Field notes: Coastside Farmers’ Market

By Erin Tormey, organizer of the Coastside Farmer’s Market. In Half Moon Bay, the market is at Shoreline Station (at Kelly and Highway 1), Saturdays, 9am to 1pm

The times, they are a’ changin’ Marketeers, but we’ll be here for the month of November to ease you through the Autumn.   Happily for me, I just found a crucial part, quite by accident, to an old clock of my Grandad’s.  The clocks pendulum has not swung like anything vaguely English for quite some time, but it looks like I’ll have it back in operation just in time the set it back an hour and pretend to sleep in on Sunday.

I am a master of the serendipitous, it would seem.  And of late, I have been really fortunate to have encountered a number of surprising developments where I did not expect to find them, with decidedly delightful results.  Last week I was searching for somewhere to get a load of firewood, got a little distracted by all the other interesting postings on the bulletin board and instead I met a mountain man with a penchant for Paphiopedilum.  As a result, I now know a lot more about orchids than I did last week. Yesterday I went looking for a lost set of keys, and while the keys are still among the missing, I am now reunited with my favorite photo of my godson, plus, I finally discovered where the mice have been getting into the shed. And then this morning I was trying to reach my younger brother.  I misdialed, and found myself talking with a farmer of organic pomegrantes, persimmons, pears and maker of honey.  Looks like they’ll be joining the Market for the remainder of the season.

Which is a good thing, if you ask me.  Because there is nothing quite like a salad of arugula with crispy slices of persimmon, pomegrante pearls and almonds that you toast lightly in a bit of garam masala tossed over the top.  If you make a warm dressing by sauteing a few shallots in a bit of olive oil ( and in the same pan you just toasted your almonds in)  then swirl the sticky bits off the bottom of the pan by adding the juice of a tangerine and a generous slosh of sherry vinegar and a dash of local honey, then pour the whole magilla over the top of the afore mentioned, you have a truly beautiful plate of color, texture and good-for-you-ness that is really truly satisfying to both palate and palette, and is terrific season opener for a fall supper. Follow this salad with a bowl of roasted beet stew ( the color alone is enough to make the endeavor worth the ride) and a nice slab of apple crisp- and not just any crisp, mind.  Make a nice tart one with tangerine juice in the filling and toasted almonds and lots of oats in the topping. For the fiber, doncha know.

Make a big pan-full.

Because we all get to sleep in without regret on Sunday Morning this week, so this is a swell way to  plan ahead for an excellent breakfast to wake up to. I am serious now.  There is not much that is more lovely than a piece of apple crisp for breakfast.  And we have some really lovely coastal apples that are perfect for the job. And if that does not wind your watch, or all your lovely children, errant siblings or malingering guests spoil your plan and eat all the pie, the cooler fall this year means local raspberries are still available, there are still a few varieties of late season peaches to be found ,and they go great with a really good, thick slice of raisin toast and a cup of Chai.  The gorgeous pomegranates, pears , and persimmons are lovely as centerpieces until you are ready to eat them. Not everyone knows quite what to do with persimmons, but it couldn’t hurt to know someone who does.  My accidental pal Mizz CLG the Garden Designer  makes some of the best persimmon pudding I have ever had.  I got a bite one early morning this week, when I ran into her, and was offered the last little morsel.  I thought it must be some super secret family recipe, but no. Mizz Lazarini got the recipe straight out of the Joy of Cooking. And I had just found a copy on a discount table for $5 last week. See what I mean? I am a lucky, lucky girl.

But let’s face it- we are all lucky as all get out.  We live here, where great stuff is grown in abundance by people smart and curious enough to support 5 independent bookstores.

Speaking of which, Jean Bartlett will be at both Markets again this week to sign copies of her award winning children’s book, next week Ms Susan Friedman will be at the Half Moon Bay Market to sign copies of her limited edition book EQUUS - a collection of coastside ( mostly) equine portraits and motion studies recently displayed at the SFMOMA. Ms. Friedman, in addition to winning zillions of awards for her filmmaking, has a gold record on her wall, shops at the market regularly and makes one mean persimmon flan. Seriously.

We’ll see you at the market, and don’t forget to Fall Back on Saturday night!

Erin Tormey
Coastside Farmers Markets

In Half Moon Bay
Shoreline Station ( at Kelly and Highway 1)
Saturdays, 9 am to 1pm

In Pacifica
Rockaway Beach
Wednesdays, 2:30 -6:30pm

650/726-4895
Erin Tormey
Coastside Farmers Markets

In Half Moon Bay
Shoreline Station ( at Kelly and Highway 1)
Saturdays, 9 am to 1pm

In Pacifica
Rockaway Beach
Wednesdays, 2:30 -6:30pm