Berkeley Farmer's Market

Three good reasons to forget the Ferry Building Farmers' Market this weekend and buy in Berkeley instead. It's only a 20 minute drive across the bridge. Parking is easy and free close by. Products are cheaper and you are less likely to splurge on those fancy, less necessary, items that flaunt themselves and tempt you in San Francisco. I am not suggesting you ditch the Ferry Building altogether, just suggesting that once in a while a change might be good. Here are the three good reasons why...



My main reason to make the journey to Berkeley is to visit The Fatted Calf who make their own charcuterie and unique meat products. It's wonderful. Arrive early, at 10am, they sell out quickly. Last week we tried their Duck Crepinettes with Picholine Olives. Absolutely delicious, flavourful moist and juicy rounds of meat. Their range of products is different every week. It's a good idea to sign up for their weekly newsletter here or check out the Meathenge blog where Dr Biggles posts their menu weekly, so you can have an idea what's on offer before you make the journey to Berkeley.



Last week I bought a beautiful jar of Blood Orange and Rosemary Marmalade from Loulou's Garden. It's a curious mix of bitter and sweet, blessed with just a breath of rosemary. It's such a glorious deep, red colour too. My breakfast never looked prettier. Imagine a snow-white bowl of yoghurt topped with this glistening, exotic conserve. Check out the Loulou's garden website here to see what other treats she has in store.



I couldn't resist a bunch of the pretty, purple asparagus from Terra Firma Farm either. The flavour doesn't differ much from green and it loses it's colour after cooking, but it sure looked pretty sitting in my fridge. I also loved their Yellow Fin potatoes. Once cooked, these yellow-fleshed spuds had a sweet, creamy texture. They almost tasted like parsnips.

Check out the times and location of the Berkeley Farmers' Market here