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The Market:
Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara St. at Cota St.
8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The Saturday farmers market in Santa Barbara is one
of the best farmers markets anywhere (as I've previously
asserted). At this time of year, there is virtually nothing
that isn't in season in subtropical Santa Barbara, or so it
seems on a stroll through this market. All the summer crops
are still here, such as heirloom tomatoes and peppers. And the
winter crops are just coming in, with mandarin oranges leading the
way.
I take the scenic drive up the coast from Los
Angeles several times a year for no other reason than to visit this
market (while, of course, enjoy the view enroute.) Today,
I drove through Simi Valley and Moorpark, one of the vast stretches
of Southern California that was engulfed in wildfire less than two
weeks ago. I was within sight of blackened hills for a 35 mile
stretch along Highway 118 before hitting the coast at Ventura, 20
minutes south of Santa Barbara. You can see what I bought at
this market during previous visits on May
24, 2003 and Nov. 17th, 2001.
Santa Barbara beach on a cool
November day
Market-Goer:
Mark Thompson, publisher of this Web site |
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What I Bought:
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Satsuma
mandarin oranges These are
the first satsumas I've seen this year. I'm always
very happy to see them because I make school lunches
for my two daughters and can be sure they'll eat these
(at least until they begin to tire of them in a couple
of months at the end of the season). As usual, the
first wave of satsumas to hit the market are a bit on
the tart side, but I like them better this way -- and
so do my daughters. Price:
$2/lb. or $8/5 lb.
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Peppers:
lipsticks and sweet Italian (top row, left to
right); pasilla, ancho, and 10 assorted hot peppers Late
fall this year, as usual, is prime time for chile
peppers. Price: $.25/each
for lipstick peppers; $.25/ea. for sweet Italian;
$2/lb. for pasilla and ancho;
$1/10 for hot peppers.
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Fuyu
(left) and hachiya persimmons Price:
$1.50/lb. for hachiya and giant fuyu; $2/lb. for
smaller fuyu
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Quinces A
reader posted a question about where to find
quinces on the Seasonal
Chef forum, and that got me thinking about
this odd fruit. Which is why I noticed
these and bought a couple. I haven't yet
decided what to do with them. Any
suggestions? Please post them in the
forum. (The lady who sold these to me,
by the way, explained that they're ideal for
jams and preserves because they're loaded with
pectin.) Price:
$1.50/lb. |
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