Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Let's go shopping.

     Goodness gracious, it’s been a long time since I’ve posted anything here. Which isn’t to say I haven’t been obsessing over food… it’s just that I’m lazy.

     Things have changed a bit since I last updated. I moved into my own little tiny bachelorette pad at the beginning of July. Oddly enough, I’ve been cooking at home more than ever now that I’m living on my own. As much as I loved cooking for the boys, I was experiencing a bit of frustration due to the sheer magnitude of their appetites. (Carlos, honey, if you’re reading this, I am NOT complaining. Honestly. It is what it is.) Now that I’m on my own, a batch of fresh salsa lasts me days- whereas before it would be demolished in the course of an hour. If I roast a chicken the leftovers last me a week… You get the picture.
     This in turn has made me more likely to indulge my love of fresh local goodness by shopping almost exclusively at the farmers markets- I’m spending less on groceries every week, even though per pound stuff tends to be more expensive than at Henry’s. Now I’m free to roam the produce vendors, grab whatever is looking amazing that week, and build a meal around whatever I bring home.

     Which brings me (in my usual roundabout, overly wordy way) to today’s topic: a brief review of local farmer’s markets. This isn’t a comprehensive survey by any stretch of the imagination, just a survey of the ones in my ‘hood (with the exception of Escondido- I work 2 block away from that one) but I’d like to tell you about the places I frequent on a weekly basis and the ones that I’ve made a point to check out.



     First off, the Hillcrest farmers market (Normal street, in front of the DMV. 10am-2pm Sundays). This is my favorite, and in my opinion, the best in town. The produce vendors are numerous and varied, with a few very specialized sellers- the lady who sells like 10 varieties of potatoes, for instance, or the mushroom lady (mmmmm, criminis), or the folks that sell almost exclusively fresh herbs and greens (sorrel! Watercress! Homemade sauerkraut!) as well as the usual seasonal fruits and veggies. You can also find local artisan cheeses and butter, cured meats, eggs, honey, etcetera. There’s plenty of folks selling prepared foods, of course. The Thai coconut pancakes are a staple for me, and the tamale lady at the Northwest end of the food row is one of Rob’s favorite stops. The Turkish coffee is a good bet, as well.
     I don’t usually pay a lot of attention to the non-food folks at the markets, as most of them are the exact same stuff you see at every single street fair around town, but Hillcrest has some standouts. The ladies that sell vintage shoes/clothing are a perfect example. Can you say gorgeous vintage cowboy boots for *cheap*? Yeah. There’s also the booth that sells shopping bags/backpacks/travel bags- check out the ‘envirosax’ (an awesome product with an unfortunate name).
     Parking can be a pain in the butt, although I’ve found that if you go later (after noon) you can generally park pretty close. Otherwise expect to walk a bit.



     My next favorite is the Escondido farmers market (Grand Ave, between Kalmia & Juniper. Tuesdays from 2:30-6pm (winter hours)). Although smaller than the Hillcrest market, there is still a good variety of produce vendors. The strawberry lady at the corner of Kalmia & Grand always has the best fruit, and there’s a woman further down the block who always has amazing herbs and gorgeous arugula.
     There’s a gentleman from Da-Lee Ranch selling local, pasture-raised meat products which are phenomenal (ask him about the pork jerky) and you can buy bread from Belen artisan bakery, in my opinion the best local bakery in town. The food vendors have been multiplying over the past year, from a single taco stand to include crepes, Thai food, and soul food (which I have yet to try, maybe today!). There are also several live plant vendors where you can buy herbs, berry bushes, and even avocado trees for planting.



     On Thursday there’s the North Park farmers market (In the CVS parking lot, corner of 32nd & North Park Way, 2pm-dark). This one has been a source of frustration for me. It’s the closest one to home, and I would *love* to buy more of my stuff there, but I just can’t seem to get what I need. There are only a few produce vendors, and most of them are selling the same varieties of produce, although the last time I went (a couple of weeks ago) there were several new vendors with a bit more variety. Let’s hope they stick.
     It’s a good one for prepared food, though, and you can always pick up the basics (fruit, lettuce, a few seasonal crops) and that’s a good enough reason to stop by. Besides, the more people start shopping there, the more appealing it will be to farms & vendors to start selling!



     The brand-new Mission Valley farmers market (east end of the mall parking lot, 3-7pm Fridays) has only been open a month, but it shows some promise. As you might expect (being at the mall and all) the ratio of food to non-food vendors is about 1 to 4. When I went by there a couple of weeks ago there was a decent variety for how few produce vendors were present, but there’s still not a lot there.
     This one is just getting started, so I’ll be keeping an eye on it in weeks to come.



     The City Heights farmers market (Saturdays 9am-1pm, on Wightman between Fairmount and 43rd) is an interesting one. It’s small, and there aren’t a lot of produce vendors, but you can find some pretty obscure Asian veggies that I haven’t seen at any of the other markets. There are also people set up swap-meet style at one end, selling old clothes and such, which is something I’m not accustomed to seeing at the markets.
     There’s a couple of good reasons to go to this one, even if it’s just for a couple of things. It’s very neighborhood- oriented, supporting the City Heights community garden project, and it’s the only farmers market in the county that accepts WIC vouchers (with a dollar matching program for up to $5 of fresh produce). Oh, yeah, and there’s Bikes del pueblo, “a volunteer run cooperative learning space and a do-it-yourself bike repair shop.”
     The whole idea behind this market is community involvement and improving the quality of life for the neighborhood, as well as promoting healthier eating habits for lower-income folks- and I think that’s a damn good reason to support it, if you ask me.



     There’s like 40 farmers markets all over the county, every day of the week except Monday (stupid Monday). Here’s a lowdown on where else you’ll find ‘em. Go out, get some good food, and be a part of your community. It's good stuff.

Enjoy!


2 comments:

AlphaAndy said...

I'm so glad you are back writing! hurray for the farmer's market!

Jen said...

Thanks! More to come :)