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We've become quite the farmers market enthusiasts this season, with Saturday's Alemany market being our favorite. We just learned that Alemany is the "grand daddy" of farmers markets and has been at its current location since 1947! Alemany is much more mellow than the Ferry Plaza farmers market, with lots of affordable organic and non-organic options. Alemany's downfall is that it's hard to get to as a pedestrian, and the layout is not conducive to good traffic flow. It was particularly crowded today, which means parking was very hairy. Even still, we were in and out of there in an hour. (Update: For transit-riders, the 23, 67, 9X, and Samtrans buses can all get you there.)
Every item in the photo above is organic, except for the pistachios. Whichever market we attend, we spend all the money in our wallets. Today it was around $50, but we think it's pretty bountiful.
Got any good pasta recipes using the heirloom tomatoes, ugly shitake mushrooms, and zucchini? Or how about a kale dish that beats this one (we are hooked on it)? Green bean ideas?
Tell us about your recent farmers market experiences. We especially want to know about the new Divisadero market that SFist Matt told us about. We heard there was indeed police activity near there the first day it was open.
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That market has the strange woman who plays a saw and dances her puppet to the music.
They also sell great samosa and afagani breads too.
The 23 monterey goes right to the door...
Noooo - don't tell more people about this gem - let others go to the Ferry Building and waste their money on three dollar peaches amidst the tourists.
The 67 takes you there from 24th Street Bart station.
That place was PACKED! today, but had an awesome selection as always...
Travin -- yeah, I've taken the 67 there before. It's a bit confusing but works for the die-hards. Call me lazy, but carpooling helps a great deal with motivation...
And twsf -- don't worry - they seem like two different animals. Alemany is for the no-nonsense folk who want to get in and get out, and the ferry building is an excursion that requires more time and money -- a good place to meet up with friends or to take visitors...
I also like the Crocker Galleria farmers market on Thursdays, convenient and good for when you're busy on Saturday.
Also the Civic Center farmer's market. They've got some pretty decent tamales and ethnic produce.
The Ferry Plaza market is the Stanford Shopping Center of farmers' markets.
Anyone ever try the farmer's markets at Kaiser (ofarrell) or Park Merced.
I've been to Noe Valley's and the one in Burlingame. Both are pretty much what you might expect for those two areas: not a large setting/variety and prices are higher.
Civic Center has gotten much better these days.
we've pretty much stopped shopping at the farmer's markets due to high price. it is expensive. i know that i am supporting farmers when i shop there, but i just can't justify it anymore in my budget.
scruz: depends on the markets you hit I suppose. I've gotten some very nice bargains at the CC market (especially towards the end of the day).
Leanne: what neck of the woods are you in?
P.S. The tomatoes call for a caprese salad, period.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOB6XH-e-RA
Thanks for the Caprise salad recommendation, zippy! I'm actually in the Tendernob -- so yeah, Alemany definitely isn't the closest, but the freeway makes it pretty quick by car. I carpool with a friend, who lives in the neighborhood.
I like organic, so that's why I don't frequent Civic Center, but I should check it out more often...
Travin -- I have gone to the Kaiser farmers market. It was small but nice, definitely nice if you're near there already.
The Marin farmers market is something to behold as well, and I hear the same about Lake Merritt. Hm, sounds like another good post!
Big fan of the Marin farmer's market but you definitely need a car for that trip. The prices and selection are excellent - nobody up there knows what to do with those squash flowers so I always get a great deal on them.
The Civic Center market has lots of good stuff and if you go later in the day, they practically give stuff away whenever you buy something. Check out the Chinese tomato lady for a good bargain. "1 bag 1 dollah" (holla!)
Heirloom Tomatoes? Clean, cut, salt, extra virgin olive oil. Eat.
I have been going to the Alemany farmer's market for years, it is the cheapest produce around. If you get tired of waiting for the 67, it is not too much of a hike to Cortland, where you can catch the 24.
After noon, everything goes on sale: I usually show up late, eat something from the amazing Sabores del Sur that is always there for brunch and then try and haggle. I have been getting stone fruit for $1/pound after lunch, when the real farmers want to start heading back to Central Valley.
The Marin FM is nice, but not cheap. It's actually pretty centrally located as well. I don't remember what runs by the Civic Center... whatever route took over the northern half of the 1 route. It should run fairly reliably (GGT being far more predictable).
mock edit: The 45 and 49 will take you ~15 minutes to get from the transit center to the Civic Center and should stop right by the farmers market. If you can stand the lengthy trip up 101, it's very doable.
But, if you do drive, hit United Market and/or Trader Joes (off of 3rd St) on the way back. United tends to have fantastic values on really nice produce (not necessarily organic tho).
Best heirloom tomatoes I've had this year have been from United and the CC farmers market. The worst, by far, have been from Rainbow (ha).
Green beans and/or broccoli should be done with sesame (oil and/or seeds) and ginger and served as a side. Shitake souffle maybe? The limes, of course, belong in a gimlet. The celery ought to garnish a Bloody Mary.
scruz, just don't go to the ferry building. prices are way jacked up there with premium rented stalls. alemeny and civic center have a lot of organic produce that is usually much cheaper than retail - almost inline with the prices of the non-organic 'seconds' you find in the mission, yet fresh picked from the farmer. ya can't beat it.
I did not realize there was organic at Civic Center. It's been a long time since I've been through there.
Mariconsoy -- I got a pic of the saw-playing, puppet lady today. The kids love her. The chocolate croissants are delish too.
Zippy, thanks -- I'm enjoying a shaken vodka gimlet right now! It's been my mom's fave for years now, except fresh lime is much better than her Rose's lime juice.
I'm all about the Alameda Thursday evening farmers' market. Love the Indian food, the best stone fruit around, and the baked goods. I'm just sad Tofu Yu has abandoned us!
deep fry your (sliced) shitakes and toss them with spinach, goat cheese, some of your heirlooms, and a very light whole-grain mustard vinaigrette. slide an over-easy egg on top (preferably fried in a bit of butter and truffle oil), and call it a meal. maybe some chopped bacon to finish?
kale? saute a bit of ginger and garlic in a some canola and a few drops of sesame oil. when it starts to brown, add a few chili flakes, wait a beat, and add your kale. give it a minute, toss a little tamari in, and pull off the heat. sprinkle on some sesame seeds and you got yourself some greens.
zucchini. thick slice and toss with a little olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt. grill until you get marks on both sides, but everything is still firm. that's it. done.
heirlooms should be enjoyed solo. maybe a pinch of salt and pepper...
Wow, Leanne! Great minds think (and shop) alike. Check out this post on my blog, Spirit In The City, about my trip to Alemany a couple weeks ago...
http://spiritinthecity.wordpress.com/2008/08/03/alemany-farmers-market-farmers-in-the-city-take-1/
For zucchini and tomato: get a couple other ingredients like eggplant and peppers. Make the ratatouille recipe out of The Joy of Cooking. It's easy, filling, and delicious.
Although you may want to wait until fall for this one. I'm not sure that one should waste summer heirloom tomatoes on cooked dishes.
Wow, thanks for all the great recipes and tips, Everyone! I will indeed just enjoy the heirlooms by themselves today.
And SpritInTheCity -- you only spent $24 on your bounty? Looks like I need to be more discerning, or go after Noon, like NoeValleyJim suggested (great tip!).
the farmers' market at divisadero and grove is absolutely wonderful. not huge but they have all the basics (though i'm not a major cooking freak), including the tastiest green beans i've ever had, AND yummy (but expensive) baked goods. just overheard talk there today that it might be going year-round, which would be great. after moving here from oakland where i lived almost next door to the grand lake farmers' market, it's nice to have one so close at hand again. i heart this neighborhood... too bad i may not be able to afford to stay when it's time to lose my roommates.
Green beans: steam for 10 minutes and then immediately stop then from getting mushy in an ice bath. Drain and toss with olive oil, rice wine vinegar, salt & pepper and paper thin sliced shallot.
Ugly shitakes make beautiful pasta sauce: chop as thin as possible. Sweat shallot, then shitakes til they release their liquid. Add white wine, lemon juice & zest, salt & pepper: over hot fresh pasta, with good parm or romano cheese. Mmm....
And Jackie Jones is the bomb of one-woman bands, kids. She has lived on Bernal for ages, and performs with some other bands occasionally, and is widely rumored to be lesbianese, and downright radical leftie at that. Watch her perform here on You-Know-Who-Tube
i was toying with making a trip over to alemany market on saturday and ended up not going. i was a regular when i lived on york st. but from over here by gg park now, it's more of a hassle. i like the saw lady (watching the kids watch her is very fun) but the meditation singer/guitarist is the worst...makes ya wanna meditate just to escape the torture the guy inflicts. the tamale stand is good and the bread stall that used to be at the very end of the row in the parking lot is fantastic. best whole grain sliced bread evah!
when is this farmers' market on divis and grove? i've never heard of it.
has anyone gone to the fillmore saturday market? that's close enough but i am curious about what kind of stuff/how many stalls are there.
cheers
~~~gogo
Gogobooty- The Divisadero market is on Sundays from 10-2, cross street Grove.
And I went to the Fillmore market a few times when I lived near there four or five years ago. I thought they had good stuff but don't remember what the prices were like. I see that it's now year-round. I'll have to check it out again!
Carla at Local Forage just posted a printable map of Alemany with her favorite organic/sustainable farmers called out on the map. It's important to know which stalls to buy from since some of the "farmers" at Alemany are not actually farmers; they buy their product at bargain-basement warehouses and who knows how the stuff was grown. Check it out :)
http://www.localforage.com/local_forage/2008/08/alemany-farme-1.html
"That market has the strange woman who plays a saw and dances her puppet to the music."
Wow, I haven't been since I was a kid, but she was always there as far back as I can remember... at least 20 years!