Farmers Market Goodies

Calendula 

I’ve been busy in the new year with two new jobs that have me waking up at 5am or earlier 5-6 days a week! Consequently, I’ve been lax in blogging about my adventures lately. One of my jobs is working for a Corralitos farm selling organic flowers and produce at farmers markets. Corralitos is in Santa Cruz county, near Aptos. 

Sunrise at Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, San Francisco

I drive to the farm while it's still dark out, stars twinkling overhead, pick up a truck filled with tulips, calendula, anemones, and sweet william, and drive to the market to sell the flowers. Setting up the stall is hard work. I haul tables, easy-ups, and many buckets of flowers, all filled with water. I go home drained at the end of market days. It's required that I work every Saturday and Sunday, which cramps my style a little.

Tulips at Market

On the flip side, people are generally happy when they’re at the farmers market, especially when they’re buying flowers. Most of the vendors are friendly too, so the atmosphere is positive. We can trade a few of our items for food from other farms. It’s been amazing to come home loaded with greens, fruits, eggs, and other goodies. I’ve started casually roasting beets and hard boiling eggs, just to have them on hand and to use them up before they go bad. I fill my house with flowers that didn’t sell at market over the weekend.

Breakfast made from farmers market goodies: poached eggs on sourdough toast
with braised beet greens, avocado and blood oranges.

In awe of my haul, I made this list last week of foods in my fridge from farmers markets:
     
     kabocha squash
     butternut squash
     radishes
     peppers
     kale
     broccolini
     fennel
     cilantro
     avocado
     blood oranges
     eggs
     greens
     mint
     sage
     apples
     mini potatoes
     coffee 
     beets

Anemones at market

I've been an avid farmers market shopper for years, so it's been great to learn how the markets work from farm to stall and pre-dawn to afternoon. For example, I've learned that markets secretly begin before their posted time. If a market is supposed to start at 9am, vendors will be set up by 8am, when the first shoppers of the day arrive. Certain markets forbid early sales, but most of them allow it. 

Please enjoy the photos below which I took at sunrise at San Francisco's Ferry Building while setting up!

Take-off at Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, San Francisco

Bay Bridge, Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, San Francisco

Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, San Francisco

Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, San Francisco