May 30 2010
Bay Bridge
Saturday was a perfect day in San Francisco. It was warm, clear and beautiful. The farmers market was full of cherries, peaches and strawberries, and I tasted the best apricot ever at Frog Hollow Farm.
Basically it was too nice to stay inside writing about it. Photos will have to suffice today.
Bing Cherries
Green Garlic
Loquats
Peppers
Potatoes
Red Onions
Saturn Peaches
Shallots
White Peaches & Apricots
Mar 21 2010
Cioggia Beets
Last week we sprung ahead and this weekend marks the official spring equinox. Woohoo!
We have had absolutely spectacular weather here in San Francisco, which could not feel better after the months of rain we endured.
To celebrate I got myself some morel mushrooms, one of the true delicacies of springtime. Excitement is an understatement.
Organic Chard
Morel Mushrooms
Another vegetable I couldn’t resist this afternoon were the beets. I am not particularly in the mood for beets, but they were everywhere and looked beautiful. I got one bunch of the lovely white and pink striped cioggia beets and one standard red bunch. Naturally I will use both the roots and the leaves.
Beet greens are an awesome substitute for chard or spinach. If you’ve never tried them I highly recommend it.
Beyond beets, other root vegetables including carrots, celery root and onions are in season and as sweet as they will be all year.
Shallots
Carrots, Fennel & Celery Root
I’m also really enjoying the delicate little broccoli I’ve been finding lately. These little guys are sweeter and more tender than the big broccoli crowns. I can’t go a week without getting a bag full. You can also find this Italian variety, broccoli di Ciccio (the sign is spelled wrong). The flowers, of course, are edible.
Broccoli di Ciccio
Artichokes are something else you shouldn’t miss this time of year. The big ones are great, but I also love to cook up some baby artichokes with leeks and walnuts as a side dish or pasta topping.
Leeks
Large Organic Artichokes
And no talk of springtime is complete without mentioning asparagus. I have a wonderful recipe for balsamic asparagus and carrots. It’s very simple and incredibly delicious.
Asparagus
Finally, don’t forget about all the wonderful citrus, it will be disappearing in the coming weeks.
Kumquats
Navel Oranges
Today’s purchases:
Cutest Pug Ever
Jan 03 2010
Brussels Sprouts Stalk
Holiday spending making you wish you didn’t have to buy food the rest of the month?
You’re in luck, the farmers market in January is full of healthy, delicious and very affordable produce. This weekend I spent about half of what I do during a normal week in any other season.
Shanghai Bok Choy $2
Napa Cabbage $1
My guess is winter produce is cheaper than spring and summer produce because it is more sturdy. During the summer, stone fruit (peaches, plums, etc.), berries and delicate greens are extremely perishable. They are also sweeter, so probably more labor intensive to grow (I’m just speculating here, farmers please feel free to chime in).
Sweet Potatoes and Acorn Squash
Winter Produce
Whatever the reason, the food is cheap now at the farmers market. But don’t let that fool you into thinking it isn’t tasty. Hearty greens, root vegetables and squash are perfect soul-warming food for this frigid weather.
It’s win-win!
Fennel Bottoms
The star of the season is brassica, also known as cruciferous vegetables. These are generally what we think of when we say “leafy greens.” Examples of brassica are broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, turnips, kale, etc.
Purple Kohlrabi and Kale
Organic Broccoli
It’s pretty common to not like these vegetables, so I won’t hold it against you if you just grimaced a little. But if you have only had them frozen or from the regular grocery store I urge you to try brassica again at your local farmers market.
When brassica are grown with care they are sweet and not bitter, tender and not tough. They are really delicious, probably my favorite. But I hated them as a kid. I urge you to give them another chance if you don’t love them already.
Audrey II
It’s also a great time to get onions, leeks, shallots and garlic. Not surprisingly, these make your brassica taste even better.
Dirty Girl Shallots
Twisted Leeks
But life isn’t all about Brussels sprouts and broccoli this time of year. Citrus fruit is taking the market by storm, bringing a splash of warm color to cool weather.
Citron
Blood Oranges
I grew up in Southern California so I’m a little picky when it comes to citrus, but I had my socks knocked off today by the clementines at Olsen Organic Farm. You can’t go wrong with any of the clementines in San Francisco right now, but these were truly special. The flavor was so rich and concentrated. In my hypnosis I bought a huge bag of them.
Olsen Organic Clementines
Tropical fruits are also popping up at the farmers market. Today alone I spotted mango, kiwi, Malaysian white guava and white cherimoya. Too bad there wasn’t any bikini weather to pair with them.
Malaysian White Guavas
Kiwis
And of course this time of year there are always persimmons, apples, pears, and pomegranates, though the seasons are winding down.
I didn’t get a picture, but the chanterelle mushrooms were also particularly spectacular.
Can you still find fresh veggies in your city? What’s your favorite?
Today’s Purchases:
Oct 25 2009
Tomatoes
I’m delighted to introduce you to Stephanie Stiavetti who agreed to step in and cover the Grand Lake farmers market in Oakland while I was away this week.
Stephanie Stiavetti is a Bay Area freelance food and nutrition writer. Besides writing for magazines and radio, she also blogs about living a healthy gourmet (and gluten-free!) lifestyle at Wasabimon.com. Her top priority in life is eating well in every sense of the word and making sure people know that eating healthy can be a delicious endeavor.
You can also follow her on Twitter under the name @sstiavetti.
Thanks so much Stephanie!
Hello everyone!
This is Stephanie from Wasabimon, and I’m excited to be guest posting today on Summer Tomato. Darya’s asked me to take care of the weekly Farmers Market Update while she’s in Vegas, and since I live in the East Bay, today you’ll be getting a tour of Oakland’s Grand Lake Farmers Market.
For those not in the know, Oakland has a thriving farmers market community. With over ten markets throughout the week, East Bay residents have a lot of opportunities to buy organic, locally grown produce. Here’s just a sampling of what you can find at the Grand Lake market, which happens every Saturday from 9am – 2pm year round.
I love the colors of the market this time of year. So many bright colors as summer comes to a close! First I picked up a few of my obligatory (though no less lovely) squash and peppers from Capay Farms:
Peppers
Squash
Right across the way was Rodriguez Farms, who have some of the best potatoes and strawberries around – and who doesn’t love the fact that we can get local strawberries this time of year? Yay California!
Strawberries
Potatoes
Next up were the gorgeous radishes and carrots at Ledesma Family Farms. There is always so much color in this booth and I need to wear sunglasses when I go inside:
Radishes
Carrots
After wandering around a little bit (and indulging in some kettle corn, my favorite treat), I hit the jackpot at Toscano and Sons. They have the sweetest cherry tomatoes ever! They make such a perfect addition to salads, and I can never resist them.
Cherry Tomatoes
Toscano also had baby shallots and young leeks, which are just about my favorite things ever. I’m such an allium nut – I don’t cook with them all the time, but I love how there are so many different levels of flavor within the onion family:
Leeks
Baby Shallots
Happy Boy Farms was full of lovely winter and summer squash, and as usual their herb table was full of the freshest, most fragrant greenery. Their heirloom tomatoes were off-the-charts colorful, though I had to resist the urge to buy any since I already have some at home. Happy Boy also has my favorite salad mix, with edible flowers mixed in with the rest of the greens. I mean, how could you resist this beautiful display?
Salad Greens
I also discovered something new at the farmers market this week. I’ve seen jujubes before but hadn’t ever stopped to inspect further. These little Chinese dates are really good and I highly recommend you grab a handful if you ever see them!
Jujubees
Then how could I not stop and smell the roses at Western Sun Floral?
Roses
And on the way out the door, I stopped by my favorite stand, Marshall’s Farm Honey. Since I avoid refined sweeteners, honey is a mainstay in my kitchen:
Honey
I had a fabulous time at the Grand Lake Farmers Market today, and I hope you enjoyed my little photo tour. Thanks, Darya, for letting me share!
<3
~Steph
What did you find at your farmers market this week?
Aug 23 2009
Cherry Tomatoes
Despite the San Francisco weather–more gloomy than sunny–it is actually summer. That means pluots, peaches, nectarines, figs, melons, eggplant, corn, peppers and, of course, tomatoes.
Could anything be more perfect?
Sugar Snap Peas
Pluots
The tomatoes are especially amazing right now (don’t miss the early girls!), and I’m finally ready to make my favorite summer tomato recipe, bruschetta! Tune in tomorrow for my easy recipe.
Something else I’ve noticed lately at the market are the over-sized carrots, which look perfect for turning into soup or other mashed concoction. Likewise, big heads of cauliflower are starting to reappear, which are fantastic for vegetable stews. Last week I turned mine into Moroccan soup.
Cauliflower and Cucumber
Carrots
I’ve also noticed apples, grapes, mature onions, mature garlic, and other foods that are decidedly post-summer fare. Take this as a sign that you should eat as many plums, peaches and melons while you can. Fall is right around the corner.
Organic Shallots
Organic Garlic
Speaking of plums, the very short 3-4 week season of French plums (fresh “prunes”) is peaking and they are spectacular. I bought a full bag to have with breakfast this week.
Early McIntosh Apples
French Prunes
What did you find at the farmers market this weekend?
Today’s Purchases:
Darya @ The Huffington Post
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