Results tagged “farmersmarket”

The US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has officially declared this week National Farmers Week. Farmers markets are "important nationwide outlets for agricultural producers." What's more, thousands of farmers markets offer "consumers affordable, convenient, and healthful products sold directly from the farm in their freshest possible state," which benefit people tenfold, economy- and health-wise. Most of us already know about the bigwig farmers markets in the Bay Area (e.g., Ferry Building, Civic Center, Noe Valley), but there are more of them out there. To find the farmers market nearest you, visit apps.ams.usda.gov.

       

by Ted Weinstein

We shamelessly stole today's photo of the day from SF Metblogs. It was reportedly taken at the Ferry Building's farmers market. And while we can imagine such a gruesome display occurring in more parts of the city, we always thought this kind of scene was better hidden at downtown's farmers market. Tsk, tsk. Shameful.

Hi, guys. What's up? Great. So...huh, how do we put this delicately without hurting anyone's feelings? Ahem, the next time there's a truck in the middle of Civic Center selling nothing but delicious waffles, and no one mentions it to us before said truck sells out of said waffles? We will go Carrie on all of you. (With you in the Betty Buckley role, of course, because you are the most caring readers.) Why,...

Protest over national vs. regional chains, the never-ending debate over the place of cars and bicycles in our metropolises, professional sports scandals, remembering a solemn day, and being issued a search warrant - it all happened across our sites this week!

This Saturday at the San Francisco Embarcadero Hyatt Regency from noon-4 p.m., you can join KGO Radio and the Mendocino Wine Growers Foundation in celebration of the wines and other good stuff from Mendocino County. The event, called "Wine By The Bay 2007,", is $35 if you buy your ticket now; it'll be ten buck more ($45) at the door. What's exciting to us is that Friend of SFist, Destination Dinners' Lisa Diamond, is scheduled to be interviewed by KGO's Gene Burns during the event for his "Dining Around" program.

We had a good time going through the recipes and eating stories in Street Food, the new book by wunderkind Tom Kine - that is, when we got over the insane jealousy. He got a book contract to travel for three months and eat all he could! How do we get something like that? We're excited to try his takes on bolani (Afghan flat bread) and Kadu (roast pumpkin paste), which he got from Bilal, who runs a stall at the Kaiser Farmer's Market in Oakland. Kine even includes party ideas at the end...fun!

Yummy photo courtesy of Dinner Party

Londonist are starting to think their city is getting just a little bit too expensive, when even Christian Slater can't afford to go out there. And there's no escaping, as local singer Lily Allen discovered when she was barred entry to the US. The British mapping agency caused further bad karma, by blocking a 3-D representation of London in Google Earth. But the smiles returned to Londonist's faces as they interviewed Baroness von Reichardt, who has completely covered her house in mosaic tiles.

Our favorite Bay Area foodie starchild, and Omnivore’s Dilemma author, Michael Pollan, was at it again Wednesday night. He moderated a panel to discuss the 2007 Farm Bill on the UC Berkeley campus. The Farm Bill -– which gets reviewed about every five years – has been under the spotlight this year.

When visiting your republican parents in Ohio for the holidays, it can be hard to have a satisfying conversation over the dinner table. Worry not, we found a fantastic ice-breaker at the Alemany Farmer's Market.

On Thursday morning, we bent our self imposed no-drinks-before-noon"guideline" and attended a fun food and wine event. What made this invite stand out was that the wine tasting, Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2006, was tied to an important cause, the San Francisco Food Bank. Had we known we would be able to witness and talk to a good natured young woman dressed in a gigantic Beaujolais Nouveau costume we would've RSVP'd even sooner. Oh, and did we mention we dig romantic French accordion music by Odile Lavault while we sip and nibble?

You won't find jujubes at your average farmer's market stall. If you want to buy the olive-sized, black and brown fruits, hunt out Asian-themed markets or tables selling Asian ingredients.

There's a lot of tastiness going on tonight on both sides of the bay.

Last week we were shopping at a local farmer's market and overheard two women discussing what to buy for dinner. "How about spinach?" said one. The other greeted her suggestion with a smirk and they both nervously chuckled before moving on to other vegetables in the stand.

Tomato crops haven't fared well in California's recent heat wave, which might explain why market stalls aren't overflowing with the iconic summer vegetables. We spotted some recently, and took some home for a tomato tasting in the SFist test kitchen. Honest, we came up with this idea before the New York Times ran an article about a similar tasting .

As much as we enjoy planning dinners, sometimes we just want to assemble a quick meal from fresh ingredients at the farmer's market. How often do you get to the many markets here in the Bay Area? If you haven't been in a while, we'd like to urge you visit your neighborhood market and taste the treats on display. Scrumptious stone fruits such as cherries and nectarines are at the peak of their flavor right now, and we've seen the first ears of corn. Even tomatoes have begun to appear, though they're still a little wan.

We geeked out on garlic last year, so we instantly recognized the twisty garlic scapes at the Grand Lake farmer's market last week. A scape is the stem that shoots through the middle of a bulb of hardneck garlic, the more flavorful subspecies of that aromatic bulb, which we'll cover a bit more in July or August.

We first learned about sorrel from our food writing idol Ed Behr, who devotes a chapter of to the distinctive herb and its history. Behr takes his cue from French cuisine and uses it in salads, soups, and sauces.We've kept that essay in mind, and pounced on the vibrant vegetable when we saw it at the Berkeley farmers' market.

Any post that starts "I'm in a light, summery mood today," in spite of the weather, well, that deserves to lead off the round-up this week. The rain's affecting everyone, including Cookiecrumb up in Marin, so we can only imagine the impact this is having on larger farmers and growers. For us, when the weather gets too awful, we always like tea. We like the steam and sweets and the way it makes us feel all cozy. So now, thanks to Shuna, we're returning the favor.

The poor lemon. It's so common that you ignore it even in the midst of its high season. But we tend to agree with , which lists this tart fruit as a cooking staple. No one will be surprised to learn that the book's authors dote on the low-acid Meyer lemons, which have become a defining ingredient in California cuisine. But nothing beats the mouthpuckering juice of a Eureka or Lisbon lemon, the two almost identical varieties you'll find at the market.

Ready, aim.... and look out for firebugs this Saturday at the Noe Valley Farmers Market, as the Neighborhood Emergency Response Team (NERT) and the SF Fire Department highlight this month's safety theme, "Light My Fire And Put It Out Safely Month." (that's an awesome theme.) So along with your organic oranges and leafy greens, reps from the fire department will be setting fires in the parking lot and inviting local residents to put them out. You're encouraged to bring your home fire extinguisher so you can practice using it too. We're so intrigued by this combination of "what a great idea!" and "what a terrible idea!" that this represents that we've gotta check this out. NERT runs free disaster-prep training classes throughout the city and works with neighborhood groups to coordinate emergency plans. For instance, NERT, working with the Noe Valley groups, learned that their plans to use the James Lick Middle School parking lot as their post-disaster staging area was in conflict with the school's plans to use that same parking lot to gather students. It may not matter, though, because both NERT and the school then subsequently learned that city experts are saying that the parking lot's retaining wall may collapse in an earthquake anyways. Note to self: don't go into the James Lick parking lot after an earthquake.

Who Pays For 7x7? Suckers, that's who.

I rely on a number of high-quality producers for the Kitchen column. Some I've written about in depth, some make frequent cameo appearances. Here are the unsung (at least at this site) producers I relied on in 2005.

Boy--we sure love completely subjective awards, and we're super thankful for a chance to give out a few of our own.

Dark greens last week, turnips this week. If you need proof that winter is here, the produce at local farmer's markets drives the point home. On the other hand, Kitchen photographer Melissa spotted a late batch of strawberries at the Grand Lake Farmer's Market, and we've spotted tomatoes recently as well. And we wonder why other parts of the country envy our markets. Oddball summer produce aside, root vegetable season has returned, and carrots, parsnips, and turnips are the belles of the winter ball. Turnips? Yes, turnips. We don't understand why shoppers shun these starchy bulbs. Probably the association with lean winter days and poverty-stricken rural families. Don't be misled by their reputation. The slightly sweet, peppery taste and crunchy texture complement a large number of foods, from fatty meats to other sugary ingredients to winter vegetables. If you can find them, pick up a bunch of baby turnips, which you can treat like the radishes they resemble. What you'll probably find at the market, however, are the ubiquitous Purple Tops, whose pretty purple shoulders stand out in a market stall.

When it came time to pick the best place to shop for food, we fretted over the decision. We knew the winner would be a farmer's market, since seasonal produce bought from local farmers beats virtually every store's fruits and vegetables. But which market to choose? The Bay Area probably has more farmer's markets per capita than anywhere else, each with its own personality and devotees.