Month: October 2015

Tuesday’s Farmers Market- Mira Mesa

On Tuesdays in Mira Mesa as the high school kids leave for the day, the Farmers Market kicks into gear. About forty vendors split pretty equally between produce, cooked foods, and merchandise, sell their goods on the northeast corner of the school grounds.

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Most shoppers were here…

Now is the time to pick up the last of the summer berries and squash of all kinds were available at all the produce stands. I picked up a nice cherry and apple cider from a stand selling San Joaquin Valley apples. I bought it for The Husband but it looks too good and I’m going to have to make him share. One vendor had about 90% of the clientele of the entire market selling asian greens, vegetables and even a kind of vegetable vine… I regret asking what the heck that was. Clearly, that is the place to buy your produce.

IMG_8508Another stall sells fresh seafood including enormous sea urchins. These were whoppers. They are also available on the half shell, as this happy guy was enjoying during his vacation visiting family.

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Uni on the half shell!

Japanese, Filipino, Indian and other foods are available. The Indian food stall was passing out samples of their sauces, oh my GOSH they were delicious! They let me know that they sell at most of the local Farmers Markets, so keep an eye out for Masala Cottage and their delicious sauces to take home or made to order plates with rice and samosas. One guy said he gets his dinner at Masala Cottage every Tuesday afternoon, he loves their food that much.

I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s Farmers Market trip… I’m getting one of these dinners for sure.

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Fabulous Indian food from Masala Cottage, I kid you not!
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Not many buyers in view because they are all at that one stand pictured above…

Monday’s Farmers Market- Welk Resort

IMG_8507Just outside of San Diego’s northern city limits, north of the city of Escondido is a resort that offers the only Farmers Market operating on a Monday. After a quick call to double check with one of the Welk Resort’s operators that yes, indeed, there is such a thing as the Welk Resort Farmers Market, I made the drive north to see what goodies were available.

IMG_8500 (1)This is a nice little Farmers Market with about 60 vendors, and I walked away with some superb tomatoes and lovely caramels… even though the lotion and music stalls were giving passers-by the hard sell of their products. They were one step from pushy, really.

But the main goal for this week has already been accomplished: tomatoes like this for dinner! Tomatoes have been strangely absent around here recently, I didn’t grow any and didn’t find a neighbor to mooch from this season… and let’s face it- if a tomato doesn’t come from your back yard, your neighbors’, or a reputable local grower, it just isn’t worth eating.

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Heaven…. I’m in Heaven! These are “Pineapple Tomatoes,” I am told. Very sweet and VERY delicious.

Seven Farmers Markets in Seven Days

From SDFarmbureau.org
From SDFarmbureau.org

When my kids were younger, we frequently went to the local Farmers Markets. For them, Kettle Corn was the reason to be dragged along. For me, the local pork patties and bratwurst, grass-fed beef, fruits, and vegetables were the draw. You haven’t lived until you’ve eaten corn on the cob so fresh that no cooking, salt, or butter is necessary; and Indiana’s pork patties are not to be missed. No grocer has ever been able to provide tomatoes or peaches that can compare to what you can purchase from a local supplier, and if your neighbor isn’t sharing, the Farmers Market is your next best bet.

Here in The Southland, we have the treat of multiple Farmers Markets open nearly every day. Next week, I’m going to take a mini mental vacation and visit a different market every day… I can’t wait! I’m hoping to pick up something for dinner a few nights, some locally produced meats, and other end of the season produce to put up in my freezer. Maybe I’ll find some completely new food to try?

San Diego Farmers Markets (on SDFarmbureau.org) is a great link with mostly up-to-date information on all of the Farmers Markets in the San Diego county area.

From SDFarmBureau.org
From SDFarmBureau.org

Look at that Niche- That is a Nice Niche.

This is an actual profile photo on Eddie Murphy's Facebook page! I'm not kidding- follow this link: https://www.facebook.com/EddieMurphy/photos/a.154069074666916.39917.153822731358217/788316451242172/
This is an actual profile photo on Eddie Murphy’s Facebook page! Seriously, click to link!

Donkey gets the credit for this posting’s title, ha. When I had finished putting some of our collections in the entry way niche, I really did say “Look at that niche, that’s a nice niche!” and I swear, I heard it in Donkey’s voice. I digress… (clears throat).

I have a few random house projects that I have been meaning to get around to

Is this a summer To Do list? Or is this just wishful thinking?
Is this a To Do list? Or just wishful thinking?
  • paint under counter
  • do something with the empty niche above the front door
  • repaint stair risers
  • get son’s collections into manageable storage boxes
  • put all photos into a storage box, not mixed with other mementos
  • sort out and give away extra fall/autumn/Halloween/Thanksgiving decorations
  • kids’ (now teens!) grade school holiday art separated from holiday storage boxes

Today I finally did something with a space over my front door. This niche has sat naked for more than five years. As I have passed by it multiple times, every day, I wonder what the heck to do with it? I don’t like random tchochkies too much, so the décor du jour doesn’t interest me.

It took awhile but I finally gathered together items from our travels into a small collection to put into this awkward niche above my front door. Rocks from beach trips, conch shells from the great-grandparents’ world travels, pine cones The Boy has collected… only the tall sticks came from the craft store. So I cheated.

But, here it is, TA DAAAA:

Still needs something more in the front...
Still needs something more in the front…