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The Market:
Ocean
Park Farmers Market
Santa Monica, Calif.
2640 Main Street at Ocean Park
Sundays, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
(310) 458-8712
Market-Goer: Mark
Thompson
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Produce is almost an afterthought at the Sunday Santa Monica
farmers market on Main Street. Vendors of produce are
outnumbered by vendors of prepared foods and other
merchandise. At least a dozen farmers show up, so there's a
decent selection of fruits and vegetables to choose from. But
for serious connoisseurs of fresh fruits and vegetables, this
market is no match for the Wednesday
and Saturday markets on
Arizona Street.
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The non-farm vendors are merchants
from the neighborhood who were invited by the market
management to participate. That's one way to avoid the
complaints that are sometimes leveled at farmers markets
by local business people. They complain that the
itinerant markets draw crowds that take up all the
parking and leave trash behind, and given their business
to farmers who don't pay local taxes. At this market,
local merchants get a good cut of the business. |
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If you want to picnic before
or after you shop at a farmers market, this is the place
to be, replete with live music, a pony ride and other
attractions. |
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What I Bought:
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Peaches,
Nectarines, Apriums, Rainier (top) and Bing Cherries,
Apricots
Recipes: Peaches,
Apricots
Price: $2/lb. for apricots
$5/lb. for cherries
$3/lb. for peaches
$2.75/lb. for apriums and nectarines
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Red Amaranth,
Italian Flat-leaf Parsley, Arugula, Basil
Red amaranth is also known as Chinese
spinach, though it is unrelated to spinach. It
can, however, be used like spinach, either
raw as a salad green or cooked. It's loaded
with vitamins, but like some other greens,
is also relatively high in oxalic acid,
which can inhibit absorption of calcium. And
it apparently can produce harmful nitrites,
if cooked amaranth greens are reheated.
Here's a fuller description of the nutritional
merits and demerits of red amaranth. And
here are six ways
to use red amaranth.
Recipes: red
amaranth, arugula,
basil
Price: $1/bunch
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Red Amaranth
a.k.a. Chinese Spinach |
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Green
Onions, Red Onion, Yardlong Beans
Recipes: Onions
Price: $.75/red onion
$1/bunch for green onions
$/lb. long beans
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Red-leaf
Lettuce, Spinach
Price: $1/each
Three
types of Summer Squash
Recipes: Zucchini
Price: $1.50/lb.
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