cookies

Medjool dates from Morocco Gold Dates at the North Park Thursday Farmers’ Market will sweeten up your holiday season. Stuff them with your favorite bleu from the Cheese Store, or check out these recipes including one that combines dates with toasted almonds from Hopkins AG and butternut squash from African Sisters’ Farm.

Pick up a naturally raised bird from DaLe Ranch for this date-stuffed chicken, or use oranges from Paradise Valley Ranch for these vegan date and orange cookies. Get Granny Smith apples and raisins from Smit Orchards for this gluten free pie, or for a lighter dish that’s still festive, pick up fennel from Suzie’s Farm for this citrus-fennel-date salad.

Make a date with the North Park Farmers’ Market this Thursday!

Shop for dinner, stay for dessert at the North Park Thursday Farmers’ Market! Visit Sunnyside Kitchen for freshly baked cookies just like Mom used to make (but even better!) like Chocolate Delight, Peanut Butter and Mama’s Oatmeal. Don’t miss their banana oatmeal muffins and brownie bites too! Under the Crust has apple crumb, blueberry, lemon and pecan pies among their amazing offerings- check out their mini-pies in tiny tins, perfect for single servings! Grab a few as a hostess gift. Keep strolling down Herman Street to Bluespark Baking for sweet and savory pastry pockets, and grab a signature Bluespark iced coffee while you’re there.  Use Meljess Bee's honey instead of sugar in your baking recipes, like this honey cake with stewed strawberries recipe. You can get the eggs and berries from the North Park Market too! Moncai Vegan bakes carrot cake and fudge brownies, both gluten-free, as well as awesome cinnamon rolls and giant salted caramel cupcakes (a market staff favorite!). Stop by Belen Bakery for a classic tollhouse cookie, scones and blueberry bread to satisfy your sweet tooth. Check out the unusual dessert tamales from Gourmet Tamales, including strawberry apple, orange mango and pumpkin spice. Our farmers' friut always makes a healthy sweet ending to your market meal. Life is short, eat dessert first!

Though its still definitely appropriate to don your homes, hearths, and patios with colorful squash and scattered fall decorations, Halloween has come and gone and it might be time to pitch your pumpkins and use up all the guts for some home baked goodies. If you're running behind and still need to pick up an orange beauty, come out to the Mercato next saturday morning and gather your goods from some of our lovely vendors.

Autumn calls us to flavors like allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. You can make some pretty fantastic pumpkin oatmeal cookies using all farmers market ingredients. Use organic, cooked pumpkin from Schaner's Farm or Suzie's Farm, raisins or dried apricots from Smit Orchards, walnuts from Terra Bella Ranch and a bit of sweet granola from Granola Girl to give them some texture. 

Or perhaps you want to go a little more gourmet and serve something savory AND sweet? How about a pumpkin-inspired bruschetta? Trust us, it's worth it. Combine fresh arugula from Sage Mountain Farm and crumbled goat cheese from Nicolau Farms with fresh squeezed lemon juice and a dash of Phil's honey from the folks at Marion's Olive Oil. Toss together with cooked pumpkin pulp, chopped red onions, a bit of your favorite vinaigrette and spread generously over sliced and toasted french bread from Bread & Cie. Top with roasted pumpkin seeds and a hint of curry and cinnamon. 

The evenings are indeed surrounding us earlier and there's a slightly brisk feeling in the air. But we've strung the lights at our Pacific Beach Tuesday Farmers' Market and are making the best of the shorter days! It's become quite the atmosphere for leisure, good spirits, and of course romance! If you're in the mood for a sweet treat while you're in the neighborhood, want a lovely place to stroll with your beloved after sunset on the beach, or need to pick up all the ingredients to make your own, homemade dessert delicacies, visit us this week for some sweet ideas!

Baked Apple Cookie Bars: Head home with a tub of yummy toasted granola from Safari Crunch, juicy honey crisp apples from Smit Orchards, and a few Pumpkin Praline cookies from The Cravory. Chop everything well and mix with butter, eggs, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves) and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. You can enjoy them warm, or freeze them to pack into school lunches for easy, "healthy" treats.

Slightly Sinful Saute: Persimmons are the select fruit of fall. Like orange hued tomatoes, their ripe pulp simply falls apart and melts in your mouth. For a quick, and slightly sinful dessert, peel and cut-up a few Fuyus (the shorter, stalkier variety) and sautee gently in butter and cinnamon, followed by a splash of Grand Marnier. Serve with a slice of pumpkin bread from Belen Bakery or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Take-me-away Take Away: If you simply want to enjoy dessert onsite with us while you stroll between the stalls, stop by Moncai Vegan for a fresh baked chocolate chip cookie, double chocolate brownie, or one of their mouthwatering lemon cakes. And its all vegan! If you're really in the mood to impress, choose a few dazzling tarts or a creme brulee from Lisko Imports and sit down and spoon feed your friends!