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In order to find the best produce at your farmer’s market, be sure to become a frequent visitor and buy produce all year-round. If you learn about the types of produce that are available during different times of the year, you will be able to utilize them during the peak of freshness. This will, in turn, make you a better taster and a better cook.
HOW TO SHOP YOUR LOCAL FARMER’S MARKET
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Some produce, like figs or persimmons, are only available for a short period of time, and some years, if I blink, I will miss them. I frequent the market weekly, so I am always ready for the anticipated arrival of the newest fruit or vegetable at its peak.
Don’t be afraid to talk to your farmer. They intimately know the fruits and vegetables that you are about to purchase. They know what’s most ripe, what’s going out of season, and what’s coming next. They might even eventually learn your preferences and be able to suggest products you have never considered. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Farmers have a wealth of knowledge to share and they enjoy telling the story of the “fruits of their labor”. They always have simple recipes to share along with tips on preservation and storage.
One of the biggest reasons to shop at the farmer’s market is to support your local community. Supporting local farms has great consequences that positively affect us locally and globally. Their products are often certified organic, farmed without the use of pesticides, antibiotics, or
hormones. They are better for you and better for the environment. Local farmers are just that, they are local and they only have to travel short distances to provide food for us. They are reducing the pollution that comes along with large corporation transportation and packaging.
The reasons to support your local farmer’s market are numerous and your purchases can make a huge impact in the lives of many. Get out there and reconnect with your community, with the season, and with the earth. Additionally, I always love supporting Napa and local wine makers who you can easily pick up bottles at the farm warm such as Round Pond Estate who has a wonderful Sauvignon Blanc.
Photo Credit: Wine Access
ABOUT OUR HAUTE CULINARY AMBASSADOR DOMINIQUE CRENN
Photo Credit: Andreas Branch
Dominique Crenn is the co-owner and chef of the three-Michelin-starred restaurant Atelier Crenn in San Francisco, where artistry is at the forefront, cuisine is a craft, and the community is an inspiration. She can be credited with not only being the first female chef in the U.S. to receive two and three Michelin stars, in 2012 and 2018, respectively. Additional accolades among her many include the 2018 James Beard Award for Best Chef: West, and in 2019, Atelier Crenn came in at No. 35 on the list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. She is also the owner of Petit Crenn, also in San Francisco, Bar Crenn, a wine bar situated next door to Atelier Crenn, has written two best-selling cookbooks, Metamorphosis of Taste and Rebel Chef, and founded VitaBowl, a plant-based superfood meal delivery service from veggies grown on her own farm. er next venture is Boutique Crenn, set to open at the Salesforce Tower in San Francisco.
