What's At Your Local Farmers Market? The Bountiful Fresh Veggies, Fruits, Meats, Nuts and More Grown By Your Local Farmers [Thoughts + Pics]

While local Farmers Markets have always been a nice way to source freshly grown fruit and produce, the pandemic really helped shine a light on an alternative way to get food on the table when the supermarket shelves were being overly raided.

Besides, there are some really nice, salt-of-the-earth people farming and delivering great produce and meats to us every week at our local farmers markets; for those that are able to, it’s great to show support and purchase food supplies from them for making delicious meals at home.

So what’s at your local Farmers Market? :slight_smile:

Hollywood Farmers Market

The Hollywood Farmers Market is probably the largest Farmers Market in L.A. Local chefs / restaurants show up every week to purchase what's in-season, at the peak ripeness and flavor to present on their menus, and the prices are generally much cheaper than local supermarkets.

On any given Sunday, you might bump into Chef Michael Cimarusti (of Michelin 2 Starred Providence, and Connie & Ted’s fame), or Chef Nancy Silverton (Pizzeria & Osteria Mozza, Chi Spacca) and many others.

The Garden Of…

For those that have never stopped by this little stand, The Garden Of… is a Certified Organic Farm out of Santa Ynez, California, run by Shu Takikawa and his family. You’ll oftentimes see generations of family helping out.

The biggest draw of The Garden Of… are the incredible Organic Heirloom Lettuces that Shu-san and his family grow.

Organic Heirloom Lettuces:

Besides being visually arresting, they are truly the best Heirloom Lettuces I’ve ever used to make Salads at home. They each have an inherent genuine flavor to them. Some are slightly peppery even. And they are so impressive even local star restaurants like Republique use The Garden Of… Lettuces for their Salads. Do not miss these incredible Lettuces! :heart: (@ElsieDee @BradFord @js76wisco and all.)

Their other Organic Vegetable offerings are just as impressive in flavor. They taste better, with richer, deeper flavors.

Organic Daikon Radish:

Their Organic Daikon Radish is fantastic for making soups.

Organic Yu Choy:

It is not hyperbole to say that The Garden Of’s Organic Yu Choy are hands down the best Yu Choy I’ve ever eaten, anywhere in the world. That’s how fresh, tender, distinct they are. :heart:

Their Organic Bok Choy (forgot to take pictures) are also very good, really standout and worth picking up. :heart:

More Organic Heirloom Lettuces (Another Visit):

Organic Chidori Kale:

But perhaps one of their most unique offerings is their Organic Chidori Kale. Besides the shocking, beautiful purple color, the Chidori Kale tastes amazing! Sauteed with some Olive Oil and Garlic and Rice Wine, wow, it turns out tender, supple, but still has a unique density to it. The flavors of this Chidori Kale also surpass Dino Kale and all the other Kale varieties I’ve cooked over the years. Outstanding! :heart:

Update: Sadly, due to water shortages and Farmer Shu Takikawa’s health, they have decided to stop appearing at the Hollywood Farmer’s Market. :cry: They will continue to appear at the Santa Monica Farmers Market (Wednesdays), and the Santa Barbara Farmers Market (Saturdays).

The Garden Of… (Organic Farm)
(At the Santa Monica Farmers Market (Wednesday))
155 Arizona Ave.
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Day: Wednesday
Hours: 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Harry’s Berries

Harry’s Berries needs no introduction for locals, but just in case: It was founded in 1967 in Oxnard, California, by Farmer Harry Iwamoto. It’s currently run by “Gean Family Farms” which is Farmer Iwamoto’s daughter and son-in-law (Molly and Rick Gean). They are Certified Organic, and their top item by far are their legendary Organic Strawberries.

Organic Gaviota Strawberries:

It’s hard to describe to someone who has never had Harry’s Berries Organic Strawberries when they are ripe and in-season, but suffice to say, they are beloved for a reason.

It starts with an intense natural Strawberry fragrance. You can smell a pure Strawberry essence wafting from each basket, so sweet, floral, gentle. :blush: But taking a bite, it’s the insane sweetness in the Gaviota Strawberries. It’s naturally sweet, floral, so concentrated in flavor that you can never go back to regular Strawberries. Stunning! :heart:

The prices have been climbing however, and it needs to be noted that there’s going to be sticker shock. It went up from $7 a basket, to $8, $8.50, then during the pandemic they made “1.5 times larger baskets” and sold them for $12 each and beyond.

But when you get them in-season and ripe? There is nothing like them. :blush:

They also have Seascape Strawberries (more tart, but still standout) and Mara des Bois Strawberries (smallest size, distinct flavor), but we enjoy the Gaviotas the most.

Harry’s Berries
(@ Hollywood Farmers Market (Sunday))
1600 Ivar Ave.
Hollywood, CA 90028

Day: Sunday
Hours: 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM

(At the Santa Monica Farmers Market (Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday))
155 Arizona Ave.
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Day: Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday
Hours: 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM

(And at additional farmers markets in Southern California, including Pasadena.)

Arnett Farms

Arnett Farms (Fresno, California) has some of the best Fruit selections throughout the year (although with many misses as well). They have perhaps too many varieties, but if you ever get a chance to try their Flavor King Pluots and Black Mission Figs in season, they are among the best that our local farmers markets have to offer! :slight_smile:

They also offer many freshly grown nuts, such as Pistachios, Almonds, Walnuts and more.

Pistachio Butter:

While Peanut Butter will always be America’s #1 favorite, if you get a chance to try Arnett Farms’ freshly ground Pistachio Butter, it is incredible! :open_mouth: :heart: Super nutty, rich, almost savory in nature. It is nothing like Peanut Butter, but has a certain kinship to it. Excellent on Toast and beyond. :slight_smile: (@ipsedixit @paranoidgarliclover @attran99 @ElsieDee and all.)

They are just finishing up citrus season! :slight_smile:

Cara Cara Oranges:

This past month or so, the Cara Cara Oranges for this season have been so bright and sweet! There’s a deeper “Orange” flavor than standard Navel Oranges you get at the supermarket.

Satsuma Mandarins:

The Satsuma Mandarins were another highlight this Citrus season. Seedless and easy-to-peel, they are smaller than Cara Cara Oranges, but sweeter, more intense with a “spark” of bright citrus notes in every bite. :blush:

Kishu Mandarins:

The Kishu Mandarins were another winner. Also easy-to-peel and seedless, they had a touch more acid to balance the sweetness, but were quite wonderful as well. Fantastic to pair with my Organic Garden Of… Heirloom Salad. :slight_smile:

On another visit, Arnett Farms just got in a fresh batch of Almonds grown on their farm.

Roasted Almonds, Unsalted (and Salted):

If you’ve never had Fresh Almonds from a local farm, definitely consider giving them a try. Arnett Farms’ Roasted Almonds (they also offer Unpasteurized Raw Almonds, Roasted & Salted or Unsalted) are incredible! The Almonds taste more complex, more enticing, and the freshly roasted Almonds really arrive extremely nutty and aromatic. So good! :heart:

Stone Ground Almond Butter:

Like Arnett Farms’ freshly ground Pistachio Butter, their Stone Ground Almond Butter has a real intense nuttiness, and makes a great substitute for plain, store-bought Peanut Butter. :slight_smile:

Stone Fruit Season is starting up! :slight_smile: It just started last week for Arnett Farms, and I wanted to post some pics from last year’s incredible Stone Fruit offerings from Arnett Farms for reference as we kick off this year.

White Peaches:

While there’s an incredible Peach farmer that appears later in the year, Arnett Farms’ White Peaches are tasty and sweet. They have a good balance of a floral Peach aroma and light sweetness in their White Peaches. Worth a try.

Black Mission Figs:

With the start of Stone Fruit season, be on the lookout for the super short Fig season as well! Arnett Farms usually has 2 waves of Black Mission Figs, early on at the start of the season (now / soon), and then one more wave at the tail end of Stone Fruit season.

Their Black Mission Figs are hands down the best Figs we’ve bought locally for years! :heart: Super sweet, tender, earthy, glorious! Do not miss them! (@js76wisco @BradFord @ElsieDee and all!)

Italian White Figs:

A visually striking variety, the Italian White Figs are less sweet than the Black Mission Figs, but still delicious. I still enjoy them straight up, but also are nice for roasting as appetizers as well.

Flavor King Pluots:

But if there’s one Stone Fruit not to be missed each year from Arnett Farms, it would be their Flavor King Pluots. A combination of Apricot, Plum and Cherry, when they are ripe, there is truly nothing else like it. It starts with this incredible tart-sweet front palate. A touch of the Cherry and Plum tartness, but it gives way to a massive flavor bomb, such depth of complexity that it surpasses most fancy Desserts in terms of flavor, all done naturally! It’s incredibly sweet, fragrant, and it might be my favorite Fruit of the year, every year. :heart: :heart: :heart: (@ElsieDee @ipsedixit @BradFord )

(Note: Always check with the farm hands / staff - ask them what’s standout for the week, and when Flavor King Pluots arrive, check to see if they are good for the week (ready), and then ask them to pick out some good ones for you.) :blush:

Arnett Farms
(@ Hollywood Farmers Market (Sunday))
1600 Ivar Ave.
Hollywood, CA 90028

Day: Sunday
Hours: 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM

(Also at these Farmers Markets):

Tuesday
Culver City
Torrance
Manhattan Beach

Wednesday
Tustin

Thursday
Westwood Village
La Cienega

Saturday
Playa Vista
Calabasas

Saturday
Irvine

Sunday
Hollywood
Brentwood
Pacific Palisades
Studio City
Mar Vista
Larchmont

Yasutomi Farms

Yasutomi Farms is out of Pico Rivera and Long Beach, California. They always have some nice Japanese Vegetables in pristine condition each week. For today’s visit:

Daikon Radish:

Yasutomi Farms’ Daikon Radishes are not only a great value (larger varieties for the same price), but they are beautifully earthy and lightly sweet (inherently) when making them in a Soup. :slight_smile:

Baby Bok Choy:

Their Baby Bok Choy are tender and when sauteed with some Olive Oil and Garlic, they arrive more flavorful than the local supermarket offerings. :slight_smile:

Momotaro Tomatoes:

Be on the lookout for Yasutomi Farms’ Momotaro Tomatoes. I prefer Shu Takikawa’s Momotaro from The Garden Of, but Yasutomi Farms’ versions are fragrant, balanced, low acid, sweet and tomatoey.

They also regularly offer Komatsuna and Mizuna Greens, which are nice. :slight_smile:

Yasutomi Farms
(@ Hollywood Farmers Market (Sunday))
1600 Ivar Ave.
Hollywood, CA 90028

Day: Sunday
Hours: 8:30AM - 1:00PM

(Also @ Santa Monica Farmers Market (Wednesday))
155 Arizona Ave.
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Day: Wednesday
Hours: 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Murray Family Farms

Out of Kern County, and Certified Organic, Murray Family Farms has a wide variety of offerings every year, but they are truly standout for being a Cherry specialist and Grape specialist.

And Cherry Season is upon us! :blush:

Throughout the season, Murray Family Farms has about 60(!) varieties of Organic Cherries! :open_mouth: I don’t think I’ve seen another farm locally that offers that kind of variety.

Arvin Glenn Organic Cherries:

The Arvin Glenn Organic Cherries are one of Murray Farms’ early season varietals. It’s plump, juicy, crunchy and lightly sweet with a touch of tart. Solid.

Sequoia Organic Cherries:

But the first major winner this new Cherry Season might very well be the Sequoia Organic Cherries. They are dark, low acid and have the sweetest flavor so far. Absolutely delicious! :heart:

Brooks Organic Cherries:

The Brooks Organic Cherries are a mainstay (they are steady and you can usually find them for a few weeks before they are gone). They are the biggest, meatiest Cherries of the season so far, low acid, sweet and lightly crunchy. I love to add them to my Organic Salads. :blush:

Royal Ansel Organic Cherries:

These were higher acid than the previous ones, tart-sweet. Different, but not my favorite.

Early Glenn Organic Cherries:

They’re a medium-sized Cherry, crunchy, some sweetness. I liked the Avin Glenn Cherries more, but these were also tasty.

This week Murray Farms is saying they’ll have Organic Black Pearl Cherries, Minnie Royal, more Royal Ranier Cherries and a couple other varieties(!).

Murray Family Farms
(@ Hollywood Farmers Market (Sunday))
1600 Ivar Ave.
Hollywood, CA 90028

Day: Sunday
Hours: 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM

(Also @ Santa Monica Farmers Market (Wednesday))
155 Arizona Ave.
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Day: Wednesday
Hours: 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM

(Also at these Farmers Markets):

Tuesday
Culver City

Wednesday
Santa Monica
Altadena

Thursday
South Pasadena
Thousand Oaks

Friday
Venice Beach
Saturday
Santa Monica @Pico
Santa Barbara
Joshua Tree
Palm Spring
Playa Vista
Torrance
Bakersfield F Street

Sunday
Hollywood
Mar Vista
Encino
Studio City
Beverly Hills
Ojai
Santa Clarita
Atwater
Bakersfield - Haggin Oaks

Bautista Family Organic Date Ranch

Over the years, I’ve fallen in and out of love with Dates (the fruit). I’ve had some preparations in desserts or restaurants that made me swear them off, and also some excellent Dates as well. I decided to give them another try and remembered that the local Hollywood Farmers Market has 2 Date Farmers that offer a wide variety to sample.

Bautista Family Organic Date Ranch has the best variety and flavors so far.

Organic Medjool Dates (2 Varieties):

The farmer at Bautista said Medjool Dates are prized for a reason. They are the most expensive of their Organic Date offerings, but also the largest and plumpest. He was kind enough to let us sample all of them. The Medjool were definitely the largest, plumpest and meatiest variety. Still tender and moist. Beautifully sweet. :blush:

Organic Khadrawy Dates:

These were my favorite. They are smaller and less meaty than the Medjool, but they were incredibly juicy, and had a round, honey, complex sweetness. Almost caramel. Wow! :heart:

They are incredible as a snack, or to add in your Salad. :blush:

Bautista Family Organic Date Ranch
(@ Hollywood Farmers Market (Sunday))
1600 Ivar Ave.
Hollywood, CA 90028

Day: Sunday
Hours: 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM

(Also @ Santa Monica Farmers Market (Wednesday))
155 Arizona Ave.
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Day: Wednesday
Hours: 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM

(And at these Farmers Markets):

Studio City Farmers Market
Day: Sunday
Hours: 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Torrance Farmers Market
Charles H. Wilson Park, 2200 Crenshaw Blvd.
Day: Saturday
Hours: 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Irvine Farmers Market
Mariners Church, 5001 Newport Coast Drive
Day: Saturday
Hours: 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Dates By Davall

The other Date Farm at the Hollywood Farmers Market, Dates By Davall is based out of Indio, California. They aren’t Certified Organic like Bautista Farms is, but they have a wide variety of Dates as well, and were kind enough to let us sample some.

Barhi Dates:

Their Barhi Dates were light in color and had a gentle Caramel note(!). Quite tasty. These were being sold for $10 / pound.

Medjool Dates:

The farmer here also called Medjool Dates the “best” of their Date crop. Like at Bautista, they were the largest varietal, plump and meaty. They were a touch drier compared to Bautista’s Organic version.

Honey Dates:

Rather self-explanatory by the name, the Honey Dates really had a bit of a Honey note of flavor to them. But I actually thought they had a more pleasing Honey-Caramel flavor. These were a touch dry.

Empress Dates:

I remembered these being similar, but less interesting than the Barhi.

Deglet Noor Dates:

And the farmer explained that their Deglet Noor Dates had a low Glycemic index which might help diabetics. These were still quite tasty and sweet, but less sweet tasting than all the other offerings.

In the end, we picked up a package of the Barhi Dates. They had a nice Caramel like flavor, but it turned out about ~30% of the package had Dates that were dried out. :frowning: Still tasty, but semi-dried (naturally), and it took away from the fresh-tasting aspect. (Dried Dates in general are of course fine, and commonly sold that way, but when the farm is advertising fresh batches of Dates just picked, you expect a certain mouthfeel and level of moisture.)

Dates By Davall
(@ Hollywood Farmers Market (Sunday))
1600 Ivar Ave.
Hollywood, CA 90028

Day: Sunday
Hours: 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM

HOPF Chocolate

One of the many local food artisans on the “Cooked / Prepared Foods Wing” of the Hollywood Farmers Market, HOPF Chocolate caught our attention during a recent visit. Perusing their catalog, it looks like they use Peruvian Cacao and it’s “minimally processed fermented, never roasted and only cold-pressed.”

They are also 100% Vegan, No Refined Sugars (using only Maple Syrup from a family-owned farm in Pennsylvania) and they had some enticing flavors.

Mushroom Coffee Cashew Butter Cups:

OK, the flavor for this Mushroom Coffee Cashew Butter Cup sounded ridiculous and crazy, and enticing. :slight_smile: This was definitely on the Dark Chocolate side of things. Not overly sweet (a good thing), there was some nuttiness from the Cashew Butter, but the rich Peruvian Cacao really dominated, creating a sense of a luxurious bitter Chocolate edge. The Mushroom notes did appear, a little unnerving at first, and the Coffee notes just complemented things.

Maca Cookie Dough Cashew Butter Cups:

This was more traditional and easier to enjoy. There was a real “Cookie Dough”-esque flavor in this Vegan Cashew Butter Cup offering. Still on the mature, Dark Chocolate, very lightly sweetened angle.

It’s too early to tell if HOPF Chocolate is something we’d enjoy regularly, but we do want to go back and try their Mighty Mint Cashew Butter Cup and their Maple Pecan Chocolate Bar to see how those might turn out.

HOPF Chocolate
(@ Hollywood Farmers Market (Sunday))
1600 Ivar Ave.
Hollywood, CA 90028

Day: Sunday
Hours: 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM

(Also @ South Pasadena Farmers Market (Thursday))
921 Meridian Ave.
South Pasadena, CA 91030

Day: Thursday
Hours: 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM

There are numerous other purveyors at the Hollywood Farmers Market that we didn’t get to cover, but the above are some of our favorites.

Farmers Markets are a great way to get affordable, super fresh produce, the best Vegetables and Fruits that’s in-season, and as such, you can taste the vibrancy in what’s being offered. And for those of us in California, hearing from relatives and friends out-of-state, definitely don’t take for granted the bountiful produce that the Golden State has to offer. :wink:

Update 1: Organic Heirloom Lettuces at Roots Organic Farm!

Update 2: Black Mission Figs, Apricots and Cherry Tomatoes!

Update 3: Cherry & Full-Size Tomatoes, Melons, Special Grape Varietals and More.

Update 4: Amazing IFG-34 Organic Grapes at Murray Family Farms, Mangoes at Wong Farms and more!

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Great run down Chowseeker1999!

Love the various mandarins. Sounds like last call ?

Is it me or has Harry’s responded to the complaints about prices and actually come down a buck or two?

We are intrigued by the dates too! We almost always get the medjool but worth trying something new.

Glad to see the daikon too. Hard to find sometimes. So versatile we really prefer it to potato in beef stew and such - sacrilege to my mother in law!

Thanks for the recon !

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Thanks @chienrouge ! :slight_smile:

Yah, most of the citrus were gone last week, they might have a few more varietals this week, but they are transitioning to Stone Fruit season.

Harry’s Berries: Oh really? We skipped Harry’s the last few weeks (also I didn’t pay for the last basket we bought, as I went to say goodbye to Farmer Takikawa at The Garden Of…). It’d be great if they lowered their price a buck or two.

Re: Dates - Yes, definitely stop by Bautista and ask to sample some. The farmer there was friendly and let us sample all of them. :slight_smile:

Yah we were really pleased with the Daikon offerings. :slight_smile:

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Such a great rundown ! ! excellent highlighting particular farms with all of the hours/location info.

I love stonefruit, tomatoes, figs, and dates in particular, so thanks for your notes.

I love to sear up some black mission figs and serve them with a bit of espresso infused balsamic vinegar…easiest dessert, besides a chilled and overripe hachiya persimmon in the fall (chilled white peach in mid-summer an honorable mention). As far as dates, when they’re on, they’re delicious, particularly with flavors of orange (like orange blossom water) and cardamom. The best I’ve had are medjool dates from a friend who brought them back from Iran.

But yes, black mission figs are tops.

Love these! I haven’t had these since 2020; thanks for the reminder.

I’m missing CandyCots. I wonder if they’re ever coming back…

Noted!

Butter lettuce with some Camino red wine vinegar, cobrancosa olive oil, and a little bit of shallot, grated garlic, and dijon mustard is my go-to house salad. Will definitely check out The Garden Of… for their lettuces.

Good point.

I’m curious if you have a favorite cherry tomato variety and vendor. I really enjoy sungold tomatoes (for incredible sweetness), but while they’re addicting by themselves, they’re almost too sweet for some dishes. Sweet-100s have been my go-to for confit with basil.

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Hi @BradFord ,

Thanks for the kind words. :slight_smile: Glad you also enjoy so many of the same fruits in season.

That dessert idea sounds wonderful. I’m going to have to try that, although how do you infuse your balsamic vinegar with espresso? A mixture and let it seep?

Definitely agree on chilled white peaches in mid-summer! :blush: Wait till our local Peach specialist arrives (I’ll report back here). Their White Peaches (at least ~5 - 7 varietals over the season each year) are outstanding.

Re: Dates - Oh wow. Orange & Cardamom flavors? That sounds amazing.

Cherry Tomatoes? Let’s see. We like Organic Cherry Tomatoes from Harry’s Berries most years. But note, each week it varies. They usually offer each season:

  • Organic Grape Tomato
  • Organic Sweetheart Tomato
  • Organic Sungold Tomato
  • Organic Red Cherry Tomato
  • Organic Juliet

The problem is their crop varies week to week. So some weeks, 1 - 2 of those varietals rise to the top (sweetness, acidity, deep tomatoey flavor, etc.). Then the following week (or 2), the flavors of your favorite you just bought starts to get muted, maybe a touch more tart, etc. So you try another flavor.

Pre-COVID-19, they used to let customers just sample all 5 every time. Which was nice. :slight_smile: During the last 2 seasons, they are sold in closed clamshells, and they didn’t allow customers to sample (understandable). Not sure how this year will turn out, but hopefully they have a separate basket for sampling again.

I also liked Farmer Shu Takikawa’s “The Garden Of…” Summer Flame Tomatoes (they are oblong-shaped small tomatoes (slightly bigger than Cherry Tomatoes)), but there’s a seasonal thing as well (when they first appear, that first week might be a little weak, then the next week or week after the flavors get better and better.

Enjoy!

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Even easier, I just buy it :laughing: . One of my local olive oil purveyors in the Bay Area sells it. I believe it’s balsamic vinegar with espresso beans steeped in it for a couple of weeks, but I’m not sure. Let the vinegar sit out for a day or two, even, and it becomes even more viscous like a sauce. Great with the smoky and earthy sweetness of seared black mission figs.

Looking forward to it.

Had this combo in some pastries in London. I believe that the flavor combination is popular in Persian cuisine.

:love_you_gesture: I like Harry’s Berries and the sungolds in particular confit in a crab pasta.

sounds delicious

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Are you referring to Regier’s? They’ve apparently already at one of the local FMs (possibly Wed SaMo?) this year.

If you haven’t tried Regier’s, I would strongly recommend them (at least based on what they had last year). I seriously won’t buy any other peaches, after having theirs. I think it’s still early in the season, so I will wait a few more wks.

Don’t know if I’ve ever tried pistachio butter! But it’s prob something I would really like. :slight_smile:

Thanks for the incredible roundup!

They were still $12 when I purchased a box yesterday.

TBH, I think Tamai and Smith’s have had equally good gaviotas this year. Don’t actually know if Tamai is any cheaper, though. I only saw the strawberries at Smith’s one week, so not sure if they have them regularly. The ones I had from Roseville (which were outstanding last year) last week were not very good. Very watery.

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Thanks for the info.

I bought the Tamai recently based mostly on price and maybe wasn’t a good batch but didn’t measure up for me. Bought a pack of Harry’s for 12 yesterday too (BH) - maybe it’s the new bigger package that disguises the proportionally similar high price. In any event, they are worth it as a splurge. Plans to make ice cream but now need to reload cuz they are so good.

We did get the Daval medjool dates and those are a hit. Still like those better than the other kinds.

Blackberries can be hit or miss, usually just sour and gritty. The ones from Pudwill farms (or something like that) are definitely a hit. Very sweet and juicy.

Sadly no more mandarins. Also my sample of the white peaches and nectarines says wait a few weeks.

In the prepared food areas, there’s a mom’s products stand with habanero hummus, black bean chipotle hummus, halvah and some other good stuff. There’s another similar stand there but we like this one a lot better. Also Jyn Issac bread a hit.

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Hi @paranoidgarliclover ,

Thanks. :slight_smile:

Peach Farmer: Regier’s? No, I was referring to Tenerelli Farms, have you tried them before? Make sure you have their farmhands (at the stand) pick out some good ones for you (tell them if you want it ready in 1 day, 2 days, etc.). Then just let them sit on your counter to finish ripening up. Delicious. :slight_smile:

I will have to try Regier’s, thanks! Are they only at the Wed Santa Monica Farmers Market? If so, even though it’s close, with work schedule and all that, I never make it over on a Wednesday. We stopped going to the Sat / Sun Santa Monica Farmers Market because it had so much less to offer compared to Hollywood Sundays, but I know Wednesday is supposed to be the big offering for Santa Monica.

I hope you get to try Arnett Farms’ Pistachio Butter. Really standout. :slight_smile:

Yah @chienrouge , I also confirmed this past weekend. Harry’s Berries are still at $12 right now. But it is the “1.5 basket size” (larger than before), so technically it would’ve been at ~$8 per normal basket but you’re committing to buying more now.

So far this season, they’ve been pretty good. I’ll report back when I’ve the rest of the basket this week. :wink:

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I would agree. At least for… a few years ago at Hollywood Farmers Market, the Tamai Farms Strawberries were good, but not at Harry’s Berries level. However, we only tried the Tamai Farms twice (one basket at a time), and they were enjoyable, but maybe it was a bad batch as well.

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Oh, right! You’ve mentioned them b/f. No, I haven’t tried. It’s hard to for me to get to any market that isn’t on a Sunday, and I can’t recall which FMs Tenerelli is at.

I may not be able to get Regier’s this year b/c I can’t make Wed, either. :frowning: They were coming to Brentwood last yr, but I think they aren’t this yr b/c they didn’t do a ton of business there.

The R+D peaches at Brentwood were quite good in year’s prior.

I might’ve gotten lucky; I’ve only had Tamai once this season.

The Harry’s (I’ve had 2-3 batches) have all been at least very good.

I still haven’t had Jyan Isaac bread yet!

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Hi @paranoidgarliclover ,

Thanks! :slight_smile: Oh, Tenerelli Farms is for sure at Hollywood Farmer’s Market every Sunday, but only during Peach season. So they’ll usually start showing up end of May (soon), or 1st week of June, and stay all the way until the end of Peach season (end of September or so).

They are also at a couple other FMs, let me ask them the next time they’re in.

Regier’s - Ah, darn, so they are at the Wed Santa Monica Farmers Market? :frowning: Let me know if they end up showing up at Brentwood, because then I can make that one at least.

Tamai - Thanks! I will give them a try this season and see how they are. :slight_smile: Again, I thought the 2 times I tried Tamai (about 4 years ago?) was good, it just didn’t have the extreme sweetness and fragrance when Harry’s Berries was in full ripe mode. But I’d be glad to eat Tamai if Harry’s was not at optimal condition (which is quite a bit early in the season).

2022_05_01_18_02_IMG_5318

This is some of the halva from mom’s which is based in stanton and is at the bh farmer’s market…i love this stuff. They have different kinds.

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Where are pawpaws if anywhere to try?

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I don’t know of any source for fresh paw-paw, but you can get the vinegar or syrup from the excellent Lindera Farms:

Haven’t tried their paw paw vinegar, but I do like some of their other vinegars.

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@Chowseeker1999 at the Irvine Saturday FM Arnett didn’t have any pluots on Saturday 5/14. I’ll have to go again this week. We’ve been waiting. The white peaches were pretty good last week but still early in the season.

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Hi @js76wisco ,

Thanks for the report back! :slight_smile: Re: Pluots - Oh sorry if I wasn’t clear in my original post. The Flavor King Pluots are definitely not ready yet. :wink: I posted about them from last year’s batch, wanting to tell everyone to keep an eye out for them this season. :slight_smile:

The farmhand at Arnett Farms (Hollywood) told me they should be arriving next month or so? Some stone fruit is rolling in now obviously. Thanks.

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Hi @chienrouge ,

Thanks for the article link. Add me to the list of Americans that have never heard of this native fruit of ours. :sweat_smile: Great article, and it explains why we never see it:

“Commercial farmers have long shunned them because they need a special growing environment of low, wet areas and because they spoil only a few days after harvest.”

I’d definitely love to try fresh Paw-paws as well.

Just wait there will be a $30 cocktail made with it.

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Update 1:

For those that really enjoyed the Heirloom Organic Lettuces of “The Garden Of…” Farm, but were mourning its loss (leaving the Hollywood Farmers Market), the good news is that a new farm has replaced it, with an interesting back story:

Roots Organic Farm

During the final day of service, Farmer Shu Takikawa of “The Garden Of…” Farm mentioned that his student was taking over the same spot(!). And sure enough, the following week, in the same location at the Hollywood Farmers Market (North-most spot at the Farmers Market), the new farm appeared, “Roots Organic Farm” which is run by Farmer Jacob Grant.

Speaking with Jacob, he shared a touching story of how when he was younger, he wanted to learn farming, but no one would teach him. He showed up at “The Garden Of…” Farm and approached Farmer-Owner Shu Takikawa about learning. But Shu turned him away saying he didn’t have time to hire and teach anyone at the time. But Jacob never gave up. He continued to show up every day, and volunteered to work for free, to learn the craft.

In the end, after many years of learning and working with Shu, Jacob said that Shu told him he was his best student. :slight_smile: Neat.

Thankfully Jacob learned to grow many of the same Heirloom Lettuces that Shu grew and sold at The Garden Of…

Organic Heirloom Lettuces:

We’ve been trying various ones over the last 2 weeks and they are quite good. I’m still partial to “The Garden Of…”‘s offerings, but since they are no longer here, we’ll gladly buy from Roots Organic Farm instead. Roots’ offerings are better than anything else we’ve tried from various farmers markets (besides The Garden Of), and better than any Supermarket offerings for sure. :slight_smile: (@ElsieDee @paranoidgarliclover @BradFord @js76wisco @A5KOBE @attran99 and all.)

Roots also has a much larger variety of offerings than The Garden Of, with things like…

Organic Potatoes:

We haven’t tried their Organic Potatoes, but I’ll try some this week.

Organic Spring Onions & Organic Cabbage:

Organic Escarole & Organic Sugar Snap Peas:

Various Organic Herbs:

Organic Sprouting Broccoli:

The Organic Sprouting Broccoli was quite fresh, and had a lightly inherently sweet vegetal taste. Although we found the outer stalk exterior a bit tougher than expected (up until the sprouting Broccoli Floret).

Roots Organic Farm
(@ Hollywood Farmers Market (Sunday))
1600 Ivar Ave.
Hollywood, CA 90028

Day: Sunday
Hours: 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM

https://www.instagram.com/roots_organic_farm/

Harry’s Berries (Revisit)

Organic Gaviota Strawberries:

Since we had a good discussion on Harry’s Berries Organic Strawberries’ ripeness, we wanted to report back that the past week’s batch of Organic Gaviota Strawberries from Harry’s Berries were ~75% sweet ripe, meaning about 75% of the basket was super fragrant, ripe, super sweet Harry’s Berries that we’re used to in the past (legendary), but 25% of the basket had Strawberries that were just OK. A touch tart-sweet, not really that maximum Harry’s Berries loveliness we expect. Still quite good, but expensive. :slight_smile: (@paranoidgarliclover @chienrouge @js76wisco @BradFord and all)

Harry’s Berries
(@ Hollywood Farmers Market (Sunday))
1600 Ivar Ave.
Hollywood, CA 90028
https://www.instagram.com/harrysberries/

Day: Sunday
Hours: 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM

(At the Santa Monica Farmers Market (Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday))
155 Arizona Ave.
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Day: Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday
Hours: 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM

(And at additional farmers markets in Southern California, including Pasadena.)

Murray Family Farms (Revisit)

It’s shocking to believe that this year’s Cherry Season is over! :frowning: Farmer Steven Murray posted that due to the sudden heat wave last week, it wiped out the remaining crops, and he expects this week they might have a few palettes of Organic Cherries, but no guarantees, but after that, no more. Wow. It felt like Cherry Season was only 1 month!

Organic Arvin Glenn Cherries:

We settled on the only Organic Cherry varietal Murray Family Farms had left, the Organic Arvin Glenn Cherries, which were still delicious. :slight_smile: As before, they were plump and crunchy, nice amount of juice, and sweet-tart.

But don’t fret because Murray Family Farms’ next specialty is coming soon (in season)!

Organic Grapes (Tons of Varietals!) :heart:

Murray Family Farms
(@ Hollywood Farmers Market (Sunday))
1600 Ivar Ave.
Hollywood, CA 90028

Day: Sunday
Hours: 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM

(Also @ Santa Monica Farmers Market (Wednesday))
155 Arizona Ave.
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Day: Wednesday
Hours: 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM

(Also at these Farmers Markets):

Tuesday
Culver City

Wednesday
Santa Monica
Altadena

Thursday
South Pasadena
Thousand Oaks

Friday
Venice Beach
Saturday
Santa Monica @ Pico
Santa Barbara
Joshua Tree
Palm Spring
Playa Vista
Torrance
Bakersfield F Street

Sunday
Hollywood
Mar Vista
Encino
Studio City
Beverly Hills
Ojai
Santa Clarita
Atwater
Bakersfield - Haggin Oaks

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