Pt. Reyes Station Farmers Market - July 1

Yesterday, Gnarlita and I ventured over to the Marin Coast to check out the Pt. Reyes Farmers Market.

In my youth (gads, makes me sound old!), I spent a lot of time in this part of the Bay Area. Olema, Pt. Reyes, Tomales Bay, Muir Beach, Muir Woods, Inverness...these were all the favorite weekend haunts of the gang I used to hang out with when I lived on Clement St. in San Francisco in the early '70s. We'd leave the City early in the morning and spend all day hanging out, gorging on local food and beverages, hiking, napping, hiking some more, eating/imbibing some more. Ah, good times!

The Pt. Reyes Station Farmers Market, as are most small town farmers markets, is smack dab in the middle of downtown. The number of vendors is small but, to be sure, offer the best quality produce. (Didn't Charles and Camilla visit?)


Anyway, I believe all of the vendors here are associated with Marin Organic, an association of Marin County Organic Producers. One of the most famous from the area is Cowgirl Creamery. My personal favorite Cowgirl cheese is Mt. Tam.

Gnarlita found the Marin Organic table full of information about sustainable farming, local seasonal food availability, and so much more. She could not pass up adding Ecological Literacy and The Local Food Wheel to her library.

While Gnarlita was going through all of the resource offerings, I was wandering through the Community Garden just adjacent to the Farmers Market. The variety of produce being grown there was extensive, though not a very big space. Which goes to show, you don't need a lot of space to grow your own food. I saw artichoke, zucchini,raspberries, all sorts of lettuces, rhubarb, and peas, just to name a few of the items in the garden.

There was also an adoption program for offspring of feral cats. These kitties were so precious, and you can imagine, more than a bit apprehensive of human touch. Nonetheless, it is important that all animals (and humans) have a family who loves and cares for them. Gnarlita and I watched as the caretakers of these kitties tried their best to ensure adoption. But we could definitely see that the kitties were not appreciating the fact that all these little kids were handling them to no end. Anyway, this sweet kitty found my camera most intriguing and came up close for a look.

I found some beautiful Easter Egg radishes, Walla Walla onions and purple potatoes at the Wild Blue Farm stand. I enjoy radishes au naturel, no fuss...just eat. The onions, I'll grill on the 4th as a side dish. Season thick slices with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil, throw on the grill...five minutes on each side. Yummmmm. As for the purple potatoes...well, potato salad, of course!

I'm a sucker for jams and jellies. The Fig Jam from The Wild Pear Co. is so luscious, it's hard to describe, so subtle yet distinctively fig. I'm going to make some homemade biscuits so that I can enjoy this nectar to the fullest!

Chocolate. Who can resist? Great chocolate is like great sex...smooth, sensual, satisfying. Pt. Reyes Chocolate offers a small but satisfying selection of delectible chocolates. Gnarlita and I walked away with two types of the Dark Bark, the House Candied Grapefruit Mendiant, and Peanut Butter Cup. We tried the House Candied Grapefruit Mendiant as soon as we got back to the car. The candied grapefruit was superb, crunchy, not too sweet...a perfect foil against the dark Valrhona chocolate.

Excuse me while I enjoy the music that reminds me best of the beginning of organic farming and the realization we are stewards of the land. Of course, Deja Vu...Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. Most notably, Woodstock by Joni Mitchell.

Woodstock/Joni Mitchell

Love your mother, Earth.

Sebastopol Farmers Market - June 25

The ride from San Rafael, where the Marin County FM is situated, to Sebastopol was about 30 minutes. Sebastopol is in Sonoma county, which is north of San Francisco. There was some NASCAR racing action at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma that weekend. We were lucky not to have encountered much of a delay as a result.

Sebastopol, SF_Pearl pointed out, is home to the annual summertime Gravenstein Apple Fair. Check out the city's website for information on this year's event.

The Farmers Market is located downtown and, though small, has a very good selection and variety of products. One of the more unusual, as in not found in any of the other FMs we've attended so far, was sprouted vegetables from Alobar Farms.

Intrigued, we spent quite a bit of time speaking with the farm owners about the products. It appears that sprouted vegetables, eaten regularly, have protective effects against cancers. We each purchased a different type of sprout. Gnarlita -lentil, SF_Pearl - broccoli and myself - chickpea. Back at home, I prepared my chickpea sprouts with just a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a healthy pinch of Hawaiian red sea salt. YUMMY!


Gnarlita loves Shiitake mushrooms, so couldn't pass up these locally grown shrooms from Carpati Farm in Sebastopol.



My blood sugar was running a little low so I looked for some sweets and found them at the La Dolce V stand. All of the sweets looked so tempting...all hand-crafted using only the best and natural ingredients. I believe SF_Pearl went with the Bliss Bar...I opted for the Lavender Shortbread cookie. You'd think lavender might be an odd cookie ingredient, but it was quite deelish!

Sugar craving being satisfied, we visited the rest of the vendors. The thing about farmers markets, is that you can smell when the produce is ripe. You're drawn to the ripest, freshest, most amazing fruits and vegetables because you can smell them well before you're standing in front of them, unlike produce at the supermarket. The difference in quality is also visually noticeable...a pleased eye is a pleased palate!

The best peaches that I've had so far this season were found here at Sebastopol FM. They're the product of Woodleaf Farm in Oroville, CA. Beautiful appearance, wonderful texture and so very juicy. Woodleaf Farm has been farming organically since 1976.


Another find at this market were the Passport melons. They look like Persian melons only in miniature. All three of us each purchased a melon, the smells were intoxicating. The flavor was so sweet too. I very much enjoyed mine all in one sitting. These little melon gems came from Love Farms in Healdsburg, CA., north of Sebastopol.


The best find of the trip were the jumbo Bing cherries from Neufeld Farms in Kingsburg, CA. They were so big, juicy, sweet, and firm to the bite. There have been cherries at all of the farmers markets visited, but none were good enough to actually bring home. These were little bites of heaven. Sadly, this was the last week for cherries. Hope next year's crop is better. Oh well, at least we were able to find and enjoy our Neufeld cherries before the end of the season.


Life may not always be a bowl of cherries (ouch, did I say that?!), but looking forward to the weekend and exploring another farmers market makes the work week more bearable.

This is a jewel of a farmers market and worth the trip!

Marin Farmers Market * Encore * - June 25

Last Sunday, the whole Farm Fresh gang headed back to the North Bay. Our first stop was back to the Marin County Farmers Market then up to the Sebastopol Farmers Market in Sonoma County. We stopped back at the Marin County Farmers Market, as SF_Pearl hadn't experienced it with Gnarlita and me on our first trip.

Both SF_Pearl and I purchased some smoked wild salmon from the fish monger. I opted for the smoked salmon bellies, both peppered and original. Salmon is an excellent source of protein as well as being jam packed with heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids. I feasted on these luscious treats for lunch throughout the week. The salmon belly was accompanied by a little fat free cream cheese and arugula on a rectangle of lavosh. I just rolled up the whole thing and enjoyed.

We were all hungry, so we headed to the food stands for some grub. I had already set my taste buds towards the pupusa at Donna's Tamales. We spotted a shady spot across the street from the market area and ate our late breakfast there.

We did notice that there was valet parking available. Hmmmmm. I noticed that most all of the vehicles lined up for valet parking were high-end SUVs. I dunno...seems that there's some type of irony in all of that.

Anyway, we continued winding through the aisles sampling fruit and checking out the vegetables.

SF_Pearl and I picked up some lovely strawberries (we were drawn by the strong, sweet smell!). I don't remember from which farm they came, but they were the best strawberries I've had so far!


Next stop, Sebastopol, to its' Farmers Market.

Webb Ranch - June 24

This was a busy weekend for farm fresh adventures. Saturday, Gnarlita and I went berry picking at Webb Ranch in Menlo Park. Webb Ranch is on Alpine Road in Menlo Park, right off Hwy 280.

We arrived at 10:15am or so and it was already quite warm. Don't forget the sunscreen, something to cover your head with and some cold water, cuz it gets hot!

We plunked down our $3 a piece entrance fee, got 3 empty berry baskets a piece and headed out to the berry patch. The in-season berries this last week were: raspberries, loganberries and blackberries (Ollalie and Butte). Strawberries were also in season, but they were in another part of the farm. Since Gnar gets hives from eating strawberries, we headed to the other berry patch.

First stop, loganberries. The loganberry is a hybrid produced from crossing the blackberry and the raspberry. It was created around 1880 in Santa Cruz, CA by lawyer and horticulturist James Harvey Logan. I have had some very delicious loganberry jam. We picked the darkest color berries and those that easily pulled away from the plant. They are a little tart, so...mine will be soaking in Chambord liqueur and finally top a scoop of Preston's vanilla ice cream. Yum!

The Ollalie blackberry was next. The olallieberry, is a cross between a blackberry, loganberry and youngberry, originated in 1949 in Oregon. Again, you want to pick the darkest berries that pull easily away from the plant. I just started popping these today (2 days after picking) and they are perfect! So, sweet and juicy! No fussy prep required, just eat'em.

My last stop was raspberries. Gnarlita headed to the Butte blackberries, since raspberries also give her hives.

Raspberries were the hardest berries to pick. Not only are the berries small but the plant is also very prickly (not to mention it was getting really hot at this point!). I had a few berries in my basket when Gnar came over. Her basket was already full of the Butte blackberries! Anyway, she helped me fill my basket. I must say, she's got a knack for foraging...she found the best plants with the most ripe berries. In no time, my basket was full and we headed back to settle up with poundage. These deliciously sweet, plump berries are destined to accompany my morning cereal.



You pay $2 per pound per berry type. Our total was $6 for 6 baskets of berries! We'd seen comparable pricing at $3 per basket at both supermarket and farmer's markets. There's really nothing like harvesting your own food. Forget the heat, the pricklies, the spiders, the bees...they're all just a small annoyance compared to the satisfaction of REALLY knowing where your food originated.

Boysenberries are in-season next week. Check out the website for the latest in u-pick choices: Webb Ranch



Recommendation: Do not refrigerate these berry types. Refrigeration makes them mushy and tasteless.

Steam-Sauteed Asian Greens

After visiting Phan Farm's organic veggie stand, try this EASY recipe for a delicious side dish of Asian greens.... just like Mom used to make.

2 bunches Baby bok choy or Tatsoi, washed, drained and cut into 2" pieces
2 cloves garlic
4 1/8" slices fresh ginger root
1-2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 c to 1c Water to cover bottom of pan
Sesame oil (optional)
Soy Sauce (optional)
White pepper

Place vegetable oil and water in a wok or large saute pan
Heat oil and water mixture until you see stean rising
Add garlic and ginger
Stir for about a minute to infuse the flavor into the water/oil mixture
Add vegetables and cover
Cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
Add a few drops of sesame oil, a dash of soy and white pepper
Cook an additional minute or two
Serve with any poultry or fish dish, and and a bowl of brown or white rice

Alternative Preparation:
If you don't mind the oil spatters on the stove...
Omit the water above
Heat the oil
Add ginger and garlic and infuse the oil
Saute uncovered until tender.
Continue with remaining steps above.

Cook with a Kick:
For a little heat, add Chinese chinese chili oil during the steaming or sauteing process.

San Francisco Heart of the City

Open on Wednesday and Sunday from 8-5, the "Heart of the City" farmer's market is located near the UN plaza and City Hall, on Market Street between 7th and 8th. Accessible by Bart and MUNI, this market makes it easy to find some great produce, flowers and even fresh fish!

Fans of Asian veggies can pick up bok choy, Chinese gourds, long beans (crazy foot long string beans), ong-choi, tatsoi (a yummy spinach like green), eggplant and much more. Even better though is that in true Chinese shopping style, you can go back and forth amongst MANY vendors to find the freshest cilantro or Chinese broccoli. I have vivid memories of my grandmother picking through the stalls throughout Chinatown to find the perfect pale green, bitter melon for her entrees and soups. Try this melon with black bean sauce and chicken or beef for a very tasty and savory stir-fry meal.

While I did not spend much time at the one seafood vendor, I saw many Chinese moms and grandmothers perusing the red snapper, striped bass, scallops, shrimp and tiger prawns. The fish looked terrific with clear eyes and no 'fishy' smell. I could not get myself to pick up a fish, but help yourself... the selection is quite varied.

I remember hearing that Heart of the City was a good place to find Asian veggies and fresh fish. That part is true, but as Maggie will probably tell you later, there are is also an orchid stand and two flower vendors, one of which was quite special with a wide variety of unique flowers.


Phan Farms Certified Organic
"Heart" has a small organic representation, but I really liked Phan Farm's Certified Organic stand. They carry a great blend of Asian and American veggies and herbs including hot house grown tomatoes, basil, fennel, red and white potatoes and carrots. Amidst the Chinese squash, "guy choy", green onions and garlic, I found REAL baby bok choy... not the light green stuff that they sell at Mollie Stone's and Safeway... nope, the true baby bok choy with white stems, deep green leaves and stalks taller than 3-4 inches. Try my simple steam/sauté recipe for a quick and easy way to prepare this veggie.

Marin Farmers Market Finds Recipes

Poached Wild Caught Salmon with Cilantro Mayonaise
3/4 lb. salmon
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup water
A few thin slices of yellow onion
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 tsp Occasional Gourmet Herbs de Provence
salt
fresh ground pepper
2 tablespoons Trader Joe's Cilantro Salad Dressing

Salt and pepper the salmon on both sides. Combine wine, water, onion, lemon juice, and herbs in a saute pan. Bring to boil. Place salmon, skin side down, in liquid. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes.

Do not overcook. Top salmon with cilantro dressing.

Dandelion Salad w/Blackberry Vanilla Balsamic Vinegarette
1 bunch Marin Roots Dandelion greens, washed and dried
1 tablespoon dried cranberries
2 tablespoons toasted almond slivers
salt
fresh ground pepper
1 tablespoon Big Paw Blackberry Vanilla Balsamic Vinegar
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Combine the first five ingredients. Whisk together olive oil and vinegar then add to dry ingredients and toss.

Roasted Rainbow Carrots
1 bunch Marin Roots Rainbow Carrots, peeled
1 tsp. olive oil
salt
fresh ground pepper

Heat oven to 375F. Coat carrots with olive oil. Add salt and pepper. Place in roasting pan and cover. Roast for 15 minutes then uncover. Turn carrots and roast uncovered for 5-7 minutes or until tender.

Chocolate Truffle w/White Port
Nipple of Venus Chocolate Truffle - Gandolf's Fine Chocolates
Prager 2002 Aria White Port


Flour Chyld Pumpkin Carrot Bread with Creme Fraiche
1 slice pumkin carrot bread
1 dollop creme fraiche

Marin Farmers Market, San Rafael, CA - 4 June 06

This is definitely a family-oriented farmers market with its' kids zone area (a big jumpy castle thing) and I believe an area for pets (since they're legally not allowed in the market area).

There's a good variety of produce, fresh flowers, live plants, and food items from which to choose, some that are only found here. I noticed a few vendors who also sell at Peninsula Farmers Markets as well.

Naturally, I gravitated towards the vendors I don't see on the Peninsula. Where Gnar and I entered, there's a seafood vendor with the most incredible selection of fresh seafood. The varieties of oysters I can't even remember...the one that stuck in my mind was Hog's Island. There were live scallops and whole salmon and a mind-boggling number of fresh fish. I asked one of the folks at the stand where the wild-caught salmon came from and she said by Monterey, CA. Such beautiful salmon...I bought a thin slice.


Gandolf's Fine Chocolates caught my eye with their Nipples of Venus truffle. I bought one and got one gratis after chatting up the proprietor about our blog. OMG...the texture and flavor of the soft chocolate center of this truffle embraces your tongue and melts in your mouth as if it belongs! Heaven.


I just now had a slice of the Pumpkin Carrot bread from Flour Chlyd. I put a dollop of creme fraiche on top for a bit of contrast to the sweet. Soo good! I had a sample of the bread while at the market, but a 1-inch square that's been sitting out for hours is not quite representative of what the loaf delivers.


Marin Roots is one of the vendors that sell only at Marin Farmers Market. I brought home the rainbow baby carrots and dandelion greens. Score! I roasted the carrots and made a dandelion salad to accompany my poached salmon dinner last night.


One happy farmers market shopper am I!

Next week's finds...?