February Farmer's Market

Clyde and I took a stroll through the Farmer's Market beneath the W/X freeway last Sunday so that I could do a guest post for Lover of Creating Flavour.  There were too many good pictures to add to that post, so I thought a few more highlights and some links on this page were in order.  It's late winter, which means citrus time and there were stalls of oranges everywhere, including these pretty little blood oranges.

It was crowded around that stall, Clyde could only get a couple of blurry snaps, but I love the colors anyway.  Here's my favorite plant vendor Cecilia Ayson's table, she doesn't even have a computer, let alone a website; hopefully someday.  You can see the the columns and freeway deck in this one too, they block the rain fairly well but also the natural light.

Larry Glashoff sang a Simon & Garfunkel song about boysenberries while I admired the large selection of jams, jellies and preserves.  I'm going to try their apricot next because I am a fiend for apricot jam, nobody ever makes it as good as my grandmother did.  But I keep looking.

Glashoff Farms has an inviting web site where you can see all their products and find out where else you can buy them.

We Sacramentans know a thing or two about tomatoes and this one is exactly how I like them, bright red and heavy with a few imperfections and dings.  Those perfect supermarket specimens don't have any real flavor and merely looking good is not enough.  The Tomato Man probably knows a few things more, judging by this winter beauty.

Tomorrow I'll share the rest of the goodies, but here are two more links for you.  Rice is one of the bigger crops around the area and Massa Organics will be happy to help you try some.  This page is worth a visit just to see the house constructed from bales of rice straw.

The last link is for my other blog where a month-long short story has just started.  Wanderer has little to do with food, but much to do with the State of California and a good read as well so I would be so pleased if you had a look.