“Sometimes it’s good to be fresh!”
It’s all the rage in San Diego – haute cuisine is going slow, and featuring local produce and in-house crafted foods. Think the Linkery, Whisknladle & Prepkitchen, Terra & Arterra. These restaurants are sure to spark your taste for the finer things on your own table, and why not? You can pick up an amazing variety of local foods, as close as your own neighborhood Farmers Market!
San Diego is blessed with an endless growing season. Even in February, you can find fresh navel oranges, lemons, avocados, kumquats, strawberries, cauliflower, asparagus, artichokes, rhubarb, tangerines, tangelos, carrots, celery, cabbage, peas, beets, cherimoyas, guavas, mushrooms, eggs, fruit, nuts, lettuce, greens, & honey in a local farmer’s market booth. Gotta love the endless choices!
As you walk through the stalls of your farmers market of choice, ask those friendly faces on the other side of the table what the various items are, and how best to prepare them. We can assure you they have a favorite rhubarb recipe, or can tell you how to know when your cherimoya is nicely ripe & ready to eat. Need a little more guidance? Many communities are putting together excellent tours, as well as discussion series.
For starters…
The Little Italy Mercato (Saturdays 9 am – 1:30 pm) has been featuring the ‘Foodies on Foot’ tour during the month of February, led by a local expert on sustainable food. Beginning with a tour of the Mercato, the group will learn the intricacies of gelato, bread and cheese making & coffee roasting. Tastings will be included of course! Wear your walking shoes, and prepare to work up an appetite. The rest of the year, the Mercato typically hosts Chefs Series once a month. Check their calendar for more information.
In Hillcrest, the Farmers Market (Sundays 9 am – 2 pm) is now hosting a regular Chef Series. On February 28th, Chef Deborah Scott of Kemo Sabe and Island Prime will be on site to share cooking secrets with lucky attendees.
Not full? Still want more? Look to San Diego Roots, an organization working to promote small family farms and local food businesses, while encouraging events that strengthen our local food system. They keep a comprehensive list of not only Farmers Markets in the area, but CSA (community supported agriculture) farms where members receive a regular assortment of the freshest farm produce. Farming workshops are a very popular feature that Roots has worked to develop, and the waiting lists are growing faster than spring peas can climb a fence!
Going green has never been so easy!
Catch the wave of sustainable food, and enjoy what you eat while supporting our local economy.
