the farmer's market, that is!
today i visited the Tustin Certified Farmer's Market down in old town tustin. while this market didn't really seem very large to me, the aroma of rotisserie chickens, roasting corn, and fresh bread is enough to lure you right in!
although i know that winter might not be at the heart of the bountiful california growing season, there was no shortage of goodies being offered today. alongside the many organic and local farmstands, there were a few prepared food carts - kettle corn and chicken, roasted peanuts, breads and cakes. lots of goodies to nosh on if you are hungry, not to mention lots of fresh samples at the farm stands.
i only take $20 with me to farmer's markets. otherwise, i go overboard and want to buy everything in sight! i wanted to concentrate on getting some good winter root veggies. i found some nice radishes, brussel sprouts, potatoes, carrots (GIANT carrots!!) and such for roasting. it's cold here, so it is always nice to have the oven or the crockpot going.
there was also quite a lot of fruit to be found. it's so nice that this fruit actually comes from california and not chile or australia or some other far-flung locale. yay local food! berries from oxnard - while at $4/container, they were out of my $20 budget, they were very comparably priced to grocery stores, and SO much more delicious. the blackberries were so tempting!!
i found some delicious tangerines, and what i am sure will be a favorite of the kids, baby fuji apples. so cute and really tasty. real food. no wax. i'm certain they'll be much more flavorful than the claim jumper mini red delicious apples that my kids go crazy for...
there was also a huge assortment of leafy veggies - lettuces, cabbage, and spinach galore. this head of lettuce was bigger than you can imagine. i should have put something next to it to show you some scale. beautiful.
the man at this stand was awesome. very friendly and knowledgeable. he shared a fresh garlic plant with me - we ate some of the roots and the some of the green leafy portion. very tasty. i think it will add great flavor to my roasted veggies!
on my next trip, i will definitely plan to try some bread from the bread gallery in san clemente. i didn't see this stand until my money was nearly all gone, but since i love bread so much, i will be on the lookout for them next time...
Tustin Certified Farmer's Market
Corner of El Camino Real and 3rd Street, Tustin
Wednesdays, 9am - 1 pm (rain or shine)
oh, and if you are in so cal, do not miss the snow on the local mountains. find a clear view somewhere and enjoy - it's just spectacular!
check in soon to see where i am going next... ;)
Oh to be able to love vegetables..... can you teach me how to love vegetables? I don't think it is in me. Now maybe if they had a sugar coating..... :)
Posted by: Tricia | February 12, 2010 at 07:18 PM
Happy to see a blog post!!! Looks and sounds wonderful!!
Posted by: annie | February 23, 2010 at 03:06 PM
I love vegtables! What did ya get me??? An apple? A turnip??? I know an onion! Can't wait to eat it with my oat meal!!!!!
Posted by: Suzyplant | February 25, 2010 at 06:33 PM