HEIRLOOMS IN BLOOM AT YOUR FARMERS' MARKETS

HEIRLOOMS IN FULL BLOOM
That tiny trickle of heirloom tomatoes that began in late June has grown into a veritable cornucopia of gold, green, red and purple beauties.  Santiago Soto, Valdivia, Kawano, Schaner and Heritage are just a few of the farms fully stocked with tomatoes this week at the Little Italy, Adams Avenue and North Park farmers' markets. Tom King Farms surprised us last week with a pear-shaped purple variety we'd never seen. Check this piece on Food2 to see what's different about heirlooms. Expect peak production to last a few more weeks, then a gradual decline until the last, lonely tomato is eaten and the long wait for next year's crop begins.

HEIRLOOM TOMATO SOUP
Sautee one cup each of diced carrot, onion and celery with a little olive oil over low heat for about 10 minutes, then add two tablespoons chopped fresh garlic and cook for another couple of minutes.  Add six generous cups of fresh, chopped tomatoes and a cup of chicken or vegetable stock; let the whole thing simmer over low heat for about an hour.  When everything is soft and smells delicious, you can use a stick blender to puree it smooth (or not, we like the chunky version), add salt and pepper, and top with diced tomato, a scoop of Springhill Farms' fresh quark and a sprinkle of chopped garlic scapes.

SHUCK AND AWE
Give a man an oyster, he'll slurp it down today, but teach him how to shuck and he'll slurp forever.  Get a free shucking lesson, and a killer deal, when you buy a dozen oysters and a shucking knife from Poppa's Fresh Fish at the Adams Avenue, North Park or Little Italy farmers' market this week.   The oysters are sweet, plump and just a little salty, which also describes head shucker Mark Lane pretty well.

SIGN UP
Get a weekly e-mail from SD Weekly Markets.

ARE YOU FULL?
You're receiving this newsletter because you've requested information on local farmers' markets. If you'd prefer not to receive this weekly update, click to opt out at the bottom of this page.

Ask about our CSA!

Subscribe Today

APPLE FOR THE TEACHER
School will be back in session next week at Adams Elementary. Stop by the market tomorrow to pick up the season's first apples from Smit Orchards for your favorite teachers. If you have children, or maybe the heart of a child, check out musical guest Smilin' Jack and his accordian.  We've been getting rave reviews since he appeared at Little Italy last week.

PASSION'S IN FASHION
Heritage Family Farms is harvesting purple skinned passion fruit this week and if you cut one in half and let the fragrance fill your nose, you may start feeling passionate about them yourself!  The juicy pulp and the crunchy seeds from this ugly duckling of a fruit are great to eat right out of the skin, or drizzle the sticky juice over fruit salad, ice cream or cheesecake.

NAME THAT OWL
The owlification of North park continues with beautiful new farmers' market banners on the CVS building, but the owl has no name! Post your suggestion on our Facebook page or email us here info@sdweeklymarkets.com and the winning submission will earn a great prize package. Speaking of new developments, did you notice new offerings last week? Check out the great barista Java Jive, new organic farmer Tom King, and the amazing frozen treat Viva Pops – featuring popsicles in grown up flavors made from local fruits, veggies and herbs.

PAINT THE TOWN ORANGE
Tom King Farms is bringing amazingly crisp, juicy and refreshing orange-fleshed watermelons to North Park.  Tricky to grow and hard to handle once they've been picked, one taste of this very special melon will tell you it's all worth it.   Tom specializes in unusual crops including some rare heirloom tomatoes, Italian peppers and eggplant you probably won't see anywhere else.

LABOR DAY PARTY?
Pick up country style ribs from Da Le Ranch, fresh salmon from Poppa's Fresh Fish or World Famous Fish, squash, beets, onions and peppers from our farm stands and grill, Baby, grill! Layer those heirloom tomatoes with fresh basil and creamy burrata from Taste Cheese, and add a little drizzle of balsamic from Bistro Blends or Italianissimo for a great side salad. Or take the easy way out and grab fresh hummus at Lisko Imports and pita chips at Baba Foods, or a pretty dessert from Patisserie du Soleil and join someone else's party.

HOMECOMING IN LITTLE ITALY
Mercato favorite, Justin Malizia, will be back at Date and India this Saturday with his trumpet but without his famous curly locks. Justin is now proudly representing his country in the U.S. Navy band, so this will be his only appearance at the Mercato for a while. New musical guests Science Fiction will be laying down some jazz/funk fusion grooves at State Street.