San Leandro Farmer's Market, Worth A Trip

While visiting a friend in the area, we took a look at the Farmer's Market held each Saturday in the Bayfair mall parking lot. This was smaller and very different from the similar markets in San Francisco. East Bay centric is a way of describing it and there was a true sense of community at this market.

There was one vendor selling sweet potato pies and another selling Afghani specialties, neither of which I had seen in the West Bay farmer's markets. Since this visit, the Afghani products have made their way to Alemany Farmer's Market. Another vendor was making and selling unique breads, and of course there were vendors for vegetables and fruits, but many of them were only selling one specific product.

The corn was the freshest I have ever seen in our area, just look at how fresh the corn silk looks. The vendor had trucked it in today on ice, as it was fresh picked this morning and he took pride in delivering it fresh to the consumer. I liked the way the artichoke vendor lovingly displayed her "crop" in the small oval basket, set atop and alongside boxes of more artichokes. I can almost taste the Jalapeno Cheddar bread in the photograph above and look forward to trying more bakery goods from this market.

I was short on cash and had to carefully weigh all my options. The cinnamon bread in the photo on the left made it home with me, as did the syrupy sweet corn; who could possibly resist those?

Artisan Cask

Calling Scotch whiskey a food product only works if you believe alcohol is a nutritional building block. The cornerstone for many a lifestyle, it is quite a stretch to call it food, but it might be food for the soul, since it cheers us and lightens our burdens, if only for a short period of time. Not one to imbibe on a regular basis, and not one who generally likes hard liquor at all, it is no small wonder why I include this entry at all. While on a trip to Edinburgh it seemed only proper to try a few Scotch samples to see what all the fuss was about. The description of Artisan cask intrigued me when I saw the word caramel. This single malt is light and on the sweet side, but nothing like candy. It is not imported to the U.S. because of it's limited availability, so if you spot it on your travels, give it a try. Its distinctive oval shaped bottle is easy to spot.

Mi Pueblo

Another East Bay gem of a super market with a character all its own. The range of groceries and produce is excellent and one could spend the better part of an hour just perusing the menu at the take-out deli or in the meat and fish market section. Every city should be blessed with a Mi Pueblo for the range of products and the reasonable prices, as well as the upbeat atmosphere.

This colorful market sets the mood as you walk in; life is a fiesta at Mi Pueblo. I don't know how I was able to walk away from the prepared foods section with its homemade tortillas and classic Mexican entrees, aromas swirling around olfactory nerves like hookah smoke surrounding the caterpillar in Alice In Wonderland, but I did manage it and went on to the cold case section. Unique could describe this visually exciting area, since dairy products share the space with the butcher shop. This 2nd photo shows Mi Pueblo's flavored yogurts. Bulk yogurts and puddings were lined up in neat rows, like soldiers in a military parade. They came in a variety of pastel shades and were decorated with tattoos of various fruits, sliced and arranged into flowers and butterflies. Small children must certainly skip to this part of the store, it is just that fanciful and delightful.

The meat counter was especially colorful with a large selection of meats that were enhanced with spice rubs and marinades. What a nice way to introduce the uninitiated to Latin cuisine. Have you ever seen so many fresh squabs at a meat and poultry counter, in a modestly priced market or even a high end market? The low price encourages me to try my hand at cooking them. The unadorned meats (sans spice rubs) looked beautifully fresh in pink and red hues, sure signs of a quick turnover in the meat department.

Even the fish was decorated with cucumber coins and orange twists, while the pickled pigs' feet had to settle for carrots and red onions. Looking at this particular counter, I knew I had to come back when I had more time, to identify more of the selection and to fully comprehend all the unusual features of this store. As I walked by the diary cases on my way to the produce section I saw lots of bulk dried beans, fruits and vegetables that were neatly displayed, but my eye kept wandering to the large wooden crate of something yellow. Like a pirate on the hunt for a treasure chest filled with gold doubloons I made my way to the box that was filled to the brim with squash blossoms. At $4.99 per pound, these were definitely a treasure.

Saving the best for last, I snapped this photo of the tortilla team working at breakneck speed to keep pace with the tortilla juggernaut. What a place!

Magnum for Lunch Bunch

The one bright star in the firmament of Portuguese food options on our recent trip to Portugal was the Magnum Bar. We've seen Magnums in other European countries but the Double Caramel will for us, forever be associated with Portugal. When the bar melts slightly, the caramel becomes gooey and luscious and becomes the perfect, sweet foil for the dark chocolate.

I had grown up thinking that my Portuguese side of the family just didn't know how to cook, but it turns out that my grandmother and aunts cooked Portuguese fare perfectly by boiling the life out of all vegetables and failing to use spices for punctuation, along with overcooking any and all meats and poultry. As a result of this culinary failing, we decided to skip all lunches and simply eat a Magnum. It was the meal we looked forward to the most. When an aquaintance asked my husband what he thought of the food in Portugal, he smiled and told the man that he especially liked the lunches...it's our little joke.

Farmer Joe's

The East Bay has another fine, family run market and it's name is Farmer Joe's. The name gives a nod to it's owner Joe Tam and helps in identifying itself as a place to buy farm fresh organic produce. My favorite aspect of this market is the bulk foods department where I stop from time to time for my occasional purchase. Living in San Francisco precludes me from becoming a regular customer, but if they ever decide to expand their small 2 store empire I'm all for a new location across the bay. We could use more family run operations in San Francisco.

First and foremost this store is known for it's produce department that was meticulously arranged on the times I visited the market. The variety was broad but not expansive and it was a delight to see quite a few varieties of tomatoes, beyond Roma, Beefsteak, and Cherry. That's a big plus in my opinion. The bakery aisle had old bay area favorites like Grace Baking Company and Semi Freddi so the quality was evident even with a cursory look, and the condiment section was a good size.

What attracted me the most, and what I will go back for are the bulk spices at good prices and the olive oils and balsamic vinegars at equally good prices. The variety was quite large for a store of this size and the oils came from several countries including Australia, as well as from California. I don't think I have ever seen Australian olive oils anywhere else. The best part is the fact that they sell small bottles, so you could easily buy several varietals and blends for taste comparisons. This is a great resource for anyone contemplating a "Tasting Party". Balsamic vinegars come in various fruit flavors that inspire ways to vary your salads from one meal to the next, and of course, the fruit flavors inspire the addition of dried fruits. They would make fine flavor elements in sauces for poultry too. I've included some of these balsamics in recipes for home made cranberry sauce and other fruit preserves. This section of the store is absolutely inspirational when you evaluate your options.
A broad selection does not end with the olive oils and vinegars, just look at this wall of eggs. It implys the importance of this single ingredient, so much so that I feel the need to purchase more eggs on a regular basis. A friend is always talking abut how good the fish is at Farmer Joe's and after looking at the case, I believe him. Every piece looked off-the-boat fresh and glistened like pebbles on a rocky shoreline.

http://www.farmerjoesmarket.com/

3426 Fruitvale Ave

Oakland CA 94602

(510) 482-8899

Cooleeney...Cool

It is very lucky to be able to travel and see and taste what other cultures produce, but some of us don't have that luxury. KerryGold Butter and Dubliner Cheddar cheese have made a favorable impression in America and we are fortunate to be able to find them in more and more stores. They are a clear indication of the quality of Irish dairy products. I have wished for many years that we could import their milk, since it has been the very best I have ever tasted. Now after a trip to Ireland last year, I can add Cooleeney cheese to that wish list. It must be the Irish answer to brie or camembert as it is creamy, rich and unctuous, so very buttery on the tongue.

www.cooleeney.com

The Spice Shop

This British culinary institution started because the woman who owns it was looking for extra income to complete grad school. Her weekend spice stall turned into an international business, the shop now sells its products all over Great Britain and Ireland and exports all over the world. This photo was taken in a small gourmet grocery store in Westport Ireland, but more about that later. Upon entering the small, postage stamp sized store in London just blocks from the Portobello Road antiques market, I was stunned at the amount and variety of spices that lined the tall shelving. With insufficient time to really shop I grabbed a few packages and made my way back to the hotel, with plans for a more thorough visit the next time I go to London. I would highly recommend a visit to the store or a purchase over the Internet.

www.thespiceshop.co.uk

1 Blenheim Crescent
London, W11,
United Kingdom
+44 20 7221 4448

San Francisco Civic Center Farmer's Market

While there are many cross over vendors at all 3 of the major farmer's markets in San Francisco, Civic Center has a larger Asian presence and influence with a broader selection of Asian foods including fish and even live poultry. Some of the vendors sell very good quality produce, and some sell, what appears to my personal aesthetics to be, inferior quality produce, yet every stand has clients making purchases. I probably edit more photos at this market than at Alemany or Ferry Plaza, due to a less formal approach by the vendors in setting up their "wares", yet some are very engaged in their activity and set up their stands in such a way, I believe they are true works of art. I only wish I could take credit for the arrangement in my photo shown here.

Except for the smoked fish vendors at Ferry Plaza and Alemany Farmers' Markets, there is no other fish being sold at our outdoor markets unless you come here to Civic Center. the selection changes from week to week with some staples like tuna, prawns, smelt, and large squid. I've only seen the green lipped mussels once in 3 months.

It isn't hard to identify the catfish, but without signs, it's a guessing game for some of the fish being sold here. Admittedly, seeing the fish frozen and thawing out in the sun poses a few concerns about food safety at this stand, but it's still tempting to purchase something when the prices are better than what you'd pay at a supermarket.

If you click on the 1st photo you'll see about 20 people standing in line. The 2nd photo shows the back side of a live chicken being held by its legs so it can be shoved into a paper bag that will be stapled closed. Is this legal? Seems like animal cruelty to me, and yet there is a large market for these birds. So are these birds being adopted or will they be home slaughtered? It seems "a chicken in every pot" comes in a bag at Civic Center.

The market also has vendors selling garden plants, dairy products, mushrooms, honey, preserves, bakery goods and flowers. There are many more items that grace this market along with vendors selling prepared foods, although not as many as at the other major San Francisco markets. These photos show a bit of the diversity.

After having made a point of going to the markets for several consecutive months, there is one trend that has caught my attention and that is price increases. They fluctuate as does the freshness and quality of the produce. The $4 flats of eggs are now $5 several months later and 5# of almonds went from $12 last November to $15 last month. I inquired about that change and the vendor told me that when the product becomes more scarce at the end of the season, the prices go up. Fair enough.

Wednesdays and Sundays on Market St between 7th and 8th