Romanesco

January in San Francisco is apparently a zillion times nicer than summer. Sure we had some rain last week, but it was so warm, clear and beautiful today I actually went to the market in a summer dress. After last year’s summer of fog, this is was glorious.

Bay Bridge

I don’t know if this is global warming or what. It’s certainly strange to see tulips, usually a hallmark of spring that appears in early April or late March, on the last weekend in January. Hard to complain though.

Tulips in January

Despite the sun, most of the produce is still fairly wintery. One of the reasons I love this time of year is that brassica vegetables (the leafy greens) are so delicious now that eating lots of them is an absolute joy.

Cauliflower

I can’t get enough kale, broccoli, and cauliflower. This weekend we got a bunch of cabbage, daikon and carrots to make a big batch of healthy, probiotics-filled sauerkraut.

Leeks, Cabbage and Daikon

And speaking of carrots, they and other root vegetables like turnips and radishes are as sweet as can be. My puppy Toaster has learned to prefer these amazing farmers market carrots (yes my dog loves vegetables, go figure) and will actually turn his nose up at the ones I get at Whole Foods. Such a snob!

Colorful Carrots

It’s also a great time for fennel.

Fennel

For those of you still obsessed with my winter squash recipe, unfortunately they’re getting harder to find. That is, unless you prefer delicata the size of a watermelon.

Organic Winter Squash

All in all it was a lovely day. Happy winter!

Yellow Oyster Mushrooms

Today’s purchases (~$20):

• Purple cabbage (Chue’s Farm)
• Daikon (Chue’s Farm)
• Ginger (Chue’s Farm)
• Romanesco (Capay Organics)
• Cauliflower (Swanton Berry Farm)
• Kale (County Line Harvest)
• Carrots (County Line Harvest)
• Cherry juice (Hidden Star Orchards)

Pink Radishes

FINALLY! I’m back at the farmers market. It’s been so long. After going to Maui, New York, Paris, Las Vegas, LA and Disneyland, I couldn’t be happier to be back in SF with my beloved local produce.

I feel like I missed the fall altogether, but the winter seems to be going along splendidly without me.

Asian Pears

This time of year, apples and pears are winding down and citrus fruits will be the center of attention for awhile.

Satsumas

I got myself a stack of blood and navel oranges, and of course some Meyer lemons.

Meyer Lemons

But I’m just as excited about the rest of the winter produce. Something amazing happens to vegetables this time of year. Though I can usually find tasty kale and cabbage year round, in the winter they become sweeter and their flavor becomes irresistible. Same is true for broccoli and cauliflower.

Winter Produce

Romaine Lettuces

Root vegetables also make a turn for the sweeter side. Though you are probably already familiar with carrots and beets, this time of year you should branch out and try turnips, rutabagas, and radishes.

Assorted Turnips

Just like the leafy greens mentioned above, root vegetables that can get very spicy and hard to eat during the warmers month, but become sweet and crisp when the weather cools.

Purple Turnips

I love to slice up a small radish or turnip and add them to my kale to add an extra dimension of flavor and texture. But many of the root vegetables can also be eaten raw. Daikon, a large Japanese radish, is one of my favorites.

Daikon

And though I prefer purple kohlrabi slightly cooked, I had to show off how huge these guys were. They’re normally the size of a baseball or smaller. Not today!

Monstrous Kohlrabi

I picked up a few other odds and ends today as well, including some fresh bay leaves to use in the slow cooker this weekend.

Culinary Bay

I can’t tell you how excited I am to be back at the market and back in the kitchen again.

Today’s purchases:

• Lacinato kale (Capay Organics)
• Carrots (Capay Organics)
• Radishes (Capay Organics)
• Bloomsdale spinach (Heirloom Organic Gardens)
• Brussels sprouts (Iacopi Farm)
• Blood oranges (Hamada Farms)
• Navel oranges (Hamada Farms)
• Meyer lemons (Hamada Farms)
• Onion (Chue’s Farm)
• Canned early girl tomatoes (Dirty Girl Produce)
• Bay leaves (Thomas Farm)
• Bacon (Fatted Calf)
• Pork rib roast (Fatted Calf)

Want to share your farmers market with Summer Tomato readers? Read this to learn more.

Organic Pink Lady Apples

I love featuring markets that are unexpectedly vibrant. As a desert, people don’t generally assume Las Vegas will offer much in terms of fresh, artisan food, but Kari Rose shows us otherwise.

Kari is the owner of Hip Chix a women’s & children’s clothing wholesaler that supplies to boutiques, salons and online websites. She also runs Little Hip Chix, a place where children learn about fashion and the basics of sewing.

Farmers Market Update: Las Vegas

by Kari Rose

Las Vegas

Who says Vegas has no culture? I am a native of Las Vegas and boy, has Vegas changed. Every time I tell someone I live in Vegas, they say, “Where?  On the strip?”

Vegas is more than hotels, showgirls and gambling. We have several communities with great shopping, restaurants, parks, theatre and farmers markets.

Farmers Market

Vegas farmers markets started here in 1999 in local community parks. Now, we’ve got a number of markets including one of my favorites, Fresh52 & Artesian Market (fresh52.com). This market is in two locations weekly: Summerlin and Henderson. The Summerlin location (Tivoli Village at Queensridge) is closest to my home and has become my Saturday ritual.

This market has 30-40 vendors and anywhere from 500-1500 shoppers weekly. One of the things I love about this location is how the market is nestled in a European Shopping village. In the summer, with the Vegas triple-digit temperatures, it is nice that there is an indoor walk-in area too.

This market features locally and California grown seasonal produce, baked goods, gourmet oils, salsa, spices, teas, nuts and handmade crafts.

Last weekend the Fresh52 & Artesian Market was quite festive.  I was greeted by Christmas carolers, Santa and Nutcracker characters promoting their upcoming performances at the Paris Hotel here.

Carolers

My first stop, Pink Lady apples from Bentzler Family Farms-Fresno, CA-Organic. So crisp and juicy. Next stop was D&D (Dan & Debbie Garrison) for some vegetables. This couple gathers fruits and vegetables from many farms in Fresno, CA (Yang Farms, Thao Produce & Bentzler Family Farms) throughout the week and brings them to Las Vegas.

One of my interesting finds was the exotic fruit, Budda Hand from Murray Family Farms in Bakersfield, CA. The Budda Hands were interesting looking and so fragrant you could smell them from several feet away.

Buddha's Hands

The indoor, walk-in portion of the market had lots to offer….

Fresh Produce

I was happy when I saw three heads of cauliflower waiting for me for my favorite weekly dish from Darya, Curried Roasted Cauliflower. I never liked cauliflower until I tried her recipe and now my daughter & I are hooked!

Cauliflower

There are a handful of locals producing homemade salsa, jam, honey, pasta, olive oil & balsamic vinegar. One of my favorite vendors is True Foods (truefoodslv.com). I stop by the booth each week to see Scott and pick up three containers of his salsa. He makes 5 styles: House, Scott’s Pico, Taco Shop Green, Death Salsa and Guacamolito. My favorite is the House (cilantro free) but his most popular is Guacamolito. When I spoke with him today I loved his salsa even more.

True Foods Salsa

He told me he met his wife at age 12—they were high school sweethearts, got married and both became middle school science teachers (with Master degrees). When they had a child, they decided to take turns taking a sabbatical from work so they could start their business and stay home to raise their child.

Right now Scott is taking his turn staying home, making salsa, and caring for their child. On the weekends, he and his wife sell their salsa at the farmers market. They also distribute to Whole Foods.

Salsas

Dried Fruit – Valley Best: Locally grown although the tropical are from California ()

Dried Fruits

Jams – Miguel’s Homemade Salsa & More: (Pahrump, NV), No preservatives, uses Las Vegas farmers market produce &  grandmother’s recipe.

Jams

Teas & Seasonings – Bloomin’ Desert Herb: 85% locally grown herbs-organic & fare trade

Dried Herbs

Honey – Pahrump Honey Company-est. 1999

Mesquite Honey

This honey is delicious! It’s pure, raw, desert honey from bees working the Great Basin Desert.
Bistro Blend:  Locally produced balsamic vinegar, olive oils and basting sauces—All oils and vinaigrettes are from Napa. I mix the Basil Garlic Parmesan Vinaigrette with their Meyer Lemon Olive Oil, toss it in my vegetables or drizzle it over mixed greens. Delicious!

I stopped to taste some great smelling sausage…

Sausages

Tassoni’s Italian Sausage – locally-made, no preservatives, MSG, or nitrates (25% less fat and sodium). They make several great flavors (Sweet & Hot Romano Cheese, Sundried Tomato & Garlic, Cilantro & Onion, Andoville & Bratwurst) my favorite was the Sweet Romano Cheese.

Another great stop was Veg Out. When a vegan couple lost their jobs, due to the economy, they decided to start their own business. They make 5 new vegetarian dishes weekly using locally grown ingredients, no added fats and oils.

Veg Out

There were many other vendors I enjoyed getting to know. At this booth you can buy delicious Cajun boiled peanuts made with pickles. The peanuts had the consistency of a baked potato.

Boiled Peanuts

One more thing … I usually buy these delicious dill green beans each week. They remind me of my Dad who had his own recipe. He was always canning and loved to share with his friends.

Pickled Green Beans

Of course, I couldn’t leave without having a little taste of dessert. I found homemade fudge with holiday flavors:  Pumpkin, Candy Cane & my favorite (featured flavor) Red Velvet.

Red Velvet Fudge

The market wasn’t at full capacity due to the holiday weekend so my purchases were lighter than normal. These were my purchases for the day:

• Apples-Bentzler Farms-$7.50
• Red Peppers, Cauliflower, Beets, & Onion-D & D-$14.25
• Raw Cinnamon Honey-Pahrump Honey-$12.00
• Salsa-True Foods-$9.00
• Sausage-Tassoni’s-$5.00

Worth every penny… nice afternoon, great food and a great time putting this together.

The goods

Tiny Chili

Ashley Hennefer is the Green Editor at the Reno News & Review, the editor of Wildflower Magazine, and a graduate student the University of Nevada, Reno. Born and raised in the Bay area, she’s lived in Northern Nevada for ten years and has fallen in love with its agricultural community and environment. Check out her personal blog, follow her on Twitter or add her on Facebook.

Farmers Market Update: Reno, Nevada

By Ashley Hennefer

We Nevadans love our agriculture, and here in Northern Nevada we have a unique and vibrant farmers market culture. While our unpredictable weather has its perks—including our beautiful snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountain range and an abundance of frost-thriving apple trees—it also means that our farmers market season is short. By mid-September, nearly all of our markets are closed. We have a great local food co-op in Reno and several of our farms are open throughout the year, but that’s about it. Luckily, Reno’s Garden Shop Nursery has begun hosting an indoor farmers market on Sundays from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., and last weekend I checked it out.

The Garden Shop Nursery is especially beautiful during the fall and winter months, especially with all of their beautiful flowers.

Orchids

I’m thankful that it is close to my house so I can still go to the market even when it snows. I was not expecting the market to be very big—and I was right. The little market was tucked away in the back corner of the nursery. However, the vendors and Garden Shop Nursery staff did a great job setting up all of the tables. There was a pleasantly decent selection of items to choose from, and all of the vendors from Nevada and California were enthusiastic and passionate about their products.

I had an idea of what I wanted to purchase: I’ve been on soup-making kick, so I wanted to find a few items to use for that. I also wanted to find some great seasonal items, and maybe a few things I’d never tried before.

Despite the size of the market, everything was nicely displayed in baskets and bins. I got there around half way through the day and there was a crowd, although it may have just seemed that way because of the size of the room. It was warm and cozy and everything smelled great.

I first stopped to check out the onions, garlic, potatoes and squash. We picked three onions and a small spaghetti squash.

Onions and Potatoes

We use garlic often in my household but I passed on it this time since I am growing some of my own. I also passed on potatoes, although they looked tempting displayed in their baskets.

Potatoes

Because we got there after the initial rush, we missed some of the items, like farm fresh eggs (bummer!), which sold almost instantly according to the vendor. The vendor also had other items on display such as locally made pet food, salsa and tortilla chips.

Pet Food

I passed on all of these, although I tried a sample of the salsa and it was delicious. It’s on my list for this week’s shopping!

Another vendor, who had ventured to Reno from Northern California, had an eclectic assortment. His produce was very colorful and unique.

Colorful Produce

I could eat tomatoes 24/7 but they are hard to come by at this time of year since our climate is harsh on these types of plants. I did score a few, which ended up being flavorful but not nearly as much as the ones I had a few weeks earlier (one of the many sacrifices we Nevadans make).

Tomatoes

There were some bitter melons available, which I think are really cool looking, but these ones looked a bit moldy.

Bitter Melon

I was surprised at the presence of jujubes—which I’ve actually never had before! I didn’t really know what to do with them so I didn’t get any but if there are some this weekend I might try them out.

Jujubes

There were also persimmons, which I’ve never had before either. I recently saw an interesting recipe for using them on a pizza and figured I’d give it a try, plus their lovely orange color was too tempting to pass up.

Persimmons

Green beans are a favorite of mine and I snagged some before they were all gone.

Green Beans

Pomegranates are one of my favorite seasonal foods and the vendor had a nice selection, including this giant one! This photo doesn’t do it justice but this is definitely the largest pomegranate I’ve ever had.

Large Pomegranate

There were also walnuts which I thought would be great on the persimmon pizza I plan to make.

Walnuts

We got some red and black plums but the bin for the white was nearly empty already.

White Plums

After our bag was heavy with fruits and veggies, we headed to the meat area. We have some amazing farms around here and I really wanted to get some fresh cuts. I was surprised to see a fish vendor, who had also traveled from California, but he had sold most of his inventory. I’m curious to see what he will have available this week.

Fish

I could smell the sausage from Collis Ranch table several feet away. Luckily they were giving out samples (I love free samples).

Sausage

We bought two packages of sausage since we rarely eat it—one spicy and one mild–and both types were delicious.

There were other items at the farmers market like olive oil concoctions, handmade bags and jewelry, but I’m kind of a traditionalist and chose to stick just with food. I was surprised at how many items we were able to get even at a small market. I plan to visit weekly, and as much as I love Nevada winters, I look forward to what the spring brings.

Bounty

My bounty (pictured above):

• Tomatoes
• Onions
• Black plums
• Red plums
• Persimmons
• Green beans
• Small spaghetti squash
• Sausage from Collis Ranch

Want to share your farmers market with Summer Tomato readers? Read the guidelines then drop me an email!

Guatemala

Karen Merzenich is a former pastry chef from San Francisco. She writes (mostly) about recipes and travel at Off The Meat(Hook). You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter (@offthemeathook).

Farmers Market Update: Dia de los Muertos, Guatemala

by Karen Merzenich

Last week I was traveling in Guatemala and had the great pleasure of visiting a farmers market in Santiago de Sacatepequez, a town that’s about a 30 minute drive from the main Guatemalan tourist town of Antigua. It was a festival day, so the market was in full swing.

One common Guatemalan fruit for sale is the nispero. I have never heard of this fruit before, but when I looked it up it was translated as “sapopilla” or “naseberry.” It was described as being similar to a plum, but a little more tart and with a mango-like fibrous pit. Guatemalans eat nisperos raw, and they also use them to make wine. I love how they’re displayed on a bed of banana leaves.

Nisperos

I was surprised to see rambutans in Guatemala – I always assumed they were only grown in Asia. In Guatemala, they are called momochinos.

Rambutans

Avocados grow wild all over Guatemala at this time of year, and many indigenous people make a living by collecting wild avocados in big bushels and selling them to vendors or at the market.

Avocados

Radishes are in season too, and on many menus at this time of year. Here a young girl displays them on a piece of hand-woven Mayan cloth.

Radishes

By November, the corn growing season is nearing its end, but you can still find maiz negro (black corn) for sale, raw or roasted.

Black Corn

The black corn is also ground to make masa (dough). for black tortillas, which have a very distinct flavor compared to the white or yellow corn tortillas. Women roll the masa heavily over a piece of volcanic rock. Then, they pat them into thick tortillas and toast them on a large flat metal plate over an open fire.

Making Black Corn Tortillas

Some market vendors don’t even set up a stall—they just sell what they have off the back of their pickup truck.

Pickup Truck Vendors

I had specifically visited Santiago de Sacatepequez at this time of year so I could attend their well-known Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration. November 1st is an official holiday for Guatemalans—so they can spend the day in celebration of their deceased friends and family members. In Santiago, the day’s activities combine elements of Catholicism with Mayan traditions. Because it was a festival day, there were special kinds of food for sale, like these half chickens with cooked eggs inside and whole fried lake fish.

Chicken With Eggs

Another special food people eat on this day is sweet potatoes, yams, pumpkins, or small plums cooked in a cinnamon-infused brown sugar syrup. Sticky, sweet and tasty!

Sweet Potatoes and Plums

On Dia de los Muertos people come to Santiago from far and wide and converge on the cemetery. The families spend the morning painting the graves with bright colors. Once the paint is dry, they buy marigolds and other long-lasting flowers, evergreen wreaths, and pine needles to adorn the graves. The fragrant pine needles from the surrounding hills are not only used on Dia de los Muertos but for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, and other important holidays. (When I explained that we only use green wreaths for Christmas in the U.S., they thought it was crazy.)

Decorated Graves

As the day goes on, people sit on and around the graves and enjoy a special lunch. Many splurge on the variety of freshly grilled meats available in the market.

Grilled Meat For Sale

All day long, people in the cemetery proudly display and fly enormous homemade kites, which are made by painstakingly cutting and gluing tissue paper shapes together. The round kites are backed with bamboo poles for stability. It generally takes a team of people 2-3 months to make each kite.

Paper Kites

Warren Pears

Welcome back to Standard Time, add that extra hour to your clock and enjoy the long Sunday.

Farmers markets are closing up shop throughout most of the US, but they go on strong here in SF all year. It’s actually a wonderful time for local produce.

Colorful Grapes

My favorite foods like kale and chard really shine this time of year, as do the other green veggies like broccoli, cabbage and brussels sprouts.

Rainbow Chard and Kale

Though it is certainly a cruciferous vegetable, it is a little strange to consider purple cauliflower a green veggie. But it’s definitely healthy, and reminds me a lot of my mom.

Purple Cauliflower

Even better? All this stuff is really cheap.

Romanesco

Unlike the expensive berries, peaches and tomatoes of the summer, fall produce is uber affordable. Two dollars for kale, three for delicata squash, one for an apple, autumn produce is a bargain however you slice it.

Rome Apples

Of course there are always a few thing that cost a little more (grapes and pears come to mind), but on average my spending goes down substantially from now until late March.

What are these pears doing?

I use this opportunity to try more fruits than I normally would, since fruit are usually the most expensive items at the market. This time of year you cannot miss the pears, apples, persimmons, pomegranates and kiwi fruit.

Kiwi Fruit

It’s a great season, and honestly I’m even looking forward to the progress into winter. The citrus are just starting to reappear, and I found these adorable sudachi lemons at Hamada Farms.

Sudachi Lemons

Any servings suggestions?

Today’s purchases (~$20):

• Baby broccoli (Dirty Girl Produce)
• Leeks (Dirty Girl Produce)
• Brussels sprouts (Iacopi Farm)
• Kiwi (Four Sisters Farm)
• Assorted heirloom apples (The Apple Farm)
• Meyer lemons (Hamada Farms)
• Sudachi lemon (Hamada Farms)
• Warren pear (Frog Hollow Farm)

Minneapolis Farmers Market

Bruce Bradley is a consultant, author, blogger and lifelong foodie from Minneapolis, Minnesota. After working for over 15 years as a marketer for several of the world’s largest food companies, Bruce finally awakened to “the green side of life” and is an avid supporter of the eat local, real food movement. He now offers his unique insider’s perspective on processed foods via his blog and a soon-to-be-released novel, FAT PROFITS. To learn more about Bruce Bradley you can subscribe to his blog, follow him on Twitter @authorbruce or check him out on Facebook.

Farmers Market Update: Minneapolis, Minnesota

by Bruce Bradley

Minneapolis Farmers Market Sign

The Minneapolis Farmers Market has been a long-standing fixture of the Twin Cities fresh produce scene. Its current Lyndale Market location opened in 1937, but its roots trace back to a fruit and vegetable market established in 1876. Located on the outskirts of downtown, the Minneapolis Farmers Market is held outdoors under three huge red sheds and stakes claim to the title “Largest Open Air Market in the Upper Midwest.”

Run by the Central Minnesota Vegetable Growers Association, the farmers market is open from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., 7 days a week from May to December. On Thursdays, a special farmers market is held downtown along Nicollet Mall, a place made famous by Mary Tyler Moore’s hat toss in the opening credits of her 1970’s sitcom.

Minneapolis Farmers Market

I decided to visit the farmers market downtown this week. It was a beautiful, sunny Indian Summer day in Minneapolis. Fall is at its peak here, so the red, orange, and yellow trees lining the streets created a wonderful backdrop to my shopping adventure.

Although many summer vegetables like tomatoes, green beans, and corn were still plentiful, fall vegetables have taken center stage. Brussel sprout stalks and squashes were available at many vendors and a number of local Apple Orchards were showing off their amazing crop.

Apples

During the summer my CSA keeps me pretty well stocked in vegetables. Although I love the CSA experience, what I miss about the farmers market is getting to choose exactly what I’m going to buy. That said, the hardest part of shopping at the farmers market is wanting to take home a little bit of everything and this week was no exception. Take a look at these squash! I love squash, especially all the fall varieties. Although these beautiful Carnival Squashes were calling my name, after reading Summer Tomato’s recipe for Delicata Squash, I knew delicata was on the top of my shopping list.

Winter Squash

If you love food and you haven’t gone to your local farmers market, you’re really missing out. It’s a great place to explore different varieties of vegetables that you just can’t find at your local grocery store, like these white radishes …

White Radishes

and these Indian eggplant …

Eggplant

Spinach is one of my personal favorites, and these were so green and fresh. I love making spinach salad, sautéed spinach, or … some creamy spinach soup would be especially perfect on a cool fall day. The vendor assured me she would have some more spinach this weekend, so I passed on it for now. But believe me, it was tough call.

Spinach

Raspberries are my son’s favorite, and I think the best varieties ripen in the fall. Not only are they more flavorful, but they’re also a little bit sweeter than the ones that are available during the summer. These will be perfect for dessert or breakfast in the morning, so they’re a definite addition to my bag.

Raspberries

Variety is the spice of life, and it’s always fun to check out things you’ve never seen before. Seed heads from sunflowers were new to me this trip. Although I love experimenting, my bag was already getting pretty full, so I passed on these beauties for now.

Dry Sunflowers

I also was tempted by these red moon beans. Their rich purple color was very alluring, but the vendor didn’t understand English so I couldn’t learn anything about them. I Googled them when I got home, but unfortunately I still couldn’t find anything about them. Does anybody know about this variety of bean? I’d love to learn more about them so please share what you know in the comments.

Red Moon Beams

Fresh smells are one of my favorite parts of shopping at farmers markets. I was standing a few stalls down wind from this huge bunch of dill weed and it caught my nose’s immediate attention. Yum!

Dill

Next to the dill was a colorful array of chili peppers, tomatoes, beets, and potatoes. I LOVE beets, so they were an easy choice for me to add to my bag.

Chilies and Beets

When you read Summer Tomato’s Farmers Market updates, you learn how each area of the country (and world) has their own specialties, so I thought I’d feature a couple items that I think are a little more unique to the Upper Midwest:

Pickles are a local favorite in Minnesota. Everyone seems to have their own secret recipe, and it’s something I’d like to try my hand at making sometime. The pickle bar at the farmers market is a great place to figure out exactly what your favorite type of pickle is and buy it. Bread and butter pickles are hands down my top choice.

Pickles

Two other local foods from our neighbor to the east, Wisconsin, are cheese and cranberries. I had never heard of “cheese curds” until I moved to Minnesota. Although I don’t buy them very often, they’re amazing especially when fresh. These curds were made yesterday from rBGH free milk, so I couldn’t resist them. And as any Wisconsin native will tell you, the only way to know if your cheese curds are fresh is to taste them. If they squeak between your teeth, they’re fresh, and these were squeakingly delicious.

Cheese Curds and Cranberries

Now while everyone knows cheese is a huge Wisconsin favorite, not many people know that Wisconsin is the country’s largest producer of cranberries. I didn’t pick up any of these plump berries this week, but I made a mental note to get them in a couple weeks. Thanksgiving is just around the corner and there’s nothing better than a fresh cranberry relish.

My Purchases

What I bought (pictured above):

• Corn
• Delicata squash (I’m going back for more. I just made Darya’s Delicata Squash recipe and it was AMAZING!)
• Butternut Squash
• Ambercup Squash
• Beets
• Green Beans
• Cheese Curds – Ellsworth Creamery
• Raspberries (Unfortunately they got a little crushed. Maybe I should order one of Darya’s new Mercado bags.)

I <3 Farmers Markets

Winter Squash

Alright Mother Nature, you win. It’s autumn now and I’ll accept it, even if San Francisco only had about five days over 80 degrees this year. I don’t need summer when I have produce like this.

Thompson Grapes

Bring on your autumn grapes. Grapes have never been my favorite fruit, but they are so sweet and crispy this year I can’t resist them. I like wine too, and harvest is soon. Grapes are ok with me.

Flame Grapes

I’ll take your apples too. These heirloom varietals don’t taste anything like the overly sweet fujis I grew up with. These apples remind me of what I’ve always wished apples tasted like whenever I have apple cider.

Autumn Apples

And these little wickson apples, the size of golf balls, are as complex as a glass of wine.

Wickson Apples

Of course I don’t mind the sweet white pomegranates, with their pink seeds and delicate flavor. They aren’t as sour as the red ones are this early in the season, and the seeds aren’t nearly as tough and woody.

White Pomegranates

I finally gave in and got some brussels sprouts too. Sure I used to hate them, but once I learned the secret to cooking these little guys they became a welcome guest on my dinner plate. I’m especially fond of the smaller sprouts like the ones I found today, because they are almost never bitter.

Early Brussels Sprouts

With Halloween approaching not even the winter squash offend me, but these days I eat them instead of carve them.

Sugar Pie Pumpkins

Yes I’ll miss summer—or at least the idea of it. I’ll miss the peaches and plums.

Peaches

I’ll revel in the last of the figs and melons.

Brown Turkey Figs

Maybe if I’m lucky you’ll give me a few more weeks of eggplant.

White Eggplant

Perhaps the sweet peppers will last until my birthday next month.

Sweet Peppers

Or maybe the spicy ones will?

Hot Peppers

What always breaks my heart most is the tomatoes. I can live a few months without strawberries, but the tomatoes really get me. Everything is better with a dry-farmed early girl tomato on it. It will be hard to see them go.

Organic Cherry Tomatoes

But I love my cauliflower. (Pretty much everyone loves my cauliflower). And it will keep me company as fall rolls in and winter approaches.

Cauliflower

I’ll embrace your root vegetables as they sweeten in the cold.

Beets and Carrots

I’ll give you some time on the persimmons though, I don’t think they’re quite ready yet.

Hachiya Persimmons

Today’s purchases (~$40):

• Heirloom kabocha squash
• Savoy cabbage
• Carrots
• Leeks
• Red Russian kale
• Brussels sprouts
• Wickson apples
• Daikon
• Ginger root
• Garlic
• Dahlias

Is your farmers market still running?

Sansouke Family

Joan Lambert Bailey currently lives and writes in Tokyo where she is lucky enough to get her hands dirty on a local organic farm. You can read about her adventures learning about Japanese food from seed to harvest to table at Popcorn Homestead or join her on Twitter.

Farmers Market Update: Tokyo, Roppongi Market

by Joan Lambert Bailey

Farmers markets are part of a Japanese food scene that has been changing for some time and appears to be garnering more and more interest in light of the March earthquake. Public concern regarding radioactive fallout on crops and soils has fueled a series of large public demonstrations against nuclear power and has consumers searching for more information than ever about the food they put on the table. As people test their food themselves for radiation they also head to local markets where they can speak directly to growers and producers about their farms, food, and shared concerns about the current situation.

The Roppongi Market, located a few minutes walk from Tameike-sanno station in a part of the city more renowned for nightclubs pulsing to the beat of the most popular DJs and bands, expensive hotels, and high-end dining than fresh fruits and vegetables, is one of a hearty handful of western-style markets popping up around the city. By no means as large as the UN University Market, the nearly forty vendors present this Saturday offered plenty of opportunity to restock the larder for the week and beyond with throngs of seasonal fruits and vegetables along with rice, dried fish, senbei, and even a small selection of household items. As an ensemble tuned their instruments nearby, we made way over to the cluster of colorful awnings to see what deliciousness might be found on this perfect autumn day.

Farmers Market Stall

A single fresh okra sprinkled with salt and served on a stick was the unlikely magnet that pulled us over almost immediately to Tokaji Farm’s table where we were confronted with some of the best of the harvest from Shikoku Island. Just south of Osaka, Shikoku is as famous for its 88-temple  pilgrimage route as its countless citrus groves and fantastic surfing. A cooperative effort of Kochi area growers, Tokaji’s table sported green yuzu (a Japanese citrus that falls somewhere between lemon and lime), lemons, three kinds of nasu (eggplants), goya (Okinawan bitter melon), peppers sweet and hot, a few last cucumbers, shoga (ginger) to tempt passing customers along with boxes of eggs that would make the Easter bunny proud. Beaten out by another customer for the last bag of okra, I opted instead for the Ginger Syrup Kit. One taste of a sample mixed with sparkling water, there was no way to walk away without it. Containing instructions, one lemon, a huge piece of ginger, pre-measured amounts of Okinawan black sugar and spices, it was all I needed to recreate that delicate sweet-sour taste reminiscent of another homemade favorite: hachimitsu.

Yuzu

While fall is synonymous with cooler temperatures, nashi (pears), and the first kaki (persimmons), it is also the season of the rice harvest. Spotted a bit off to the side, we made our way over to Shigeyuki Kanai’s table. Kanai and his 84-year-old father, the sixth and seventh generations respectively of their family to work their farm in Gunma Prefecture, produce beautiful grains of white, brown, and  black rice fed by natural spring waters and weeded by ducks. If that wasn’t enough to charm us into purchasing, the samples sealed the deal. Tiny servings of plain white rice full of good flavor and just the right amount of ‘spring’ in each bite got us to buy some of each for tasty and colorful eating.

Kanai

A few steps further along we found Kanyo no Sato. Lovely as their rice looked on the table, we thought to pass by in search of other items on our list. The noonday sun caught in the petals of their fall flower bouquets made us pause for another look. And lucky for us it did as we soon discovered they offered not just rice but rice flour, mochi, and genmai (brown rice) meal. Genmai meal – a rougher, larger grind than flour – gently boiled whips up a breakfast cereal similar in concept and consistency to cream-of-wheat, and can be cooked up savory or sweet. Unable to resist the offer of something new, the genmai meal joined some of the homemade mochi squares in our bag.

Kanyo no Sato Mochi

While sorting out the instructions for making the genmai meal and just as my stomach started to rumble about lunch, we met Kyoko Tanno and her gleaming jars of jam at the neighboring table. Made from fruit and vegetables raised on her two hectare organic farm in Chiba, we couldn’t take our eyes off the brilliant orange of the carrot jam and the fat figs snuggled scrumptiously in their jars. Still a fledgling affair, she established her farm (and dog-walking business) only four years ago after moving south from Sendai.  A notebook of English phrases and vocabulary kept behind the table helps her connect with Roppongi’s somewhat large ex-patriot population and provides a bit of fun mental exercise, too. After a bit more chatting in her excellent English and our beginner level Japanese, we came away with a new friend and a jar of that most yummy-looking carrot jam.

Cruising around the corner to the next row of vendors, we found ourselves face-to-face with a few of the year’s last cantaloupe, a selection of green, red, and nearly black grapes, pears, apples, garlic, and chestnuts all coming into their peak season, as well as table after table of vegetables. As we surveyed the scene to decide where we might head next, the gregarious staff at Sansouke Farm offered us samples of edamame and we were hooked. (The free sample is truly, if you ask me and my stomach, the best technique a vendor can employ for drawing in customers and getting them to buy. Works on me almost every time!)

Located in Chiba, Sanosuke Farm is all organic and according to the farmer’s mother, a miracle of growing. While she explained in enthusiastic detail the careful tending of the soil (a variety of animal manures mixed with other composted materials) that resulted in a diverse set of crops healthy enough to fend off pests and disease, she also shared the multiple uses of daizu (soy beans): soy sauce, natto (fermented soy beans), miso, and tofu along with the health benefits of each. Natto is good for the digestive system; edamame are good for the skin as well as tasty with beer; and miso is simply good all the time in nearly any form. A retired junior high school teacher, she seemed born to the farmers market table. Even as she chatted with us she managed to offer samples to passing customers and help them find the perfect sweet potato, eggplant, or squash. Happily falling victim ourselves, we came away with two bags of edamame as well as gifts of sweet potato and togarashi. I’ll relish the memory of our meeting and conversation with every bite.

Eggs

While the market stalls and their bounty by no means ended at that point, we found our shopping bag heavy, our stomachs ready for lunch, and our legs a bit tired. It was time for a last look around and a final scan of our lists before starting home with our loot. There was absolutely no room for another thing…until we spotted the beautiful display of winter squash at Kosaka Nouen’s table. Located on Tokyo’s west side in Kokobunji, Kosaka raises not just a wide variety of vegetables but also laying hens whose eggs were snapped up nearly as fast as they were set out. But it was the winter squash that caught my eye, and while I’ve hauled eggs home on the train before I don’t relish the idea. Akagawa amaguri or red chestnut pumpkin, prized as much for its flaming orange red skin as its sweet inner flesh, looked like it could withstand a bit of a jostle on the train. Already dreaming of it cut into chunks and cooked with the evening’s rice and a bit of mirin it would make a colorful dish perfect for these autumn days. Let’s just say the bag got a bit heavier.

What we bought:

• Ginger syrup kit from Tokaji Farm
• White, brown, and black rice from Shigeyuki Kanai
• Mochi, rice flour, and genmai meal from Kaya no Sato
• Carrot jam from Tanno Farm
• Edamame from Sanosuke Farm joined gifts of sweet potatoes and togarashi
• Akagawa Amaguri winter squash from Kosaka Nouen

What did you find at the market this week?

I’m beside myself with excitement that the official Summer Tomato farmers market bag, Mercado, from Quirky Inc. is finally here!

It was nearly a year ago that I presented the Quirky design community with my farmers market problem. The issue when you buy ripe, seasonal produce from your local farmers market is that it’s extremely juicy and delicate, making it nearly impossible to get home safely in any standard soft bag. I had been using two bags and carrying tuppers and lids to help protect my most delicate items, but I knew there was a better way.

Quirky member Peter Wachtel created the winning design, and it is both cool and functional. A large compartment on the inner half of the bag holds your bigger, sturdier produce like kale, onions and cauliflower.

The outer half of the bag is composed of two smaller pockets made from a soft nylon mesh, which is held open and rigid by a wire frame. This prevents the sides of the bag from collapsing in and bruising softer items.

In addition there are several small pockets lining the inside of the nylon compartments that are ideal for cradling your most delicate items like peaches, pears and tomatoes.

The bag has a wide, adjustable strap and two deep side pockets that are ideal for your wallet, keys and shopping list. The outer parts of the bag are made from a thick, durable canvas that is attractive and comfortable.

I’m totally in love.

Mercado is currently in the presale stage. The way Quirky works is that a product must collect a minimum number of orders before it goes into official production. If you place your order(s) now you’ll get the bag for a discounted price of $19.99.

It will retail at $24.99, so you’ll save some cash by ordering early. Obviously you won’t be charged unti the bag actually goes into production.

Lastly, you can earn 10% on any sales you refer to Quirky for the bag. Just use the referral link they give you when you click “Spread the word and earn 10% on sales!” Help us get the bag made and make some money in the process. Woohoo!

Place your order here

Thanks for your support!