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Martinez Shoppers,
 PARKING
GARAGE.If you have had a problem with the parking garage near the WC market I need to know so I can address this issue. Last Sunday I had several complaints of over-charging and not honoring validation stickers. Stop by or email me wmarket@cccfm.org and let me know so I can address this with the appropriate city officials. Essay Contest The entries are in and I will put them together this week for the judges. I will announce the winner as soon as I know. Fall Is Coming Last week I had my first taste of fall, an apple, not just any apple mind you, a Mutsu. Those of you who know me know that I have a few seasons that I just live for and apple season is one of them. Stan Devoto of Devoto Gardens in Sebastopol grows the apple of my eye. The Mutsu is a hybrid apple and is as sweet as any apple I have ever tasted. Ultra crisp, sweet with just the right amount of tartness. There are many fine apples out there and we all have our favorites like the Fuji, Pippin, Golden, Granny Smith, Pink Lady and many more but next to the Braeburn the Mutsu is the best. Look for the Mutsu; it’s a green apple with a slight blush on one side and a tight firm feel. You wont’ regret it. As with anything taste is an individual thing so pick your own favorite. Just leave a few for me, please. With fall approaching fast we’ll start seeing changes in the markets, our favorite stone fruits begin to dwindle and the lettuce and root vegetables begin to creep in. Natures' way of telling us "enough move along and eat some of the other bounty I serve up for your dining pleasure". I'll miss the sweetness of summer and in the past I have tried to make summer last year round by buying fruit out of season. The one thing I have realized is that the satisfaction I get from piece of fresh local fruit can not be matched by old well traveled fruit from South America. Imported fruit has no flavor and its texture is "off" and I don’t know how it was grown and by whom. Our unique location in the world makes it possible to have sweet fruit year round and to be able to eat a variety of it. Sure, I would love to have cherries and peaches year round, but how boring would that be after a while? Nothing to look forward to. Winter brings the citrus crops in and nothing can compare to fresh squeezed OJ, nothing. I assure you this is not the ranting of a converted farmers' market foodie, it just makes eating in season a treat and like in the old days when our forefathers planted and ate according to the calendar not some trade agreement………. Opps almost got into the politics of food, sorry, my advice is to eat in season and enjoy the full variety of what our earth has to offer. Eating in season is fun, but I sometimes have trouble figuring out what to do with some of the delicacies I find at the market. That's why we have the finest vegetable chef in the bay area in our corner, Lesley Stiles. Look for her to be doing cooking demos over the fall and winter season to show us how to use these treasures. ‘til next week…… see you at the markets Keith Farley can be reached at wmarket@cccfm.org |
The NEAR Festa Italia Fundraiser committee is in
full swing mode to bring you the best brunch you have ever had.
We will be using all ingredients from our vendors at the farmers
markets. Bakesale Betty, Bridgies Buckets, Darrel and Judy Pereira's
Alhambra Valley pears, J and J nectarines, Ibarra-Cruz and Ledesma
lettuce, local wild salmon, Aidells sausage, Bariani and Big Paw
olive oils, local corn, Barbara Kobsar's Cottage Kitchen Jam and
the list goes on. If you have not gotten your tickets yet you can
still get them at the markets or at the door on Sunday morning.This is a big bang for your buck Sunday as you get the brunch at Haute Stuff, the farmers' market and the Italian Street Painting Festival all at the same time. What a great way to spend a Sunday. And once again at the same time you are supporting the NEAR programs that include seasonal, local salad bars in schools and organic school gardens. Some non-native Northern Californians will debate that there aren't seasons in California. I beg to differ. We have awesome season changes around these parts and we are in the throes of one as I speak. The air has a delicious thickness to it in the morning and evenings that is palpable and luscious. This is indeed one of my favorite times of the year. The animals in the hills are getting ready for some cooler weather and do not even see us as we pass by on our hikes as busy as they are with the preparations. The food takes on a whole new dimension with tomatoes actually getting denser in their skin. Don’t even try to use a dull knife on late summer tomatoes as you will just crush them. I love to grill butternut squash and pumpkin next to zucchini. Summer squashes take on a thicker skin towards the end of the season and you will be hard pressed to see any of the dreaded green peppers as they are now coming into their real season where they are all gold and red. Brentwood Ag Trust and CAFF (Community Alliance with Family Farms) rolled out their new Buy Local campaign this week at Mangini Farms. It was a real media fest and Louie and Marion Mangini as usual put out an incredible feast augmented with Frog Hollow Peaches and Knoll Figs. Let's hope it all takes off and everyone gets the message to BUY LOCAL! Get out into this season and feel it! Lesley Stiles can be reached at chef@cccfm.org or on the market hotline 925 431-8361 |
Date: Sunday, September 24 Time: 9 AM to 2 PM Location: Haute Stuff Restaurant, 521 Main St. Downtown Martinez Click here for more information NEAR, Contra Costa Certified Farmer's Markets, and Kaiser Permanente are joining forces in Autumn 2006 to introduce the concept of eating fresh, locally and seasonally to our local schools. College Park High School Organic Garden (Pleasant Hill)  We
are working with the College Park High School PTSA and planting
an organic garden on school grounds. We will be providing the student
curriculum with many educational opportunities associated with the
garden. We also plan to sell produce on site.Las Juntas Elementary School (Martinez) We are developing a program to bring local, seasonal and mostly organic produce via a salad bar to the school. Join us in September for an Italian Feast created by local premiere Chef Lesley Stiles! We're creating gardens and salad bars in local schools. Join us in making this happen! Click here for the MENU for the NEAR FUNDRAISER September. 24, 2006 Cost: $30.00 per person Mark your calendars now. Tickets on sale at the Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Walnut Creek and Orinda Farmers' Markets, check with your market manager. They will go QUICK! |