pinecrest, South Beach

Murals at Alemany

Instead of my usual trip to the San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, this week I visited the Alemany farmers market in San Francisco near Bernal Heights.

People love this market, and it is kind of amazing that I have never been to it before. My main excuse is that it isn’t easy to get to via public transportation.

Lemon Slices

Blood Orange

The Alemany farmers market was founded in 1943 and is the oldest in California. The stalls are painted with beautiful and sometimes humorous murals, and the market has a fantastic community of local farmers and vendors. It is the only city-run farmers market in San Francisco, and some of the vendors I spoke to had been members for generations.

Giant Turnips

Lemongrass

The produce was notably more affordable than what I normally find at the Ferry Plaza market, though the selection was not quite as broad. There is also a fantastic selection of prepared foods, including the best dulce de leche cookies in the entire universe.

Pumpkin Bolani

Dulce de Leche Cookies

I also enjoyed fava dips from Fava, and vegan Afghani stuffed breads from Bolani.

The Alemany farmers market is a special community and worth a trip for all San Francisco residents.

Flowers

Jumbo Lemons

Have you been to the Alemany farmers market?

Tags: Alemany, blood orange, Bolani, dulce de leche, Fava, lemon, lemongrass, turnips

Blue Bottle Coffee

I’m thrilled to have Allison Arevalo from Local Lemons representing today from across the bay in Berkeley.

The Berkeley farmers market on Center street downtown is one of my old stomping grounds. Though there is a lot of overlap in products between Berkeley and SF, the vibe is completely different. This synopsis has definitely inspired me to head back sometime soon.

Allison is a Brooklyn girl who escaped New York for the sunny skies and year-round produce of Berkeley, California. Local Lemons is a collection of original, all-natural recipes designed to give you a taste of local, sustainable living in the East Bay.

Farmers Market Update: Berkeley

by Allison Arevalo

Days like this make it easy to forget winter. While most of the world hides beneath down comforters and behind woolen scarves, in Berkeley I saunter slowly around the farmers’ market, sun warm on my back. And while I am grateful to breath summer air in January, I feel most fortunate to enjoy vibrant greens of winter produce – something I was deprived of living in New York.

My day at the Berkeley market began with a hug from Denise (Chez Us) and a steaming cup of Bella Donovan from Blue Bottle coffee. From there we walked the length of the market, taking it in before making all-important decisions. The Berkeley market is often a sea of green, but today the emerald hues were as varied as the vegetables themselves. Kale, chard, romanesco, broccoli, arugula, spinach, leeks and other greens flourish during the temperate, wet Bay Area winters, making it the ideal time of year to indulge in their nutrients.

Celery

Romanesco

Green garlic recently made its yearly market debut, and oh, how I love the mild bite of green garlic. Cook with it, use it as a garnish, stir it into soups or puree it for dips. A favorite recipe of mine uses sautéed green garlic mixed with smashed cannellini beans, a drizzle of olio nuevo and a pinch of flaky pink salt. I grabbed a few stocks from Riverdog farms, where I also purchased plump, stout carrots, so sweet they taste candied.

Phoenix Bread

Green Garlic

Our next stop was Phoenix Pastificio. The Phoenix makes a rainbow of fresh pastas–porcini, squid ink, meyor lemon, saffron–homemade sauces, cookies and their famous rustic olive bread. I have yet to leave the market without touting a loaf of the cushy artisanal bread, brimming with tangy kalamatas.

Watermelon Radish

Butternut Squash

Among mountains of butternut squash, baskets of sweet lettuce, piles of watermelon radishes and stacks of fresh cheese, Berkeley market is a community; a gathering of locals who come to chat up the virtues of purple carrots, or sample green olive and potato tamales wrapped in banana leaves. I am particularly fond of the white-haired, dreaded beatnik, who reminds me what I love about Berkeley as he strums and sings nostalgic tunes from Bob Dylan.

Today’s Purchases:

Sweet Lettuce: Happy Boy Farms

Arugula: Happy Boy Farms

Rustic Olive Bread: Phoenix Pastificio

Green Garlic: Riverdog Farm

Carrots: Riverdog Farms

Romanesco: Riverdog Farms

Fresh Local Prawns: Hudson Seafood

Bella Donavan: Blue Bottle Coffee

Tags: Allison Arevalo, Berkeley, guests, Local Lemons

Dupont Circle Farmers Market

This week our featured Farmers Market Update is from Washington DC!

Olga Berman spends her free time cooking, salsa dancing and traveling. She believes cooking for one can be as rewarding as cooking for company, and doesn’t need to involve a lot of time or ingredients.

Olga’s recipes are inspired by her memories of growing up in Russia, her travels and what’s available in her fridge at any given time. Check out more recipes from Olga’s collection at Mango & Tomato, follow her on Twitter (@mangotomato).

Farmers Market Update: Dupont Circle in DC

by Olga Berman

If you think cold weather means no more farmers markets, don’t give up quite yet.

The Dupont Circle Farmers Market in Washington DC is open year round, rain or shine, on Sundays from 9 am to 1 pm. I visited the market on December 6th and found an abundant amount of produce, flowers, holiday gifts and even a sample of potato soup from Jaleo, Jose Andres’ restaurant.

I first stopped at the Sunnyside Farm & Orchard to check out the fresh onions, radishes, beets, and greens. All these winter vegetables are not only full of nutrients, but are also beautiful (see above photo-).

My next stop was Black Rock Orchard. Here you could pick up several varieties of apples and pears, green onions, and three varieties of turnips.

Apples

Turnips

At the New Morning Farm, I found two types of vegetables that I’ve never seen before: watermelon radishes and tat soi. Watermelon radishes are larger in size than a typical radish and have a pretty pink color inside. They can be used in salads, roasted, or sautéed in butter. Tat soi, I was told, should be cooked similar to bok choy.

Tatsoi

Watermelon Radish

Next was Twin Spring Fruit Farm. I was happy to see that they still had tomatoes available. Surprisingly, tomatoes smelled and tasted as if they were picked in August. The farm also had what you would typically consider a late fall/early winter produce: sweet potatoes and carrots.

Sweet Potatoes & Carrots

Winter Tomatoes

For those of you who are not tired of pumpkin, you can find it and other winter squash at Gardeners’ Gourmet. I especially liked the multi-colored and odd-shaped pumpkins. And speaking of multi-colored, Gardener’s Gourmet had white, yellow and purple cauliflower. Unfortunately, the color of the cauliflower doesn’t add anything special to the taste.

Colorful Cauliflower

Winter Squash

All in all, it is definitely worth it to bundle up in your warm clothes, get a cup of coffee and stroll through a winter farmers’ market. You are bound to find delicious apples and discover a few new produce items. Not only will you be supporting your local farming community, but you might learn a new recipe or two.

What did you find at your market this week?

Tags: guests, Mango & Tomato, Washington DC

Paris Farmers Market Update

Yes, you read that right! Today’s Farmers Market Update is straight from the streets of Paris by the lovely Joanna Milo Ragland (@GirlAboutParis). Joanna is a California resident but has been living in Paris for the past several months, getting to know the local markets and vendors.

I love these guest posts from shoppers in other cities and am thinking about making this a monthly event. What do you think?

Farmers Market Update: Paris In Autumn

by Joanna Milo Ragland

The many Paris markets range from tiny and touristy to huge and mostly local. Each neighborhood has its own market, some of the once or twice weekly roving variey, others in stable locations open Tuesday through Sunday.

The largest of the roving local markets is the Marché de Bastille. Spanning several long blocks of boulevard Richard Lenoi along the Canal St. Martin, the Bastille market offers rows upon rows of the freshest, most colorful produce. The generally jovial vendors are all too happy to offer samples of their wares.

Clementines

Market Vendor

Near the 1pm market closing time, wheeling and dealing becomes de rigeur and a friendly smile might just fetch you a couple extra clementines in your shopping bag.

As in San Francisco, the late summer produce is on its way out, but peppers, eggplant, and figs are still widely available. Prickly Italian figs (also known as figues de barbarie and more reminiscent of cactus than figs), persimmons (here called kaki), and grapes in abundance can be found at just about every fruit stand.

The prickley Italian figues de barbarie has a green skin that becomes orange as it ripens and a bright orange flesh. Delicious as this strange little fruit is, I found it nearly impossible to eat, as it’s full of small, hard seeds that permeate the entirety of the soft flesh. Am I missing something?

Paris Produce

Figuier de Barbarie

(Note from Darya: Figuier de barbarie (English translation) are actually cactus fruit, or prickly pear. You’ll have to ask a Frenchman why they call them figs….)

I also spotted some huge persimmons with a lovely, deep red-orange color. (I’m a little afraid of persimmons, though they are delicious.)

Parsnips, Broccoli, Artichoke and Endive

Persimmons, Chestnuts and Berries

Adding to the orange-colored fruit party, the clementines here are already awesome; easy to peel, not too many seeds, sweet and just tart enough to be thirst-quenching…the perfect snack to take along on a day of Paris sightseeing.

The lemons are also great and I’ve been stocking up and using them in my morning tea.

Walnuts

Vendor With Chestnuts

A chatty, Tunisian vendor offered me a sample of some yellow-green Italian grapes. Though they did have some seeds, they were plump, juicy and bursting with grap-ey deliciousness. He also explained to me that Italian fruit is far superior to Spanish fruit and that pesticides are not as widely used in Italy, rendering the grapes safe to eat unwashed–not the case with grapes from Spain, I was sternly told. (LOL)

Pink pomagranates have also appeared in the last week or two and are bursting with sweet-tart antioxidant goodness, although I still find red poms to be juicier and more flavorful.

What's wrong with this picture?

Pomegranates

Also noteworthy are the many varieties of apples. I had the opportunity to sample the honey crunch apple, one I hadn’t previously heard of, and it was true to it’s name. Firm, sweet, delicious, with that great apple bite! The honey crunch would be a perfect apple to use for a tarte tatin!

Fresh Tuna

Leeks

At the veggie stands, huge leeks, radishes, and many onion varieties are beautiful, aromatic, and begging to be used in your soups, stirfrys and tagines. Kale and swiss chard are also starting to show up, though just at a few of the stands.

Oh, and mushrooms!! Can’t have a Paris market update without discussing the mushrooms. It’s porcini (cêpes) season and they are as beautiful as they are earthily fragrant. Prices can range dramatically based on the location of the market and the quality of the mushrooms, so do be sure to shop around. During the late summer and early fall, it was all about yellow (and sometimes black) oyster mushrooms, but now, porcinis  rule. Their meaty texture and hearty, earthy flavor make them amazing in soups, stews, pasta dishes, risotto, or grilled and served up on bruschetta. The porcini possibilities are endless, but the season is short so I’m enjoying them as much as possible while I can.

Paris Fish Monger

French Wine

Of course, the Paris markets have much more to offer than just fruits and veggies. Amazing seafood, cheeses, breads, sweets…it’s difficult to pass by all the beautifully displayed, wonderful smelling artisinal foods without going a bit crazy and putting a dent in your budget, not to mention your calorie-count. Not that you should count calories, especially when in Paris. Head to the markets, take in the sights, smells and flavors, and most importantly, enjoy!!

Fresh Scallops and Sea Urchin

Oysters

A bientôt et bisous de Paris!

Tags: Paris