Coastside Farmers’ Market field notes, July 22

If plucking your way through piles of plump peaches, mounds of succulent sweet corn, lush armloads of lettuces, rugged romanesco, and (finally, finally, finally!) firm, rich tomatoes to the lively rhythms of a 12 piece marimba band while you choose a free bodice-busting-psyco-thriller to enjoy later in the day- on the chaise, perhaps, with an energizing tisane of local ginger & wildflower honey while a perfectly charming troubadour sings songs of longing and delight- does not say summer to you, it does to me.

So, because I am somewhat self indulgent and a borderline libertine - though one who does draw the line at most vulgarities associated with rank gluttony of appetites-  I have arranged for a day at the Market that has me nearly breathless with delight.  And it would be a bonus point if a few of you were thrilled beyond speech to be able to pick up a juicy bodice-buster ( or a sensible book on gardening, cooking, of historical merit, social import or something suitable to read to your children) from the BookMobile which will be at the Market on Saturday, just chock-a-block with (ready?) ONE THOUSAND free books to distribute, while the languid and lyrical island-y sounds of Signing Wood Marimba Ensemble inspire you to new heights of culinary courage and conquest.

Ever made a glaze of golden plums with local ginger and chives to levitate fresh halibut? Drizzle apricot & lavender vinegar over arugula and mache tossed in a yellow bowl with sweet orange cherry tomatoes and crumblings of a cheese called Capricious? Or macerated Airielle’s strawberries with Montara honey and Eda’s mint, then blasted them with a bit of aqua vita and a zapping of seltzer water and served it up in a clear blue glass from the 40’s?

No? Well why ever not?  It worked incredibly well for me, though it was a trifle troublesome for Red Molly, visiting from the West Coast of Ireland,  who nearly missed her plane home due to the attentions of a young guest who misunderstood the responses of the ladies present to such an inspired dinner as an overture of a baser nature, poor dear. Perhaps it was all the slurping up of the ginger glaze with shreds of coriander naan torn with both hands, elbows on the table all the while that sent him over the edge. It’s hard to say.

We have other plans for those of you more generous and civic minded sorts. Over the next two weeks, Puente is conducting a school-supply drive which begins this weekend in Half Moon Bay, and continues at our Pacifica location on Wednesday, July 27, to Pescadero’s fledgling Thursday evening Market, and wraps up in Half Moon Bay on July 30. We’ll be looking for pencils, pens, ruled paper, flash drives etc to pack into 300+ Back-to-School back-backs for our local kids.  We have the back-packs - now we just need to fill them up!

But Wait! There’s more! Assemblyman Jerry Hill will be attending the Market on Wednesday 7/27, and non-partisan Voter registration returns to the market on July 30th. 

Congratulations are due to Toque Blanche- whose support has been key in all of this coming together so deliciously - as they celebrate their 5th anniversary.  Kudos y mercis in beaucoup.  HOT TIP! They are having a wing-ding at the store all weekend, so if you need the tools to send your dining companions right over the edge of propriety ( or to lead them to it, depending on the entree) you might want to head on down there.  Thank Charles and Stuart in servicable French for me.

See you at the Market!

Erin Tormey
Founder, Manager
Coastside Farmers’ Markets
May - December

Half Moon Bay @ Shoreline Station•Saturdays - 9 to 1
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Pacifica @ Rockaway Beach•Wednesdays - 2:30 - 6:30