The Saturday market at the College of San Mateo is very big.
Just FYI cherries are in season! We were not at farmers markets but got some from Ranch 99/Richmond and Piedmont Grocery/Oakland. Both bags of black cherries were excellent; the Ranch 99 ones were outstanding, to our surprise.
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Can you tell where they were grown?
Thanks. We’re up in the bay but I stocked up at the Santa Barbara farmers market on Saturday before we drove up. I think peaches and strawberries in SoCal are a bit ahead of NorCal so got lots of those. A friend also said MP farmer’s market on Sunday is decent.
No, sorry, didn’t notice any grower name(s).
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For East Bay folks, Berkeleyside has a roundup of Alameda County markets (though they also include El Cerrito and Richmond).
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The Hayward market has never had a seafood vendor (at least not in the 4 years I’ve been here), but the Castro Valley market does. And the Pleasanton market is bigger than the article suggests.
Especially now that we’re hitting peak strawberry season, I miss being able to taste produce at the markets. That said, the Tomatero strawberries I bought last week were excellent — really sweet and flavorful — and the best I’ve had this year. (I actually bought them at Berkeley Bowl, but worth mentioning given Tomatero sells at local farmers markets.)
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The best, and most consistently delicious, blackberries I’ve found come from in Medina Berry Farm in Watsonville, which sells at various Bay Area markets. Jack London Sqiare isn’t one I can usually get to, but locally, Medina berries are also often available at Market Hall Produce in Rockridge Market Hall.
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Tomatero has good product.
Some favorites are from Yerena. And Poli is great and will talk to you forever about strawberries and his story.
Here’s part of our haul (along with cherries from somewhere else) last week — Mara Des Bois, Seascape (small and big), Albion (small and big):
So good.
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This week was the beginning of Blenheim apricots at our local East Bay market.
From various vendors that farm in San Joaquin, they are either very full of flavor or juicy and sweet. Hopefully next week we will start to see balance.
Reed avocados should be about but I haven’t seen them yet.
Lovely Persian cucumbers today and some early vine-ripened tomatoes hint at the beginning of deep summer fruit availability. (The salivation for ratatouille has started!)
Donut peaches and early season mission figs are taking away from the pluot/aprium gap that this solid heat has brought.
Plums galore in our bounty this week (both Santa Rosa and an unnamed backyard variety) as well as a little package of lamb ham that snuck in from Wind Dancer Ranch (double yum!)
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Someone please let me know when you see Gravenstein apples!
Probably in August.
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Which farmer’s market do you shop at?
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A couple more months!
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Sigh. The window seems to come and go in a heartbeat.
They’re usually around by the second week in August, give or take.
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I’ve become faithful to Medina for their strawberries. Earlier this year they had terrific guavas.
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Indeed! For so many varieties of apples.
Devoto has so many lovely types that I feel blessed from August to November
They are at SF Ferry Plaza, St. Helena, Napa, San Rafael, and Walnut Creek.
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