Tourism Adventures – Page 3 – branching out… on a limb

Thursday’s Farmers Market- Carmel Valley

Carmel Valley’s Farmers Market is… practically nonexistent. But if you are looking for about half a dozen different food vendors, or want your Carmel Valley teen to get a nice bite to eat after school, it is a handy hodge podge of snack shops. No McFood here!

There are about seven food vendor stalls, and the students from Canyon Crest and Cathedral Catholic High Schools are very fond of them, but that’s all there is.

Buy this guy's bread! — Buy this guy’s bread! And practice your French…

I had a great chat with one vendor, in French, yeah! Go me. He sells breads and traditional French pastries and cookies up at the Welk Resort Farmers Market on Mondays, too. According to this Parisian boulanger, Carmel Valley’s market used to have three more produce vendors, but they are gone for the season. As for his bread, I bought the small, rustic, olive bread. I will be back for more- this is seriously good bread!

Other vendors included Red Brick oven fired artisanal pizza (Holy Stromboli, it smelled crazy good! I’ve heard great things about their foods), the ubiquitous hummus guy (he’s at all the markets!), a smoothie/boba place (pricey at $6 for a boba tea, according to our International Teen who lives with us), Cassie’s Crêpes (could this be the same stand that we saw at the OB market last night?), and a Mexican food vendor, Mariskos Mi Playita, selling seafood snacks.

The olive bread made a great dinner for The Husband and me, along with soft goat cheese and our last pineapple tomato picked up on Monday’s Farmers Market visit. On the list tomorrow: tomatoes.

Wednesday’s Farmers Market- Ocean Beach

Every Wednesday from 4-8 pm (& pm in the winter), Ocean Beach has a Farmers Market on Newport Ave. between Cable and Bacon Streets. The website has information on the groups performing and promises a funky and free-spirited vibe is in store for its patrons.

Who could resist such promises?

If you want to get your vegan on and gas up your gluten-free mojo, get down here to Ocean Beach. After passing several international food vendors I stopped to try a sample of the most different ice cream I have ever tasted- Strawberry Basil Sorbet… It. Was. DELICIOUS! I was unprepared to bring home ice cream, so, this little delicacy will be at the top of my list the next time I visit. Sold at $10 per pint in glass mason jars, but bring back the jar and it nets a $2 discount. A little online searching helped me figure out that this is Na Pali Coast Frozen Organics. Worth the drive, people, check out their site for details.

I’ve had my online eye on De La Ranch’s meats for awhile. If you thought there were no local, grass fed meat suppliers in The Southland, think again. De La Ranch is in Elsinore and the ranch is open to the public if you are interested in seeing where your food comes from. We bought a pound of their Farmers Sausage for breakfast this weekend. Can’t wait to try it.

There was officially invited music for the crowd to dance to and enjoy, and there were so many people dancing that I couldn’t get a great photo. Everyone was really enjoying themselves. I counted four other buskers scattered about the market playing an assortment of styles.

Ocean Beach has the most produce and food vendors that I’ve seen at the different markets in the area- meats, nuts, dried fruits, ice creams, desserts, baked goods, cheese, sausage, kombucha, mushrooms, in addition to the much desired fruits and vegetables. We bought onion and garlic flavored pistachios and WILL BE BACK for the coco almonds. I tasted the kombucha and give it two thumbs up.

The Ocean Beach Farmers Market delivered on its promise. It was indeed the most fun and best market that I’ve visited yet.

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.

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.

Another 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.

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.

Fabulous Indian food from Masala Cottage, I kid you not!

Not many buyers in view because they are all at that one stand pictured above…

Monday’s Farmers Market- Welk Resort

Just 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.

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.

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

Seven Farmers Markets in Seven Days

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.

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