Take the only walking- tour of the seasonal tastes of Sonoma County.  It’s entirely self-guided.  It happens every week.     If you are looking for Sonoma grown and prepared foods, the Saturday market is the place to be.   It is the largest and most diverse selection of produce grown in Sonoma County.    There is everything you are familiar with and things you’ve probably  never seen before.

Our farmers grow for flavor – not how well the vegetable or fruit ships.     Much of the produce is grown from heritage seeds.   The farmers can name names – it’s not just lettuce and you can find the perfect one for whatever recipe you are using.

All our ranchers together make up best butcher shop in Sonoma County.  As well as locally raised beef, lamb, pork and chicken, there is also goat, rabbit and duck.    Seafood at the market is seasonal and local.

The market is also home to a lot of great bakers.    Costeaux,Full Circle and Raymonds have  every bread you can think of…and a lot of sweet things too.   On the sweet side, Dominique and Crumb Hither have the pies ,cakes, some cookies too of all sizes and flavors.   Mama Baretta’s baked goods are gluten free.

Our cheese/dairy trail just got a little bigger.  Two Rock, aged goat cheeses and you got to try the brie, Weirauch Creamery, organic farmstead raw aged cow and sheep cheeses , and joining them this weekend is Bellwether Farms, a pioneer in the artisan cheese business and bringing yogurts, creme fraiche  “Our sheep’s milk yogurt is sweeter than goat’s milk, tastier than soy and richer than cow’s milk! Made with naturally homogenized sheep milk, our yogurt contains no antibiotics or growth hormones. For an added benefit, sheep milk could be the answer for those who are lactose intolerant. The highest quality milk deserves the highest quality fruit.”

There is music and local artisans and wonderful places to sit and enjoy the food of our great chefs.   We have the most amazing food court!   Are you part of that group where everyone wants to go a different place?  The market is the spot.  There is something for everyone.

Shopping for your own Memorial Day party is fun and easy at the market.

The first blue berries are here from Stokes Family Farm, and strawberries are popping up from lots of different farms. ….lots of varieties.

Manager’s pick for the week  The Granola Parfait  – farm fresh yogurt from Bellwether Farms, Granola from Not Your Mama’s and Blue Berries from Stokes Farm.

While we can’t claim EGB and DeSantis as Sonoma Grown, we can say say they are  from near-by and have wonderful and some unusual varieties of fruits and nuts.    Cherries, apricots, peaches and nectarines – they offer samples so you can find the variety that is perfect for you.  DeSantis has mulberries purple and white, green almonds,

Vegan, raw unprocessed
and is still tastes like a cracker

The Wednesday market has everything you need to get a head start on Memorial Day party preparations.   Including a great place to take early-arriving guests for the great taste of Sonoma County.

We have a brand new member of the Wednesday marketeers, Live a lot Food.    This healthy snack is produced under the new “Cottage” laws in California and the first to participate at the market.   Come by say hi to Sara and try a sample.   Her crackers are vegan, unprocessed and raw.  And yet they taste like crackers.

Wednesdays line-up:

Find your favorite vendor ez-peazy with this great map of our new location in the North Parking Lot.

North Lot 5-18-13   Vendor Map

Highlighted are brand new to the market vendors

Vendor List

Don’t forget we are now in the North Parking Lot at Wells Fargo Center for the Arts.

Might be rushing the season a bit. But it looks like summer at the Wednesday market.
EGB and The Patch are now back the Wednesday market.

The Patch is back and it’s summer squash-a-palooza.

Welcome to Sinclair Farm– heritage vegetables — everything has a name. Plus Bacon avocados grown locally. This avocado does well in cooler climates and is rather delicate

Wednesday Vendor List

Local Spicery freshly milled in the quantities you need

GaGa Cafe coffee by the cup or bag

Willow Design Wonderful jewelry designs and clever uses of old silverware

The Garden Wild Handcrafted soaps many from ingredients found at the market

Full Circle Bakery Amazing breads straight from the bakery – the garlic cheese is so good you have to buy two loaves so you get home with one

Water Horse Ridge Jams and condiments all locally sourced combinations to make your toast sing

Comfort Zone Pillows and more that can be heated or cooled good for when you’ve over-done it.

Min-Hee Hill Gardens Lettuces of all kinds and many heirloom varieties of greens. Vegetable and herb starts including tomato plants

Armstrong Valley Farm Local citrus, asparagus, flowering kale and iceberg lettuce an eclectic mix of produce, fruit and eggs.

Hector’s Honey Honey and Bees Wax Products, eggs, garlic,potatoes, spaghetti squash, chili peppers

Bohemian Wellbeing Farm Mushrooms cultivated, foraged, fresh and dried

The Dreamcatcher Catcher Ranch Ask about their meat CSA especially their breakfast box

Green Grocer The food they make at the market is amazing did you know you can buy the cured pork products to take home

Penang Kitchen On Wednesday only they have potato curry. Don’t miss it. Seriously.

Mi Fiesta Still the best fast food! You can’t beat the tamale but for something a little more substantial and almost as fast – they have a single serving (generous) plate that is easy to heat. Proving you don’t have to give up taste for convenience.

Parsons Homegrown the tastiest tomato you can get this time of year and grown less then three miles from Wells Fargo Center for the Arts

The Patch Great selection of seasonal vegetables right now squash-apalooza. But of course there is more

Farm Sinclair Farms in Guerneville! You bet. Lee growing heritage vegetables taste is the most important factor –not how well it ships! Lee also has Sonoma grown avocados. Did you know avocados freeze well!

EGB amazing cherries, apricots, nectarines and even a peach or two.

1st and 3rd Wednesday Salmon Creek Ranch and Edgeworks Knife Sharpening

All of this is Sonoma grown produce and available at the Wednesday market

Don’t forget — we are in the North Parking Lot starting today. Bigger, better, nicer for our customers.

The Patch is back and it’s summer squash-a-palooza.

Welcome to Sinclair Farm– heritage vegetables — everything has a name. Plus bacon avocados grown locally. This avocado does well in cooler climates and is rather delicate
so you don’t see them in stores. Lee’s farm is in Mays Canyon right outside of Guerneville and his avocados come from his mother’s property in Forestville.

Michele Anna Jordan published a recipe that should be named Santa Rosa Farmers Market Roasted Duck.

Fresh cherries are at the market. Salmon Creek Ranch has the best duck. Jordan recommends a pinot noir wine with this dish. St. Rose Winery is at the market. You can find both fresh tarragon and dried tarragon at the market.

Roasted Duck with Cherries and Tarragon
Makes 4 servings
1 duck, about 4 pounds
—Kosher salt
—Black pepper in a mill
1/3 cup red wine
1/3 cup duck or chicken stock
2 small tarragon sprigs
¾ pound fresh cherries, pitted
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and set a heavy ridged pan in the oven.
Remove any fat in the cavity of the duck and reserve it for another use.
Use the tip of a sharp knife to pierce the skin of the duck all over the legs, thighs and breast.
Season the duck inside and out with salt and pepper.
Set the duck, breast side up, in the ridged pan and bake for 20 minutes. Open the oven and carefully turn the duck breast side down. Cook 20 minutes more.
Remove the pan from the oven and pour off as much fat as possible. Turn the duck breast side up and add the red wine, stock, tarragon and cherries to the pan.
Return to the oven and cook 20 minutes more.
Remove from the oven, cover the duck lightly with a sheet of aluminum foil and let rest 15 minutes.
To carve the duck, set it on a clean work surface and cut the the leg and thigh joints, reserving any juices that are released. Slice the breast. Arrange the duck on a platter.
Working quickly, set the pan over medium heat, add the butter and swirl until it is just melted. Remove from the heat, taste and correct for salt and pepper.
Remove and discard the tarragon sprigs, spoon the juices and cherries over the duck, sprinkle the minced tarragon on top and serve immediately.

Make it for Mom!

Mark your calendar The market is closed Saturday May 4th Open Sunday May 5th.
Get ready for Cinco de Mayo at the market. It’s another great excuse to have wonderful Mexican food.

Mi Fiesta has a wide range of ready to heat and eat Mexican dishes. Be adventurous try some of their seasonal salsas. Chips, salsas, rice, beans, tortillas, enchiladas, tamales and there will be specials!

Alma’s Oilcloth and Chucherias will be at the special Sunday market. As well as her clever oil cloth designs, Alma also has wonderful paper decorations imported from Mexico, perfect party decorations for Cinco de Mayo or any festive party.

From Wikipedia “Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for “fifth of May”) is a celebration held on May 5. It is celebrated in the United States and regionally in Mexico, primarily in the state of Puebla, where the holiday is called El Día de la Batalla de Puebla (English: The Day of the Battle of Puebla). It originated with Mexican-American communities in the American West as a way to commemorate the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War, and today the date is observed in the United States as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride. In the state of Puebla, the date is observed to commemorate the Mexican army’s unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín. Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico’s Independence Day—the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico—which is celebrated on September 16

The Battle of Puebla was important for at least two reasons. Firstly, although considerably outnumbered, the Mexicans defeated a much better-equipped French army. “This battle was significant in that the 4,000 Mexican soldiers were greatly outnumbered by the well-equipped French army of 8,000 that had not been defeated for almost 50 years.” Secondly, it was significant in that, since the Battle of Puebla, no country in the Americas has subsequently been invaded by any other European military force”

It’s a good time to celebrate the wonderful contributions Mexico has made to the melting pot that is America.

Shop for your Mom at the farmers market. The market has something for everyone’s Mom. You can go with the traditional gifts – flowers, candy, handkerchiefs or give her some dinners she doesn’t have to cook or clean-up after. Gusto Pasta, Mi Fiesta and Bolani – Afghan food all have prepared meals. In addition all of the prepared food vendors can package things to go and many sell ingredients.

Here are a few more ideas but the best way is to come to the market! There is a lot to see.

Hilltop Honey has honey based bath and body products. Linda Geernaert is a bee keeper and she got into the bath and body business following Martha Stewart recipes and with the help of a lot of friends.

There is always something new to sample. Chocolate swirl soap is just one of the latest.
They joined the market last fall and you are missing something special if you don’t stop by and say hello.

Vendor List 4/27

Ultimate Souvlaki
Penang Kitchen
Edgeworks Sharpening Services
My Wild Iris Rows
Ridgeview Farms
Min-Hee Hill Gardens
EGB Farms
Ma & Pa Gardens
Beet Generation
Kays Bo Kays
DeSantis Farms
Orchard Farms
Nature Spirits Garden
Laguna Farm
X-oticals
Bernier’s Farm
Branch & Brine
Offerings of the Land
Middleton Farms
Singing Frogs Farm
Armstrong Valley Farm
Williamson Farms
Hectors Honey
St Rose Winery
Bohemian Wellbeing Farm
Parsons HomeGrown
Daffodils, Dahlias, Lilies Oh My
La Vida Buena Nursery
Salmon Creek Ranch
Not Yer Momma’s
Franco’s One World Sausage
Williams Ranch
Two Rock Valley Cheese
Costeaux Bakery
Brunos Vinegar
Pepper Ranch
The Black Sheep Farm
Bolani – East West
Full Circle Bakery
Weirauch Ranch
Hue de Laroque
Owens Family Farm
Hilltop Honey
Gusto
Local Spicery
Oz Family Farm
Sonoma Garden Designs
Guerilla Foods
Comfort Zone
Royal Hare
Willow Designs
Victoria Kemp
Threads of Time
Aroma Floral
Earth Temple
Varda Rose
Sia Baskets
By the Elvin Moon
Gandolf’s Fine Chocolates
Raymond’s Bakery
Mi Fiesta Catering
Waterhorse Ridge
The Garden Wild
Dominique’s Sweets
GaGa Cafe
Crumb Hither Bakery
Bumble Bee Seafood
Lata’s Indian Cuisine
Otis & Sadies BBQ
Green Grocer
Stonehouse Olive Oil

Kay’s Bo-Kays, Beet Generation and the Oz Family are back! We welcome Local Spicery, Gusto Pasta and Sadie and Otis BBQ.

Here’s what Franco Dunn, One World Sausage Company said about Gusto Pasta
“Greetings! I have sold my sausages at the Santa Rosa Farmers market for quite some time. This Saturday I bought a meat lasagna from the Gusto pasta people. This was their first day as vendors. I cooked in Italy for three years and have been a chef for over thirty years. The lasagna was fabulous. These people are a welcome addition to our market!”