It was just an innocent outing. I had to return something to a store yesterday, and since the mall was peppered with outdoor tables, we decided to buy a bottle of water, some olives and some breadsticks to munch on.Turns out it was farmers market day at the mall. So we were able to augment our impromptu lunch with snappy icicle and French Breakfast radishes, and a mound of Bing cherries for desert.
Honest, I wasn't seeking out a market.
It found me.
And today, even though I probably already have enough produce in the house, I'm meeting a fellow food blogger at the Marin Civic Center Farmers Market. Honest, it's just a meeting place, not a shopping destination.
But I'll probably end up buying more stuff, just as I did yesterday.
I'm attracted to farmers markets, and it's no accident that they make nifty meeting places for fellow food writers.
But they're everywhere. They find us.
Well, I'll admit, last weekend we drove almost 70 miles to visit a new-to-us farmers market. We found it.
And we find we like the atmosphere.
The shady table we chose yesterday for lunch was right behind the stand of a guy selling incredibly fragrant strawberries. He had a bowl of freshly washed berries set out in front for potential patrons to sample, and over the course of our meal, he must have refilled that huge bowl four times or more. He did make a few sales, so all was not in vain, but there are a lot of prowling snackers at that mall. I watched them.
Fortunately, it seems to be worth the farmers' efforts to attend that little market. Their tables were laden with beautiful, fresh produce, and the prices were no different than I've seen at other markets. Several of the vendors also attend the Marin market.
I wonder; do they even bother to drive home at night?
Yes, I guess they do. To box up more of that sparkling fresh produce.
See you at the market.
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13 comments:
I'm glad you stopped by that market. I find it sweet and very do-able. I go there for just the things I need, and it takes so little time since I'm not tempted by hundreds of choices and a lot of non-edible merchandise. The vendors are friendly, the crowds are manageable. I'm happy it's there, another reminder of how much Marin suppports organics. I also like it that people who might not normally make it to the Civic Center stop by during their mall-trawling to buy food worth eating!enaua
I actually bought a couple of avocados there last year, and I could swear they were quasi local! Of a variety I hadn't eaten before (but I've never seen them there again).
It's nice, too, that it seems to draw a set of vendors who are (some of them) different from the "big" market.
You're right, K., it's manageable. I'm going to keep that in mind next time I'm in the vicinity.
Our farmers market opens tomorrow. I'm going to go, because later in the season when I have a lot of my own produce from the garden I feel too guilty to buy things.
Well, don't buy any basil!! ;)
Imagine, feeling guilty buying stuff at a farmers market. Sigh...
Sure you didn't mean to go shopping...
I passed by the North Berkeley farmer's market last night but I couldn't stop because Boris was in desperate need of a pedicure.
I have, on more than one occasion, attended a farmers market six days in a row here in the county, and that includes two markets on Fridays.
Move over in that bed, slut.
: D
Hey! Did you see me there? I love that market and the place with the breadsticks!
Dagny: Boris? I'll have to read your blog more often. 'Splain, please: dog?
Tana: Nah, I've never done more than one in a day. You win. But then, there we were in Walnut Park in Petaluma this afternoon, reading the sign that says the farmers market there is Saturdays at 2-5... And we said... "uh... tomorrow?... No." But we might go to the Palo Alto market tomorrow! :D
Catherine: I actually think I did see you. Next time I'll speak up. Imagine!!
Ah. Boris is one of my two cats. The two are Boris and Natasha. Yes, I watched too much "Bullwinkle" as a kid.
Hokey smoke, Dagney! Then you must know who Ponsonby Britt is!
:)
Imagine! I'm much friendlier than I look ;-)
We should plan to meet at one of the markets. The next two weeks are tough (last week of school parties and a week's break before summer camps start). I'll bug you in a couple of weeks - I'd love to meet you!
The radish. Omce my own, private, personal favorite. But now, it's been outted by Martha Stewart and everyone is talking about it.
aj
The radish: Yeah, and I think Alice Waters even beat Martha Stewart to it.
We like to sow radish seeds and then just pick the greens when they emerge; use them in salads (don't wait for the root to develop).
Catherine: Boo! OK, you're on.
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