farmer's market

[Eric Nakamura]

Anyone go to these? I go religiously wednesdays and saturdays. I usually get spinach, fruit (these days it's blood oranges and kiwi), mushrooms, and whatever we want. Sometimes it's simple lettuce.

eric

[wonki wonki]

when i used to live in berkeley, i was blocks away from the weekly farmer's market, and i would go all the time. mostly for fruits (summer-time white peaches & plums), sometimes honey. now i live in san gabriel, and i don't even know if there is one in my area.

[Eric Nakamura]

In SG valley? I know there's one in Alhambra in a parking lot... It's off Main St. I used to go there when I was in Alhambra.

eric

but you can look online for locations. Support the local farmers!

eric

[wonki wonki]

hmm. i live a mile or so away from downtown alhambra, so i might look into that. thanks. i guess i'll post whatever i find.

[dragon chic]

i love to go & would make the wednesday market in sf almost every week. in portland the markets are usually at it's peak in the summer, we hit the big beaverton market on sundays. it fucking rocked!! carmel corn, organic veggies & yummy bangers.

[Yumyumcha]

Just went to the farmer's market in hollywood this morning (sunday). Picked up 3 little containers of strawberries (they're coming into season) for $7.00. The supermarkets are selling them at $2.99 a container - I saved $2.00!

[wonki wonki]

i just got back from the alhambra market that eric mentioned (1 block south of market, 1 block east of garfield). bought some tangelos, a lemon, some garlic, lettuce, broccoli. there were strawberries for $2 a container, looked good, but berries just don't excite me as much as other fruits. can't wait until the white peaches come out. if anyone else wants to check out the alhambra one, it's every sunday 8:30a - 1:30p.

[sister]

wednesday morning santa monica winterish:

bag avacados for $1
bag lemons $1

apples. those reddish apples [from the apple people near the mushroom people and the plant seller. usually two women there, one french-speaking. i think they went out of season recently though bc i didn't see them the last time i went--just the pink ladies, etc.]

whomever is in the center of the cross selling fruit--white nectarines and peaches in the summer, tangerines in the winter

that eclectic stand near the #2 parking lot: they have fresh lemon verbena, chamomille, etc., when in season that sells out super fast. all for a dollar. just look in the white buckets on the righthand side of the stand. and all the fancy greens. the candy beets. the pineapple guavas. that's my favorite stand there. everything is good but sells out fast, sometimes before the market is open to us.

mussels. i just tried the mussels a few days ago. not a bad price, and they were all fat and alive when i got home--unlike costco and other places.

kohlrabi. from an older asian man vendor north of 2d street and on the lefthand side as you walk towards 4th. when it was really rainy about two or three weeks ago, only a few vendors showed up. i felt so bad i tried to buy from everyone there. i had no idea what this was but i looked it up, fried it in butter and added lemon juice after taking it off the heat, salt and pepper. delicious. like broccoli and artichoke hearts mixed.

oh and the vendor selling blood oranges and persimmons. during the summer they were selling pineapple guavas that were really good. and tangellos that were just amazing.

meyer lemons. wherever is cheapest.

summers--add plums from the people who only sell plums in the center of the market, tomatoes, etc.

thursday afternoon westwood:

potatoes
clementines and orco blanco from the citrus vendor by westwood side
pomegranite juice
raspberries

fresh peanuts from the asian vendor near the beef jerkey people. i boil the peanuts w/ soy sauce and five star spice. eat while watching tv with beer. that vendor is my favorite vendor there for overall produce (i don't know what happened to the japnese farm that had a huge stand). lots of pea sprouts, bok choy, bitter melon, etc.

*garlic sprouts. all time favorite thing from farmer's market. like green onion but garlic (w/ small undeveloped bulb and green stalks so you can use everything).

sunday hollywood: good watermelons during the summer. kind of sensory overload. i've also tried culver and beverly hills. culver has cheaper produce but not as much selection. beverly hills was okay but usually missing a few things i wanted. both were pretty easy to find parking though. the bev hills fm had great deals on overripe heirloom tomatoes this past summer for making kick ass creamy soups. oh and i can't take the santa monica fm on sunday w/ the pony rides. too little produce and too stressful dodging around people. that said, great prices on gebera daisies. nice crepes. and the pico-santa monica farmers' market is pretty good too. but hard to beat the wednesday mornings. i will be sad when i get a job (well not really) and be unable to go anymore (that part is true).

i used to go the the civic center fm in san francisco. the fruits there were plentiful and reasonably priced. that's the first place i had pineapple guava as opposed to the regular yellow and the strawberry guava i'm used to. and the ferry fm in san francisco really is as good as they say it is. bought white asparagus there, good cherries, plums, honey, lavender, blue cheese, etc. i always go there if i'm visiting friends and in the city on a saturday. my friends bought a great burnt caramel ice cream the last time i went there too. the palo alto farmers' market has a great fishmonger who has very good salmon. i think he's also at the mountain view farmers' market. i've never been to that one but it's supposed to have sushi-grade fish. when i was little and visiting relatives, we'd go to the marin county farmers' market and i would buy those flavored honey sticks....

has anyone been to the LA chinatown farmer's market?

how about new york? boston? i'm in new york right now and wanted to check out their farmers' markets. but am not sure where they are or if they even run in this crappy, rainy-snowy weather (or even if anything grows right now to sell). going to boston and philly for a while too.

okay sorry. got a little carried away. i do love these things. the food is so much better tasting.

[phism]

i'm in the midwest, so i dont' expect anything too interesting here... i've been a few times.. my grandpa's a farmer..

[Eric Nakamura]

wow sister, that's good eating.

The Santa Monica one has these dudes from Fallbrook called Holy Guacamole. It's great stuff. The almond booth is great (currently out of season), the tomato people on broadway west of 2nd are great (out of season), but right now, I just buy blood oranges from whoever, I end up juicing them, so they're all just about the same. I was buying kiwis but burned out a little. Portabello mushrooms are always good in pasta sauce, so I get a bag of them too.

eric

[wonki wonki]

wonki wonki - "oh no, i don't know if there is one in my area! help!"
wonki wonki's super-ego - "why didn't you just look it up when you moved here, you lazy ass bum!"

yeah, hehe. i plan on going more often.

~supposedly~ there is a farmer's market in san gabriel, too. in the mission district sunday afternoons. that's all i've heard.

[wonki wonki]

Originally posted by yamchild
I used to go there out of pity, because this thing was pathetic beyond one's wildest imagination.

now that's compassion.

[fmstlr]

The farmers' market in Pasadena is half a block from my door. Next time anyone of you go, give me head up and we'll make salad.

The Chinatown Farmer's market is every Thursday afternoon, in case you need to get the hard to find asian veggies and fruits.

Originally posted by Eric Nakamura
In SG valley? I know there's one in Alhambra in a parking lot... It's off Main St. I used to go there when I was in Alhambra.

eric

but you can look online for locations. Support the local farmers!

eric

hah! i went to this one with my folks a lot too. the one behind the pho place? the pho place that now has pics of steve martin on the wall...

hahaha. yeah.

[quietquiet]

Originally posted by Eric Nakamura
In SG valley? I know there's one in Alhambra in a parking lot...
my parents sell stuff at that location. so go buy some black chickens and eggs.

[falcor]

i think it must've been the time/weather but the union square green market sucked today. there was a stand of apples, a stand of potted grass and one other - THREE stands total. wtf!

[dragon chic]

den, downtown in the civic center, it was held in the center square, a statue of a freak stood there. kind of the on side of c.j.'s. it actually ran all the way in front of it sometimes. it was cool & the prices where always low. live fishes & everything.

[scuba keef]

I sometimes go to the farmer's market at the civic center in san francisco I usually get oranges by the bag if they are good and maybe figs I look at the fish but never buy. I like to support the farmers because I think they are important, my brother used to be in future farmers of america.

[YelloKitty]

which day is the civic center farmers market? i can easily take the streetcar down there... i've been meaning to go to the alemany farmers market. my parents used to take me there when i was younger. it was neat cus they'd let me sample all these yummy fruits. there's one on embarcadero too, right?

[ladybug]

civic center/un plaza - wednesdays and sundays 8 am - 5 pm (but actually starts to get skeletal around 3)
alemany - saturdays only, 6 am - 6 pm
embarcadero - check this out as it is relocating soon http://www.ferryplazafarmersmarket.com/

the emb one is a bit more hoity toity (sp?) thus making it a bit more expensive. it's the *prettier* one of the bunch while civic center, imo, is the gulliest but i loves it just the same.

yk, i go on sundays from time to time. so i may see you! i'll be the one frontin with my produce inspection skills...not!

[YelloKitty]

ladydianabug, if you go on a sunday, could you holler at me so we can go farmers marketing together?

[ladybug]

mos def! i will be a hollerin!

this weekend is definitely out but i was thinking of the sunday after, mayhaps, 3/16. this will also give me some time to think of a meal or a menu, otherwise i just be buyin the most random shit.

i'll be in touch.

[sister]

Originally posted by karmen


there's a really great farmer's market called Haymarket in boston behind faneuil hall. i'm not sure if it's there sundays but it's basically open all day saturday. in the summertime there's a smaller one that sets up in copley square on tues and thurs. they're pricier and they don't have much variety, stick w/Haymarket.

thanks so much karmen! i went to haymarket and had a great time. only bought strawberries since i had to take the T to alewife and then get picked up and driven into the burbs. but my friend w/ me got a whole bunch of produce. if i lived in boston, i'd be there every week. so cheap. eight avacados for a dollar; eight lemons for a dollar; berries for a dollar a pack; three bunches of green onions for a dollar. it runs friday till saturday. apparently the best produce is out on friday morning and by saturday afternoon they're practically giving the stuff away? the fish looked good too. have to stop by there next time i'm in boston and cook up a meal for friends. thanks again bc it was one of the things i really enjoyed on my trip.

LA bots: clementines are in season. picked up a bag wednesday morning from the people who are also at the westwood FM. fuckers never called me like they promised. regardless, this is my seasonal addiction. get them while you can! i can easily go through a few pounds in a weekend. green garlic as well before they disappear. also, the sunset downers (? something that sounds like a fancy acid tab ?) are back--new crop. just a great apple. picked up a few other things i've never heard of before. will see how they taste.

[Margin Walker]

As much as I gripe about living in Madison, the Farmer's Market here rocks most viciously. It's every Saturday morning (early Spring to late Fall) on the square of the Capitol. There are vendors everywhere and because of the competition, the food is damn cheap. And most of it's organic because there's lots of folks here that'll buy nothing but organic certified or locally grown organic foods. It's also one of the few times that I see Asian people in public (well, other than the university). Wisconsin has a sizable Hmong population and about 1/3 of the vendors there are Hmong farmers. My only gripe is that there are far too many people and they all move at a snail's pace. This is the pedestrian's (in more ways than one in some cases) Sunday Drive. There is no choice but to go with the counter-clockwise ebb. In which case, be a late riser like myself and buy the grub when the vendors would rather sell the product at cost rather than packing it back in the truck.

[frogbelly]

Nice thread! My father is a farmer and participates in a farmers market in Baton Rouge (no he's not the serial killer.) He is pretty famous for his gourmet baby squash and sunflowers. He also grows arugula, edamame, pumpkins, garlic, potatoes, and the usual radishes, okra, snap beans, peas and such.
He has two beehives for helping with the pollination.
He does get people asking for organic vegetables and he is sensitive to the fact that people are concerned with chemicals in their food. He uses them at a minimum but it does result in lower yields from the crops. It's a balance between surviving as a farmer and producing good food. If he stopped using chemicals now it would take years for the residue in the soil to subside but you would still have runoff from non-organic crops nearby that use pesticides
Many other factors like soil, sunlight and temperature can influence the nutrition content as well. Bud explains it this way:
"I plant these seeds myself and nurture them from tiny seedlings all the way to the ripened fruit. I get on my hands and knees and pick these vegetables hours before I bring them to this market. That's about organic as I get."

[fmstlr]

Janet, you got anything that's good with Lemon Grass?

I wanted to make something w/ Lemon Grass.

[RazeOner]

Walk through the Union Square market daily on my way home and noticed it kinda lags during the work week. Weekends are jumpin but you gotta go early cause everybodys there. Maybe it's just too early when I'm strollin through (I get off work at 8am).

[Ricky]

what are you like an international equities trader?

8am is nuts!

[falcor]

there's a small farmer's market 2 blocks up from me. it's cool because every time i go in there, there are different fruit.

[dragon chic]

my daughter and i peeped this mini farmer's market on wednesday, it was downtown & very cool. they just started them up last weekend, i have to make time to get down there. the big saturday market is supossed to be the best! i bought some shallots, escarole, rhubarb & strawberries.

[fmstlr]

Originally posted by janet
You can slice it on an angle and add to a simmering chicken broth with coconut milk, bird chilies, cilantro, lime juice (or kaffir lime leaves), a bit of ginger (or galanga root) and some straw mushrooms for thom kha kai (thai coconut soup). Adjust the taste with brown sugar.

I usually just buy my Tom Kha Kai in a can. I'm lazy ass like dat. but thanks for the tips, I will try it out.

[RazeOner]

Originally posted by Ricky
what are you like an international equities trader?

8am is nuts! You tellin me! Nah.... I work at a digital print company.

[blue]

Originally posted by ladybug
embarcadero - check this out as it is relocating soon http://www.ferryplazafarmersmarket.com/

the emb one is a bit more hoity toity (sp?) thus making it a bit more expensive. it's the *prettier* one of the bunch while civic center, imo, is the gulliest but i loves it just the same.



used to go to that one a lot. they've got my favourite sf sourdo, as well as fresh figs. the best part is they always let you sample even when they recognize you already.

are they moving soon?

[blue]

Originally posted by janet


Yes! Many things are good with lemongrass. You can finely chop it and soak it in silver tequila or vodka -- after a week or so the liquor turns pink and has an amazing flavor and fragrance and standard cocktails like margaritas take on a candyish flavor without added sweetness.

You can even make lemongrass sorbet, yummy.

Remember to peel off the tough outer part.

janet, thanx for the vodka tip. maybe I'll make lemongrass vodka sorbet too :)

never knew there's an outer part to peel off...

[falcor]

janet, are you my mother? will you be my mother? :(

today, 4 large bananas, a bunch of red potatoes, 2 avocados, a bag of spinach, 2 big ears of corn, 2 cucumbers = $5.83

[wonki wonki]

I just found out that my new place is one residential block away from the Pasadena farmers' market on Villa. On Tuesday mornings though. One off Sierra Madre above 210 is Saturdays.

[emilie]

love these. i wish there was one closer to where i live... but i get to the union square market when i can.

[xsk8teboyx]

It's a great spot to pick out your lunch.


Originally posted by emilie
love these. i wish there was one closer to where i live... but i get to the union square market when i can.

[dragon chic]

they finished up the wednesday market in downtown portland last week, the big saturday market will end just before thanksgiving. i have to hit it next week, this market has been great, i will miss it!

[key_loser]

What're the prices like at a farmer's market?

[invictus]

Here's a good resource for CA residents:

http://www.cafarmersmarkets.com/

[invictus]

Originally posted by key_loser
What're the prices like at a farmer's market?

Prices are usually pretty good. It's really about the quality at a farmer's market, not neccessarily savings. Of course, you can save money because sometimes you can haggle with the growers to get a better price on what you're buying. You can't do that at Vons!

[dragon chic]

invictus is right!

i'm jonesin' for our f.m. to start up, it's just around the corner. some of the smaller ones keep open year round, but the selection is usually small until summer hits.

i'm plotting the kolharabi, mellons, peaches, berries, honey & rhubarb already!!

[captain beeheart]

Damn damn damn, we went up to Borough Market, up by the Thames yesterday.... BEST FOOD EVER! I think (hope) I may be able to cut out the supermarket altogether... We got loads of lush organic stuff, veggies, meat, smoked eel, horseradish, some of the nicest mustard I've ever tasted. Plus the shellfish stall was selling three big plump grilled scallops with bacon and stirfry veg for £3! And I reckon the prices of the provisions were pretty damn close to what I'd spend at the supermarket, while the quality is much much higher. It would have been quite an economic trip if I hadn't got spend-happy and splashed out on a bottle of premium Monbazillac and a tin of Fois Gras to go with it :eek:

[dragon chic]

cap, you went out in style! our big f.m. just opened up last sat & we missed it! the wed minnie version was passed up, but wasn't forgotten!!

mama's plotting her shit for this weekend.

the horseradish sounds rockin'......

[shammy718]

for those in the so cal area..there's a brand spanking new asian farmer's market in downtown san diego. don't know too much 'bout it yet...but check out www.sdchm.org for more info.

[cellout]

check it out, farmers market types.
square foot gardening. seems pretty neat, i'm bout to get this book from the library:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0878573410/ref=cm_rev_next/102-9407077-7112103?v=glance&s=books&vi=customer-reviews&show=-submittime&start-at=11
http://www.squarefootgardening.com/
it's a system where you supposedly garden in little self contained boxes, and it works year round. I'm gonna give it a whirl.
is there a general gardening thread?

[wonki wonki]

Just got back from my neighborhood farmers' market (a block away):

Arugula
Baby eggplants
Onion & garlic
Wildflower honey

[shampoo]

nice rainy market day

pomegranate orange juice
baby haas avocados
fuji apple
last of the good peaches
maitake mushrooms

[YelloKitty]

yay pomegranates are in season now, right? must pick some up soon...

[liquid mass]

Should be for the next few months.

[YelloKitty]

awesome. pomegranates are fun.

[liquid mass]

And stainy!

[YelloKitty]

yes! put em in your mouth and spit 'em out at unsuspecting victims. pomegranate bullets are (not) bad for your health!

[liquid mass]

I posted this a while back in some thread, but here is again. The easiest way to seperate the seeds from the membrane is to pull it apart in a container of water. The seeds sink to the bottom and the membrane floats.

I usually do a bunch of them at once and keep the seeds in a container in the refrigerator. They will be ok for about a week or so.

[filipEMO]

the liquid/mass method of doing things :confused:


:p

[YelloKitty]

ahh nice tip, gracias hombre por vida enchilada muy fantastico palabra

[Margin Walker]

*bump*

I picked up 1# of pea pods for $2 this morning @ the Farmer's Market and I'm eating them fresh outta the pods even as I type. They're kinda small, but that'll change in the next few weeks! :D

[dragon chic]

my daughter loves that snack, marg. can i call you marg?

[stryfe]

i'm sad that the cocktail grapefruits and honey tangerines are most likely gone for the season. they were the biggest local surprise in a long time. cocktail grapefruits are a cross between a pumelo and orange. it's sweet and juicy. the flavor is similar to that of a mellow grapefruit, but less acidic and bitter. i've been leaving them out until they get a nice rich yellow-orange skin, then peel and eat. i've tried cutting it in quarters and eating it with a grapefruit spoon, but the flesh is so tender i end up losing quite a bit of pulp.

compared to oranges and at eighty-five cents per pound they've been a nice alternative.

the honey tangerines are small compared to clementine and satsuma mandarin oranges. at two to three inches in diameter, they've got a thin skin that releases a strong orange fragrance when peeled. the flesh is delicate and juicy. they're very sweet and i've find them to be best when eaten cold.

[YelloKitty]

we went to farmers this weekend, got there too late and the oyster dudes were packing up. :( we did pick up a pumelo and three baskets of strawberries. they were so sweet!

[Sukebe]

I used to live one block up from the Farmer's Market in J-Town. Every Sunday they closed off the street.

Went there once when my dad came to visit, but it was pretty disappointing.

[YelloKitty]

didn't go farmers yesterday (at alemany), kinda sad because there's this lady who sells the best focaccia ever! ($3.50) we were hoping she'd be at the civic center market but nope :(
but we got:
one red and one yellow onion: 40cent!
two lemons: 50cent!
hella cilantro: 50
a bag of broad beans: 1 dollah
lots of baby bok choy: 1

[YelloKitty]

got some black tiger shrimp, onions, bok choy and pumelo today at farmers. i'm gonna make some sinagang tonight!

[weslouie]

I miss them....my wife and I used to always go to the Burbank FM or the Alhambra FM. We would occasionally go to the OG one over near the westside.

[liquid mass]

Originally posted by YelloKitty
didn't go farmers yesterday (at alemany), kinda sad because there's this lady who sells the best focaccia ever! ($3.50) we were hoping she'd be at the civic center market but nope :(

Does she sell a variety of flavors? I am wondering if she is the same person I have bought from in the past.

[YelloKitty]

yeah there's one w/cheese, one without, one with onions and the other just herbs i think?

[liquid mass]

if one of them is green it is pesto. If she sells them 2 for $6 it is probably the same person.

[randall fairbrook]

went to the santa ana farmer's market...it is about as big as 4 gr2 stores.....but it is nice they have one...got some corn bread...a bacon wrapped dog with grilled onions...some garlic hummous...some feta....some chile mango...some pita chips...some cherries, some strawberries...

[YelloKitty]

Originally posted by liquid mass
if one of them is green it is pesto. If she sells them 2 for $6 it is probably the same person.
i didn't see pesto, but we got there early enough to see that she had some other kinds too (we picked up cheddar/jalapeno today). also got a bag of fresh oregano. no really, it's oregano! 3 lbs of whole walnuts for $8! olives and garlic for tapenade and onions, lemons and sugar snap peas. we're planning on going to the civic center one tomorrow. i'm officially farmers market obsessed!

[YelloKitty]

tomatoes, finally! but boo for the small ass basket of blueberries for $4 :(

[stryfe]

The white peaches, white nectarines and donut peaches have been fantastic this past weekend. A peach I had yesterday was 'perfect.'

[YelloKitty]

those donut peaches look funny. do they taste any different? my parents picked up some peaches & nectarines too and gave me some. haven't tried it yet, but i'm looking forward to them.

i saw some figs last week, but today nobody had them. how much are they going for over there?

[stryfe]

Not too much different. Fun and easy to eat. I cut through the center from the top, gently pull in half and remove the stuff.

LOS ANGELES. California (AP) -- An old man whose car hurtled through a farmers' market, killing 10 people and injuring more than 70, was convicted Friday of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence -- the harshest verdict possible.

George Russell Weller, 89 and in poor health, will probably spend the rest of his life in prison for the 2003 crash, which set off a national debate over whether elderly people should be barred from driving or required to pass additional tests when renewing their licenses.

Weller was not in court to hear the verdict, reached by a jury after eight days of deliberation.

His attorneys argued that he mistakenly stepped on the gas pedal instead of the brake and panicked when the vehicle raced into the open-air market. But prosecutors said he was careless to the point of criminal negligence and lacked remorse.

"He looked at what he had done, essentially shrugged his shoulders and said, 'Oops,"' prosecutor Ann Ambrose told the jury.

Weller's 1992 Buick Le Sabre traveled about 300 yards, reaching 60 mph or more as it crashed into food stalls. It finally came to a stop after hitting a ditch, with one victim's body tangled underneath and another's draped across the hood. The victims ranged in age from 7 to 78.

Weller did not testify, but jurors heard a taped interview with police immediately after the crash in which he said he tried everything he could think of to stop the car.

"I tried to take the control knob and jam it into park. Everything. Anything that I thought would stop the action of the car," he said.

Weller faces two to six years on each of the 10 manslaughter counts. Until then, he is prohibited from driving anywhere.

[Bert Schnick]

http://www.catchat.org/diary_pix/yellow_veg.jpg
I love a good gorch

[YelloKitty]

veggie and fruit seasonality charts! (http://www.cuesa.org/seasonality/charts/fruit.php)

[wonki wonki]

Went to the South Pasadena farmers' market today. Pretty modest -- more of a family hangout vibe than a serious produce market, but still fun. Got to taste a lot of free samples of fruit. Bought some anjou pears, blood oranges, feta. Had Salvadoran pupusas and watermelon lemonade for dinner. The pupusas were really good! Every Thursday afternoon-evening, right next to the Metro station.

Thinking of checking out the Alhambra market on Sunday. Haven't been in ages... From what I remember it's a pretty sad gathering, but it's within walking distance from home.

Anyone else?