Farmers Market Update: Brassica!
This weekend was the Brassica Festival at the San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers Market.
Brassica is a genus of vegetables in the mustard or cabbage family that includes cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, turnips, bok choy, kohlrabi and Brussels sprouts. They are also known as cruciferous vegetables, and I adore them.
In honor of the festival I stocked up on two kinds of kale, collard greens, broccoli and kohlrabi. I resisted Brussels sprouts since I got them last week. The great thing about brassica vegetables is they are very affordable, usually less than $2/bunch.
Generally I am spending a lot less money at the farmers market now that summer is over. I attribute this largely to the lack of berries and stone fruit. Oh, and my $10/week tomato habit has now dried up. But I can’t complain at all.
Citrus, especially the mandarins, are marvelous this season and getting better every week. Pomegranate seeds are by far my favorite thing on my breakfast. Pears from Frog Hollow Farm are freaky good.
Persimmons. Almonds. Walnuts.
I think I’m falling in love with autumn in San Francisco.
I finally got some kiwi this week. If you’re a kiwifruit fan, you absolutely must go try the ones from Four Sisters Farm, they have an unbelievable flavor that is almost floral. I had no idea kiwi could be so complex. These are really special.
Many of the farms are offering gift wrapped items for the holidays. Most of these things are pretty cute, probably delicious and something to consider if you’re shopping for any foodies.
Or for that person who has everything, you could always just get one of these giant parsnips. They are about the size of your head. Who doesn’t need jumbo parsnips?
Exactly.
Today’s Purchases:
- Purple kale (Capay Organics)
- Tuscan kale (Capay Organics)
- Collard greens (Capay Organics)
- Broccoli crowns (Catalán Family Farm)
- Cubanell peppers (Happy Quail Farms)
- Cippolini onions (Dirty Girl Produce)
- Seckel pears (Frog Hollow Farm)
- Mandarins (Twin Girls Farm)
- Fuyu persimmons (Paredez Farm)
- Kiwifruit (Four Sisters Farm)
- Kohlrabi (Tierra Vegetables)
it’s really unfair that you are in the sunny state of california. period.
😉
Ha ha, trust me it’s not an accident! I visited Boston once in January and knew I could never go to grad school there. Brrrr.
Shieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUjh9Id6Id8&feature=related), you turned down Harvard/MIT?
do you think you could/would be all farm-sy if you were living in a cold(er) area (ie. nordic european countries or canada)?
Brassica is my favorite genus, I love ’em! Wish I could of been there…looks like an awesome festival.
I got some satsuma fruit this weekend and man are those things addictive…even more so than clementines.
(Speaking of weather, it’s 29 degrees Fahrenheit right now and my digits are numbbbbbbbbbbb…)