Sunday, April 7, 2013

Auburn Farmer's Market

My world is at the eastern edge of California's Sacramento Valley.  Not quite on the valley floor but not really the Sierra Foothills, Hubby likes to call it the "toe hills".
One of the great things about this area is its variety of locally grown food.
In the Summer you can find a Farmer's Market any day of the week, and there are two year around markets.  While the variety may not be as great in the winter months it puts the cook in touch with the rhythm of the seasons and encourages one to try cooking what is currently growing.  With the coming of spring, the number of vendors has increased here at the Auburn market, open Saturdays year 'round.













While most of the vendors feature produce and goods from Placer or the adjoining counties, Rodriguez comes from Watsonville on  the coast.  It's about 200 miles, not close but a lot closer than most grocery stores get their food.
With its marine influence, it is hard to beat the quality and variety of food grown there.
If citrus is what you crave, though, you can't beat Placer grown mandarins!  Mine don't come from the market but from my own garden.

So what can you find besides veggies?  Well, how about some fresh picked mushrooms?














Or some freshly baked bread.








Pistachios,   locally grown, in the shell, flavored or turned into a spread.
Olive oil in several flavors.  Dedrick's features cheese from north of San Francisco as well as imported cheeses.
Tired of chicken eggs?  How about turkey or duck eggs?
We don't eat much meat but most of what we do eat comes from my friend Bob at Coffee Pot Ranch.  The beef is all grass fed and lean.  All of the meat is hormone and antibiotic free.  I've been out to the ranch and seen how well treated the animals are.















Wine?  Of course.  This is California after all and not all of the wine comes from Napa or the Central Coast.  There are plenty of fine wineries in the foothills.





If you don't want to wait until you get home with your purchases to eat, well how about some pizza.  Not in the mood for pizza?  There is also a vendor selling fresh hummus and pita, another with samosas and other Indian food and of course Mexican food is also on offer.
One rancher even brought his livestock.  This man sells skin products made from emu oil!  He assured me this gal would never be turned into "product".  She has a name and once named the animals are safe.  At least until old age makes them unproductive breeders.

You can see more of our wonderful world at Our World, Tuesday.

16 comments:

Sylvia K said...

What a fantastic post for the day, Martha!! Your photos are the next best thing to being there -- and I would love to be there to do my shopping! Everything looks and sounds delicious!! Thanks so much for the trip!! Have a great week and enjoy that great food!!

Janie said...

I love an open marketplace. This one looks huge! Would be a fun place to visit.

Linda Reeder said...

I want some of those artichokes! But I see they aren't any cheaper there than they are here in the supermarket.

Unknown said...

Great to get farm fresh produce!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

mick said...

I lot of very yummy looking food there. Fresh food is definitely best!

Anonymous said...

How life can, how life should be.

Please have you all a good Tuesday.

robert geiß

Barb said...

Martha - you are so lucky! Year-round market. I can't even imagine the bounty of your fresh home-grown produce. It's a bit different here in CO. We depend on you!

Karen said...

I love Farmer's markets. Here in canada we only see them in summer and early autumn. Hope you had a piece of pizza!

Photo Cache said...

we are so fortunate to have all the fresh organic produce in our farmers' market. i really like the fungi. i always buy fresh basil whenever i go to the fm.

Fun60 said...

What a great looking market. I was really impressed that you have a farmer's market there everyday.

Diane AZ said...

Wonderful, everything looks tasty except the emu! Here the closest farmer's market is many miles away and only on Sundays when I'm busy. I've been enjoying cooking and baking a lot lately and wishing there was a farmer's market in my area. So glad to see yours!

Kay L. Davies said...

Oh, fabulous, Martha.
It will be a long time before we ever see a farmers' market here, but there is a big one all summer. The produce isn't the same as yours, but 'grown local' is a big incentive to shoppers.
Beautiful photos.
K

Judy said...

Lovely market!! I love that image of the emu!! I have heard that their oil is really good for the skin! The woman from the local emu farm here also does jewelry from the feathers and eggshell fragments...

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

I love this post! We love to shop at farmstands and markets. Our seasons are turned upside down here in Florida -- the best growing season is almost over. Soon it will be too hot. We've already enjoyed strawberries, tomatoes, all the usual vegetables, and of course citrus, but that season is almost already gone here.

Here we buy at a couple of different farm-stands, but haven't found a Saturday market like yours. I look forward to the Eugene one when we get back to Oregon.

Unknown said...

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Pearl Maple said...

local farmer markets are a delight to the senses, so many things to try and taste and see