 |
Melons have officially rolled into market!
Sweet and hydrating, there's nothing like taking a bite of a slice so big it requires both hands - especially on a hot day. The sights of market-goers smelling muskmelons and smacking watermelons in search of peak ripeness are also among the season's best.
The farmers' market is the go-to spot for unique melon varieties. Many folks are only familiar with the cantaloupe and honeydew varieties of muskmelon, and massive seedless types of watermelons. The flavorless chunks you'll find in store-bought fruit salad (often left untouched) give them a particularly bad rap.
Don't let your memories of bland, cubed fruit fool you! Grapefruit-sized Charentais muskmelons have an intense, maple-syrup sweetness to them, and oblong Piel de Sapos, or Toad Skin, have a rough skin that keeps their sweeter-than-honeydew flavor intact until winter. There are also juicy, sunshine-fleshed Yellow Doll watermelons to try!
Canary, Galia, Goddess, Crimson Sweet, and Mickey Lett - the list of melon varieties goes on. Seek them out at Full Belly Farm on Tuesdays and Riverdog Farm at all three markets.
Easy Eating: Don't feel like washing dishes? Use a small melon as a bowl instead! Fill one sliced, deseeded half with your morning yogurt and granola, and freeze the other to dig into with a spoon as an afternoon sorbet. On the savory side, Full Belly Farm's Burrata and Melon Salad with Toasted Cumin and Basil is a must-have this time of year, and this Salted and Spiced Melon makes for a refreshing, balanced snack. If you're barbequing, throw this Ginger-Glazed Honeydew on the grill, too!
Storage Tips: Store all melons on your counter until you are ready to eat them. Hold off on rinsing them until this moment, too, as they are very prone to mold. To preserve a cut melon, simply keep it in a well-sealed container in your refrigerator.
|
Recipe: Fresh Melon Salsa
Courtesy of Full Belly Farm
2 cups 1/4 inch cubes melon or watermelon
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
3/4 cup finely chopped cucumber
3/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 medium serrano chile, stemmed, seeded & thinly sliced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
In a large bowl, gently stir together all of the ingredients. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate up to two days. Great with chips or as a topping for fish or chicken!
|
Saturday Downtown Berkeley
|
Tuesday South Berkeley
|
Thursday North Berkeley
| |
Brokaw Ranch
Avalos Farm
Kaki Farm
Good Faith Farm
Guru Ram Das Orchards
Golden Rule Organics
Lifefood Gardens
Flying Disc Ranch
Achadinha Cheese Co.
Hudson Fish
Stepladder Creamery
Happy Boy Farms
True Grass Farm
Vang Family Farm
Solano Mushroom
Riverdog Farm
Smit Farms
Gattonelli
Frog Hollow Farm
Bariani Olive Oil
Blue Heron
Steadfast Herbs
Pomo Tierra Orchard
Swanton Berry Farm
Higher Land Coffee
Tony's Kettle Corn + Crepes
Andy's Thai
Tamales La Oaxaqueña (OUT)
Cafe Zambala
Picnic (OUT)
Beber Almond Milk
Big Little Bowl
Your Granola Garden
Laguna Garden Bakery
Cultured Pickle Shop
Morell's Bread
Obour Hummus
Phoenix Pastificio
Bolani
Coracao
Primavera Tamales
Bun Bao
Off Beet Farm
|
Kaki Farms
Massa Organics
Oya Organics
Brokaw Ranch
Lou Vue
Avalos Farm
Full Belly Farm
Flying Disc Ranch
Good Faith Farm
Blue Heron
Blossom Bluff Orchards
Solano Mushroom
Dirty Girl Produce
Lucero Organic Farms
Kashiwase Farm
Stepladder Creamery
Riverdog Farm
Blossom Bluff
Smit Farms
Frog Hollow Farm
Little Fish Co.
Queen of Sheeba Honey
Phoenix Pastificio
Three Stone Hearth
Base Camp Bakery
Bolani
Fruit Tree Smoothies
Tamales La Oaxaquena
Andy's Thai
Donna's Tamales
|
Hudson Fish
Happy Boy Farms
Green Thumb Organics
Massa Organics
Chinchiolo Farm
Golden Rule Organics
E&H Mushroom Farm
Riverdog Farm
Frog Hollow Farm
Phoenix Pastificio
Big Little Bowl
Donna's Tamales
All Things Sharp
Morell's Bread
Upland Apiary
Blossom Bluff
|
|
|
The Downtown Berkeley Farmer's Market has condensed back to Center Street!
After a year of COVID-19 - induced spacing restrictions that forced an expansion of the Downtown Berkeley Farmers Market to Allston Street, the Berkeley Farmers' Market has now officially condensed back to its original Center Street location.
You can now find all vendors on Center Street each and every Saturday. If you can't find the vendor you are looking for, it doesn't mean they aren't there - they have just been relocated! For help finding a stand, stop by the Ecology Center information booth!
|
|
|
|
Plastic Policy Roadmap to Rebound: Legislation for a Plastic-Free Future
Online Event
Thursday July 29
6 - 7:30pm
Are you up to date with what's going on with legislation to combat the plastic pollution crisis? Tune in and learn what your actionable steps are. You don't want to miss this! |
|
|
|
Ends & Stems: Meal Planning to Reduce Food & Plastic Waste
Online Workshop
Saturday, July 24
11AM - 12:30PM
Celebrate #PlasticFreeJuly with personal action!
Most Americans waste an average of 25% of their kitchen food, at the cost of over $2,000 annually. Fresh produce tops the list of food waste items.
Just as you shop for produce with us, we encourage you to cook and prepare your meals thoughtfully. In her interactive class, Chef Alison Mountford invites you into her kitchen to share how you can create a plastic free and zero waste kitchen in your own home. She'll share meal planning, shopping, cooking and storing techniques that will help you reduce your household's food waste.
Chef Alison Mountford is the founder of Ends + Stems, a meal planning service with the goal of creating meals that have a meaningful impact on your life and your planet.
|
|
|
|
Bring Your Own Bag to Market Again!
It's officially time to bring your re-usable bags back to market -- just in time for Plastic Free July!
Help squash disposable, single-use item use and support the Ecology Center's efforts to be a Zero- Waste Market.
Head to the Ecology Center Store for reusable totes and produce bags. Receive 15% off your store purchase when you use the code PlasticFreeJuly at checkout. Offer valid until July 31st.
|
Volunteers play a huge role in making our markets both smooth and successful. It's a great way to support your community in accessing healthy, farm-fresh food. You'll get to enjoy the sunshine this summer, too!
As a volunteer, you'll help us:
- Set up and take down the market
- Greet, welcome, and thank market visitors
- Feature vendors on our social media
- Give vendors much-deserved breaks
- And much, much more!
Click here to access the application!
|
Masks Encouraged at Market
The Berkeley Farmers' Markets will continue to adhere to the City of Berkeley Public Health, CDPH, and the CDC's recommendations, for our mask requirements and policies. Given the current recommendations, as of June 15, 2021, masks are not required for attendees to enter the Berkeley Farmers' Market.
While it is not required, we respectfully ask that those who are unvaccinated, or partially vaccinated, continue to wear a mask for the ongoing safety of our community. And we also support and encourage all community members in taking the precautions they need for the best interest of their individual health needs.
We deeply appreciate your support and community spirit during this exciting and tentative transitional time.
|
|
|
|
Farmers' Market Hours & Locations
EBT and WIC Fruit & Vegetable checks gladly accepted and Market Match incentives distributed at all markets.
|
South Berkeley
Tuesdays, 2 - 6:30 pm
Adeline St. at 63rd St.,
Berkeley
|
Thursdays, 3 - 7 pm
Shattuck Ave. at Rose St., Berkeley
|
Downtown Berkeley
Saturdays, 10 am - 3 pm
Center St. at MLK Jr. Way, Berkeley
|
[Photo credit: Berkeley Farmers' Market Staff]
|
|
|
|
|
