There are several different local Bay Area establishments I mention in posts & videos, and I thought it was time to highlight them all!

First up, farmer’s markets! There are so many in the Bay Area, and all are special for different reasons, but my favorite – the one I am called back to nearly weekly – the farmer’s market that takes place every Saturday morning at the Ferry Building in San Francisco. The Ferry Building is a unique and special place everyday: full of restaurants – The Slanted Door, Taylor’s, too many to list! & food shopping stalls – Far West Fungi, Cowgirl Creamery, & San Francisco Fish Company to name a very few. These are open everyday and always have specialty items ripe for discovery.

Are you wondering why I titled this section the farmer’s market when I’m still talking about the everyday sites? That is because every Saturday – rain or shine – the entire outdoor plazas surrounding the Ferry Building transform into an intricate network of stalls from 8am to 2pm. By now I have my favorites – meat from Marin Sun Farms (more on them later), eggs from Petaluma Farms, cheese from Bodega & Yerba Santa Goat Cheese, fruits& vegetables from too many stalls to list, beans from Rancho Gordo (more on this later too!), rice from Massa Organics, and breakfast chilaquiles to top it all off. Honestly I can’t even begin to limit the stalls I love to this list – there are so many amazing farmers here that every where you look you find a new favorite!

If you visit San Francisco, you owe it to yourself to visit the Ferry Building on a Saturday morning for breakfast and wonderful tour of our local produce. It is amazing to see the variety and quality of the produce we are lucky enough to have access to year round. And if you wonder what is in season – then visit – you will find out in abundance!

One of my guaranteed weekly treats is my community supported agriculture (CSA) box from Two Small Farms. Each Wednesday I pick up a box (well technically a bag) full of the freshest, seasonal veggies, fruits, and flowers! AS the name implies, Two Small Farms *is* two farms. The box is built on the freshest produce from both farms, enabling one farm to add more when their crops are plentiful and vice versa. Its a system they seem to have perfected because my box is a treat each week!

I have posted previously about CSA programs, but visit Local Harvest for more information or to try and find a CSA in your area. When you participate in a CSA program, you support farmers in your region and you support their methods of farming!

Expanding on the CSA framework of sharing a local & sustainable product with a subscriber on a regular basis, two new CSA-esque programs have emerged from places that I love. One of them is Boccalone, who I cannot describe better than they do themselves: “Boccalone artisan meats combine sustainably raised, heritage-breed pork, Italian sea salt, and the freshest spices with the rarest ingredient of all: time.”

I have been incredibly impressed by the quality of products I receive from Boccalone every other week. The sausage was delightful, the mortadella like nothing I had ever tasted, and the pepper infused salumi (salame pepato) hits a note my pepper-loving senses have only dreamed of. The exciting news here is you can order these cured meats from anywhere in the US – so don’t hesitate!

Next in the CSA-esque lineup is Marin Sun Farm‘s newest method of distribution. Meat is 100% grass fed, no chemicals, no hormones, no corn! For the meat CSA I pick up our box once a month. Everything has been frozen and defrosts beautifully. The bone-in rib eye is amazing – worth eating meat for I assure you! The ground beef has been fascinating because the flavor and quality *is* different! I can’t wait for more each month.

Finally – I could not do this post without a nod towards Rancho Gordo. Heirloom varietals of beans, handgrown with attention and care. This multitude of bean-goodness has changed my perspective on the humble bean forever. Rancho Gordo also ships, so be sure to give them a try – or even email me to ask questions if you are curious – I’ve tried many of their varieties!

There are so many more wonderful places I want to discuss and share, but I suppose they will need to wait for the next edition of my favorites! Until then – share some of your favorites with me!