Market Recap: 2006: Week 01

Headed down to the Grand Lake Farmers' Market for their first market-day of the year yesterday. It had been a couple of weeks. Despite a fortuitous schedule and the wishes of numerous vendors, the market had been closed on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. This meant going without certain household staples for weeks, and the need to visit Berkeley Bowl in advance of two major holidays. I was happy to be back.

But, so, here we are in the January doldrums of many varieties of leafy green and carrot. Red carrots, spherical carrots, and very small carrots. The most interesting thing I observed this week is how dark the apples have become. I'll resist my urge to throw up side by side comparison photos of Crimson Gold Crab Apples from October and Crimson Gold Crab Apples from early January.

Maybe I'm being unfair about nature's early winter bounty. After all, Russian Imperial Kale is a thing to behold. I'm just back from Las Vegas though, my inundation hangover abating after the sights and sounds of the The Rio Hotel, The Ghost Bar, Circolo, and Red Square. The food everywhere was better than I'd expected, occasionaly even innovative, and absolutely re-affirmed my conviction that Daniel Patterson is cracked. I'm totally embracing the point of view of the carrot.

Here's were the highlights from this week:

• The Twin Girls Farms Satsuma's are a little less glorious than they were a month ago, but are still top of class. I think they are also imported from some place warmer and very far away. We grabbed some from the Lagier Ranches booth, and they had more integrity but less flavor.


• A lot of vegetables seemed to have a rough go of it with the rain here the last couple of weeks. We witnessed some abused brussel spouts, and meculin had certainly seen better days.


• The Prather Ranch folks had lamb sausage on special, a four pack for $10.00. This doesn't do for me quite what a 10.00 buffalo Osso Bucco 2-pack does, but I'm still down with the cause.