SD Weekly Market Blogs

Nothing says summertime like ripe, juicy peaches, nectarines and apricots from the North Park Thursday Farmers’ Market. Look for fresh stone fruits at Smit Orchards and R&L Farms today. Eat a peach out of hand, or toss peaches, blueberries and Suzie’s Farm strawberries with a little Meljess Bees honey and a few sprigs of mint for a refreshing summer fruit salad.

Slice peaches into a fruit punch or sangria with navel oranges and Eureka lemons from Paradise Valley Ranch. Pick up a pastured bird from Da-Le Ranch and greens from J.R. Organics and African Sisters Farm and make chicken with peach stuffing.

Try spiced, braised peaches over a scoop of bare roots vegan ice cream for a delicious dessert, or try your hand at baking this delicious peach pie. And remember to enjoy peach day of summer!

What’s the best way to enjoy artisan cheese from Nicolau Goat Farm at the Little Italy Mercato Farmers’ Market? Maybe it’s classic chevre layered with beets from Sage Mountain Farms in a beautiful terrine. Could it be the goat feta combined with citrus-y sorrel from J.R. Organics and extra-virgin oil from the California Olive in sorrel pesto?

We love to spread red pepper chevre on country French bread from Bread & Cie and top it with caramelized fennel from Maciel Farm. Slice up aged Stanislaus Supreme and serve on a cheese plate with Fuji apple wedges from Lone Oak Ranch, roasted almonds from Hopkins AG and a drizzle of Heratige Farm honey, or try the Stagionato Misto, a semi-firm cheese of sheep and goat milk, garnished with peach-blackberry preserve from Terra Verde Foods.

Try these variations of Goat Cheese Salads, using Kawano Farms' strawberries and Smit Orchard cherries. You can't go wrong with a Strawberry, Basil and Goat Cheese Panini; grab whole wheat levain from Belen Bakery and basil from Suzie's Farm.

What’s your goat-to recipe?

Check out the newest crop to hit the North Park Thursday Farmers' Market, cherries from Smit Orchards, like sweet red drops of summer on the tongue.

They’re perfect for a healthy snack anytime, stir them into a bowl of Ancient Secrets’ Greek style yogurt, or slice them in half and use them to top a bowl of Bare Roots’ vegan ice cream (and add some crushed Honey-Vanilla Almonds from Hopkins AG for a perfect Sundae!).

Pick up fresh citrus from R&L Farms, herbs from Suzie’s Farm and Meljess Bees’ Honey for this sweet and savory Rosemary Lemonade with Cherries. Use them to garnish a cheesecake made with Spring Hill Cheese Company Lemon Quark, or serve them over French toast made with Belen Bakery’s country bread and Paradise Valley Ranch pastured eggs.

Grab farm-fresh chicken from DaLe Ranch to make this Butter Lettuce, Chicken and Cherry Salad; it's hearty enough to be your main dish.  Feeling the knead to bake? Sweet Cherry Pie will satisfy your craving and makes enough to share with hungry friends and neighbors. 

Cherry on!

Spring brings bunches of herbs including mint, basil, parsley, lemongrass and more to the Pacific Beach Tuesday Farmers’ Market. Suzie’s Farm strawberries and fresh basil meet Nicolau Goat Farm’s fresh chevre and whole wheat levain from Belen Bakery in this tasty panini, and spring mint freshens up Maciel Farm’s English peas.

Go to Gilbert Quintos Farm to make lavender lemonade sweetened with Mikolich Honey, or combine J.R. Organics’ cilantro and radishes with avocado and lime from Paradise Valley Ranch in this crunchy salad that’s great on its own or topped with a grilled grouper filet from the Salmon Slinger.

Dill adds fresh flavor to this zucchini soup that’s garnished with Ancient Secrets’ yogurt and pistachios from Hopkins AG. Take home spring herbs this Tuesday!