Hollister market a delicious bargain
This is my fifth year earning a living by way of the Eat Local
Food movement, and this Saturday was the first time I found myself
a consumer at a farmer’s market in the city where I live.
Hollister market a delicious bargain
This is my fifth year earning a living by way of the Eat Local Food movement, and this Saturday was the first time I found myself a consumer at a farmer’s market in the city where I live.
Before this, I had worked the Hollister Farmer’s Market for a year selling produce for my dad, but given that I bartered with fellow attendees for any goods I took home, I can’t say I was a valid market-goer.
One other time while vacationing in Cambria, I ventured through their market to see what’s grown locally there. I walked away with a pound of organic pistachios and several jars of jam, but no fresh produce since I was on vacation, and therefore, not cooking. As a consumer at this market, I was the tourist. Perhaps I would be back in another year or two to buy some more nuts, but the farmers couldn’t rely on me to support them on a regular basis.
Thinking about this at the end of my brief adventure through the Farmer’s Market at the Ferry Building in San Francisco reminded me, and confirmed for me, the facts I read in an article about the direction local farmer’s markets were heading. The article suggested that markets have become too efficient for their own good and may even lead to their downfall.
Markets have become more of a destination place for people, not necessarily their outlet for buying produce and other local products for upcoming meals. Instead, pre-made food and other modes of impulsive entertainment are the features that pull people in.
I am guilty of being such a patron. There are at least a dozen farmer’s markets in San Francisco but I have not gone to one. I have only been to the Ferry Building on days when farmers aren’t there to greet you. Rather, I have gone to peruse Sur La Table’s store and to get a made-to-order cup of coffee from Frog Hollow Farm and ponder buying their delicious $9-a-jar marmalade after sampling it (but never actually doing it). I have never made more of an effort after hearing how packed the market is, and also how high the prices are. (One customer told me a story about purchasing an $8 tomato I will never forget.)
Having read the article about farmer’s markets, I now understood why the higher prices. One farmer the writer interviewed for this article had just quit attending the Ferry Building Farmer’s Market because his lack of sales made the trek not worth the cost of being there. He said not enough people go there looking to buy vegetables.
My decision to go this time was out of determination to please my customers. Having offered peaches to them, and only being able to get half of the quantity I needed through a distributor, I went directly to a farmer to see about getting more of his fruit. Farmer Al of Frog Hollow Farm promptly returned my call, and delivered 13 boxes of peaches to his stand at the farmer’s market for me Saturday morning.
After weeding my way through the crowd of market-goers (there were hundreds!), I finally found Farmer Al at his booth surrounded by a mirage of stone fruit ripe and ready to eat. Clad in overalls and a grin across his sun-weathered face, he was as sincere as the juices of his fruit were sweet. We exchanged small talk while he made change for several eager customers and his employee loaded our dolly up with fruit.
With boxes in tow, we found getting through the crowd a little easier, and as soon as we were at the car, the first thing we did was sink our teeth in to one of the peaches. Our minds needed a diversion from the sore muscles pulsing in our backs. These were the sweetest, juiciest peaches I have ever eaten! The juice dripped down our chins as we stood at the edge of San Francisco’s financial district, and like children in paradise, we ignored the stains it made on our shirts.
As much as I enjoyed this exchange with Farmer Al, the reality of this purchase was that this fruit cost twice the amount that my customers pay me for food. Anyone with business sense can see that if this became a habit, my business would be sunk in no time.
But those peaches are worth every penny! And even worth pushing through the crowd to get there. I will go back for more and also to try his nectarines and plums. One day I may even put down $9 for his marmalade.
Comparing the much lower prices at the Hollister Market to this San Francisco one makes me wish I were in town to attend on Wednesdays. Where a dozen organic eggs sell for $9 in the city, you can buy them for half the price in Hollister. All of the produce prices can’t even compare they are so reasonable in Hollister. I urge you to stop and see what your local farmers are growing. Take $20 to spend on food and you will see the wealth of local fare you can buy to feed your family. It will be worth the extra effort for so many reasons, I assure you!
Blueberry & Peach Tart
CRUST
1 c. flour
3 tbsp. sugar
¼ tsp. baking powder
¼ c. cold butter
½ tsp. almond extract
FRUIT FILLING
3 c. blueberries and sliced peaches combined
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. sugar (optional)
TOPPING
½ c. flour
½ c. sugar
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
6 tbsp. butter
Crust:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place flour, sugar and baking powder in a medium sized bowl. Add butter and mix until crumbly. Add egg and almond extract. Combine until the dough will form into a ball. With floured hands, press into the bottom of pan and partially up the sides of a greased tart pan or pie plate.
Filling:
Wash blueberries and pat dry. Peel, pit and slice peaches. Combine fruit, lemon juice and sugar together in a small bowl. Pour over crust in pan.
Topping:
In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over tart and bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool before serving.
With these hotter days, zucchini and cucumbers are abundant everywhere. Here is a delicious way to enjoy them together:
Zucchini Pancakes with Tzatziki Sauce
from the Culinary Institute of America
Pancakes:
3 c. coarsely grated zucchini
salt and pepper to taste
2 c. chopped scallions
4 eggs, lightly beaten
½ c. flour
1/3 c.
chopped dill
1/3 c.
chopped
parsley
2 tbsp.
chopped
tarragon
1/3 c.
crumbled feta cheese
2/3 c.
chopped
walnuts
olive oil for
cooking
Place the zucchini in a colander. Sprinkle with salt and let stand for 30 minutes. Squeeze the zucchini to remove as much liquid as possible. Dry the zucchini by pressing it between several layers of paper towels. In a large bowl, combine the zucchini, scallions, eggs, flour, dill, parsley, tarragon, salt and pepper until evenly blended. Fold in the feta cheese. Fold the walnuts into the zucchini mixture. Preheat oven to 300 degrees to keep pancakes warm as you work. Place a baking sheet in the oven. Add enough oil to the skillet to come to a depth of about 1/8th of an inch and heat the oil over medium-high heat until the surface of the oil shimmers. Working in batches, drop heaping tablespoons of the zucchini mixture into the hot oil, leaving enough room for the pancakes to spread as they cook. Fry until the pancakes are golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer each batch of pancakes to the baking sheet in the oven and keep warm. Serve immediately with tzatziki sauce.
Tzatziki Sauce:
½ c. plain yogurt
½ c. sour cream
½ c. grated cucumber, squeezed dry
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. minced fresh dill or mint
1 tsp. lemon juice or as needed
½ tsp. grated lemon zest
salt and pepper as needed
Combine the yogurt, sour cream, cucumber and garlic in food processor and puree until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and fold in the olive oil, mint or dill, lemon zest and juice. Stir until combined and season to taste with salt & pepper. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
