Farmers Market

The absolute best thing about summer, besides music festivals, is definitely farmers markets. I got to go to my first one of the season yesterday. It has all the elements you would expect for a real farmers market, not a hokey, made-up, craft fair, farmers market. Wandering from stall to stall, checking out all the possibilities, with each vendor handing out little bits of fruit, peaches, cantaloupe, cherries, nectarines, until you are so full you can’t eat anymore. There are all the regular fruits and veggie guys, where we bought beets for roasting, fresh basil, a head of garlic, wax beans, firm but juicy tomatoes, peaches, pluots, apricots, and baskets of mixed berries. We wanted so much more, but had to limit ourselves because we will be gone next week and we must save some good stuff for later. Can’t have everything at once, especially when it is so perishable.

Some of the more unusual things I got this time at our market on California Street are local honey, fresh made cheesy asiago ravioli, and a sample of homemade soap with raw silk which smells deeply of spices.

The sunflowers and zinnias were stunning, but once again I had to pass them up. We will have more flowers than we can handle this week. A new vendor with Nevada native plants appeared, which I liked seeing there. I hope he does well and comes back. The pickle man said that the zesty dills won’t be ready for five more weeks.

Since the market is at a shopping center, some of the shopkeepers open early to make the most of these customers so eager to buy. One of my favorites is the bakery, of course. While you wait in line to get your fresh bread, they give hearty samples of hot cinnamon rolls to munch on.

We save the very best for last, the Chinese restaurant opens their doors and you step inside to the shaded area while you give your order and she hands you a paper cup of cool green jasmine tea, for free! We always order the same thing, every Saturday, all summer long—six potstickers. Warm, plump pockets of flavor with spicy sauce. Rushing right home, we unpack quickly so we can take them out on the deck and devour them in the sunshine.