Jam maker extraordinaire, Barbara Kobsar, makes seasonal jams and jellies for her one woman operation of The Cottage Kitchen. Kobsar had not envisioned making and selling jam as career when she was in college (Bachelors of Science in Home Economics) but a home boutique event where she made a few jars of strawberry jam changed everything."There was customer interest and it started to grow," she says, realizing quickly she could turn her enjoyment of preserving fruit into a business. She began selling her locally made jam at Contra Costa Certified Farmers' Markets (CCCFM, Inc) in 1990. Selling at the Farmers market is a pleasure for Kobsar,"I like to meet people and I see new people every week. It's also fun for me to see kids grow up at the market and later return to the market on their own to shop." She continues to sell her delicious jams and jellies at the four markets CCCFM, Inc operates.

Her motto is simple; use the best fruit at its peak season and you'll have an excellent creation. Explaining how she makes jam,"I make jam the old fashioned way with sugar, fruit and pectin. Sugar is a natural preservative and pectin is made from apples." She's frequently asked about the difference between a jam, jelly and a preserve. Jam uses the whole fruit, including the seeds and skin. Jellies only use the juice from a fruit, such as citrus, and require processing the juice through gauze to limit seeds from passing through. A preserve and a jam are essentially the same, as fruit is being preserved for later consumption.

The Cottage Kitchen offers 20 jam varieties, dependent on the season, with six varieties of berry jams. Favoring heirloom varieties, a fruit or vegetable seed that has been around for at least 50 years, such as Royal Blenheim apricots or Suncrest peach, offer the most unique and distinct flavors. Witnessing the bounty of fruit grace the market stalls each week, Kobsar knows just when the fruit is perfect for preserving. Some fruits have a very short season such as cherries, with a 6-8 week season and heirloom Apricots with a short 3 week season, offering a small opportunity to turn nature's candy into a delicious spread. Kobsar is creative in the kitchen with extending short seasoned fruit- she processes the fruit into a pulp and freezes the pulp until she's ready to make more jam. Freezing the pulp or juice allows for continued variety to be enjoyed year round.

Inspired by the abundance of blood oranges with a beautiful red purplish hue this past winter, Kobsar experimented in the kitchen and created a new flavor, California Sunrise jelly; a spin off from her California Sunshine jelly made with Navel and Cara Cara oranges. Summertime keeps Kobsar busy in the kitchen with so many wonderful fruits in season with an incredible assortment of berries -boysenberry, loganberry, tayberry, raspberry, strawberry, blackberry- and stone fruits -apricots, peaches, plums, nectarines, pluots and the list goes on. Have you tried white nectarine and plum jam or peach and raspberry? Come visit her stand each week for more recipes and see the wonderful flavors and combinations she creates.

Sign up for The Cottage Kitchen's Jam News, emailed every Wednesday to know which market to find Barbara and stock up on your jam's and jelly's. Email: cotkitchen@aol.com

Comparative Cherry Tasting:
You be the judge and taste the array of flavors of cherries from a variety of local farms. Which ones are your favorite? Come find out and tell us!
Cherry season will be coming to end this month… stock up on cherries before they're not at the markets or in the orchards anymore!


What's in Season?

Artichokes, Avocados, Beets, Bell peppers, Blueberries, Broccoli, Cabbage, Collards, Carrots, Corn, Cherries (season ends this month), Cucumbers, Eggplants, Tomatoes, Kale, Leeks, Lettuces, Peppers, Raspberries, Spinach, Summer squash, Squash blossoms, Strawberries, Swiss Chard, Stone Fruit-Apricots, Nectarines, Peaches, Plums

Herbs: Basil, Cilantro, Fennel, Mint, Parsley

Seasons Fading: Asparagus, Citrus, Peas

Farmers selling Corn: G&S corn, J&M Ibarra, Simmoni & Massoni Farms.


What's Abundant?

Summertime brings an array of delicious produce to the market. Mouthwatering sweet corn from Brentwood graces the market this month. An abundance of berries- blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries- are here. Come taste the amazing varieties available at the market and satisfy your palette.

Berries are a perfect topping for cereal, granola, yogurt or ice cream, pies, muffins, scones, smoothies and salads… the list can go on.

A hint from Medina Berry Farm strawberries:: Sort through your strawberries when you get home. Don't wash your strawberries until you're ready to eat or cook with them. Strawberries are best stored in the refrigerator and should keep for a week.

Farmers selling blueberries: Rhythm and Blueberries, Rainbow Orchards, Smit.

Farmers selling strawberries: Medina, Ortiz, Ruiz, J & J Farms, Ratto, J & M Ibarra, V & M Farms.

Farmers selling raspberries and blackberries: Medina, Ortiz, Ledesma.

Planet Raw restaurant joins the food court on the plaza. Try their refreshing coconut juice!

Martinez Arts Association Kids Crafts Day
Join the fun and bring your kids to the first kids craft day at the Farmers' Market on Sunday June 6th!

Another's Treasure Community Sale
Sunday, June 27, 8am-4pm
Downtown Martinez – A community sale fundraiser will be held near the market and is sponsored by the Downtown Retailers Focus Group and Soroptimist International of Martinez for the Soroptimist Scholarship Program.

• is expensive,
• takes a minimum of 3 years,
• organic farming is more labor intensive (pest and weed management).

Most farmers are already stretched thin. This is why shopping at the Farmers Market is so wonderful and important. You can talk directly with the farmers and learn exactly how they grow the delicious food you choose each market day. You can see the hands and faces of those who labored in the field to bring you wholesome, nutritious food. The connection doesn’t get closer than the Farmers market; unless you’re growing your own food or you visit a farm and harvest your own. You’re also reducing your food footprint- how far food travels from the farm to your plate- and helping family farmers survive.
Talk about making a difference with your food dollars.