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Ripe Now! Sugar Snap Peas

Are you a fan of crunchy textured vegetables? Do you want to bite into something fresh from the earth and hear that satisfying snap? Well, if the answer is yes, then this is a great time for you to shop at the Berkeley Farmers' Markets, because sugar snap peas are ripe now! Sugar snap peas, also called simply snap peas, are edible pod-fruits, and are a cross between a garden pea and a snow pea. They have a nice bright green color and thick, rounded pod walls. Snap peas give you a wonderful crunch when biting into them and have a lovely, sweet flavor (hence sugar). 

No need to shell these peas, all of the plant is edible though you may want to remove the string around the pod or cut off the top of the steam. They are a delicious and healthy snack that you can enjoy raw (try dipping them into hummus)! Great ways to cook sugar snap peas include sautéing, grilling, and baking them. They are popular in stir-fries. Just make sure you don't overcook snap peas--you want them to have a light crunch to them and not be too soggy. 

Sugar snap peas are high in fiber, vitamin C, and calcium. They are low in calories and are much less starchy than other peas. 

You can get sugar snap peas at all 3 of our farmers' markets from Golden Rule Organics, Dirty Girl Produce, and Riverdog Farm, Vang Family Farm, Happy Boy Farms, and Oya Organics

Easy Eating
Start off your day with a veggie-forward breakfast with this sugar snap pea and zucchini scramble recipe.  Whip up some ricotta and try this whipped ricotta toast with lemony snap peas for a crunchy, creamy snack. Roast your snap peas right, by trying out this garlic parmesan sugar snap pea recipe. Finally, for dinner indulge in this pea pappardelle pasta recipe (and say the recipe name 3 times fast for good luck)!

Storage Tips
Keep them unwashed in a paper bag in the crisper and they will stay fresh for up to a week.
Recipe: Hodo Braised Tofu Stir-Fry

From former Berkeley Farmers' Market vendor, Minh Tsai of Hodo Foods


Braised tofu (an extra firm tofu poached in a light anise and soy sauce with a lovely fragrance) is perfect for healthy stir-fries with your favorite vegetables and is one of my favorite kinds of tofu to work with because it offers lots of flexibility.  You can use any type of vegetable in the stir-fry, depending on seasonality.  My favorite vegetables to use include sugar-snap peas, carrots, celery, green garlic, and shiitake mushrooms.  I find the sweeter vegetables give the dish more contrast.

Ingredients:

 ½ lb braised tofu - cut into thin slices 
1 lb vegetables of your choice - chopped or julienned 
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dark soy sauce


Directions: 

Heat up olive oil in a hot pan or wok.  Add vegetables and stir-fry until they are evenly covered with oil (about 5 min).  Add soy sauce, sugar, and braised tofu.  Stir until tofu is slightly brown.  Serve hot or cold.

Find out more about Hodo Foods here!
Our partner Seasonal Bay Area tracks down each vendor every week to get an up-to-date list of what will be for sale at our Tuesday South Berkeley and Saturday Downtown Berkeley markets.
  
This Week's Vendors

Saturday Downtown Berkeley
Tuesday South Berkeley
Thursday North Berkeley
Brokaw Ranch
Kaki Farm
Good Faith Farm
Guru Ram Das Orchards
Golden Rule Organics
Lifefood Gardens
Flying Disc Ranch
Achadinha Cheese Co.
Hudson Fish
Kashiwase Farm 
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
Triple Delight Blueberries
Steadfast Herbs
Pomo Tierra Orchard
Higher Land Coffee
Tony's Kettle Corn + Crepes
Andy's Thai
Tamales La Oaxaqueña
Cafe Zambala
All Things Sharp
Picnic
Beber Almond Milk
Big Little Bowl
My Granola Garden
Laguna Garden Bakery
Cultured Pickle Shop
Morell's Bread
Obour Hummus
Phoenix Pastificio
Bolani
Coracao
Primavera Tamales
Bun Bao

Vendors out:
Avalos 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
Soul Flower Farm
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
Triple Delight Blueberries
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


Masks are still required at the Berkeley Farmers' Markets

Wearing a face mask and social distancing are required to shop at the Berkeley Farmers' Markets. We are aware of the recent recommendation changes by the CDC, but State Public Health Guidelines have not changed for farmers' markets or other outdoor events. Please help us follow the guidelines by continuing to wear your masks and maintaining social distancing. We also enforce a limit on the maximum amount of customers in market at one time in order to ensure space for social distancing. This means we may have a line to get into our market at the entrances. If you are feeling sick or may have been exposed to COVID-19, please stay home. We are able to stay open as an essential service only by following state health regulations. Thank you for your continued support of local farmers and small businesses!

김치. Kimchi: a Korean fermented, seasoned, and salted cabbage dish, traditionally a side, to other scrumptious and nutrient rich dishes.

We are excited to share that the Ecology Center is a host for the Kala Art Institute San Pablo Seed Project, which houses free Chinese Cabbage (beka santoh) seed packets, until supplies run out. Drop by the Ecology Center Store and grab your seeds today! 


And while you're at the Ecology Center Store, pick up any fermentation supplies you may need. These are plastic free!

Learn more about the art of fermentation and the fundamentals of curating your favorite pickled dishes at our upcoming classes: Adventures in Pickling on 5/22 and Fantastic Fermentation (kimchi-focused) on 6/26.

Adventures in Pickling
Sat, May 22, 2021, 11:00 AM

In this online workshop streamed directly from her kitchen, Ends and Stems Chef Alison Mountford takes you on a hands-on pickling adventure. Follow her step by step instructions as she demonstrates how to make pickles out of seasonal fruits and vegetable scraps. Chef Alison will talk about a basic brine and how to spice up your pickles with salt and sugar, and by adding whole spices including bay, peppercorn, coriander, cumin, pepper flakes, caraway, garlic or even ginger. 

Looking for a way to give back to your community in this challenging time?
Become a volunteer at the Berkeley Farmers' Markets! As an essential service, the Berkeley Farmers' Markets continue to provide fresh, healthy food for the community and a livelihood for small and mid-scale farmers. We have implemented extensive operational changes to protect customers, farmers, and staff, and to mitigate the spread of disease, and so volunteers are needed more than ever to help support staff in implementing these.
If you are healthy, not in the high risk category, and not living with high risk people, please consider volunteering at our three weekly farmers' markets.

Volunteer tasks include:
  • Supporting the development and execution of a curbside pickup or box-style produce pick-up program (in development)
  • Greeting customers at market entrance and providing them with info on the social distancing requirement
  • If needed, supporting staff in queueing customers at the market entrance, if the number of customers already in the market exceeds our maximum crowd count.
  • Hanging signage in the market
  • Monitoring vendor lines, helping customers know where to wait, and thanking customers for adhering to the social distancing guidelines
A short, virtual volunteer training will be scheduled prior to working at the market. Shifts start 30 minutes prior to market opening time, and length can be flexible depending on availability. Our three markets operate year-round, rain or shine:
  • Downtown Berkeley | Center Street @ M. L. King, Jr. Way, Saturdays 10 am - 3 pm
  • North Berkeley | Shattuck Avenue @ Vine Street, Thursdays 3 pm - 7 pm
  • South Berkeley | Adeline Street and 63rd Street, Tuesdays 2 pm - 6:30 pm
In addition to supporting the community in accessing healthy, farm-fresh food, the benefits of volunteering 5+ hours include an Ecology Center Membership. Contact mariana@ecologycenter.org to sign up!


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
North 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]