In an area where we have one of the world's renowned farmers' markets, it is easy to overlook neighborhood markets. But the truth is that often we don't have the time or the will to elbow through the crowds at the Ferry Building. On the weeks when you'd like to avoid the weekend farmers' market crush, or you'd simply like some drama-free shopping at markets that will provide you with many of your necessities, consider one of the Bay Area's neighborhood markets.
The Mountain View farmers' market is a large market in the South Bay. It seems to be the primary market for many South Bay residents, and for good reason. The market is attended by over fifty vendors and the products brought to market by these vendors represent virtually everything that one needs for a week of cooking. The only thing that I didn't see that I would need was eggs, though that may just be an oversight on my part. This market had a couple of things that I don't see elsewhere: namely two Russian prepared food vendors, and one prepared dumpling vendor. I picked up a fantastically horseradish-y mustard from Dalex, a vendor who also sells piroshki, stuffed cabbage, and borscht.
When I attended the market on October 15, the following vendors were in attendance:
Acme Bread (Berkeley). Breads and Pastries.
Adam's Ranch Olives (Strathmore). Olives.
Apricot King Orchards. Dried fruit.
Billy Bob Orchards (Watsonville). Apples.
Blossoming Orchid (Aromas). Orchids.
Bodega Goat Cheese (Bodega).
Borba Farm (Aromas). Vegetables, berries, peppers.
Brookside Fish Company (Palo Alto).
Calderon Organic Farm (Hollister). Various vegetables.
CMA Farms (Fresno). Grapes, persimmons, jujubees.
Corn Palace (Sunnyvale). Corn.
Dalex. Gourmet spreads and sauces, borscht, piroshki, stuffed cabbage.
Devon's Delectables (Columbia). Baked goods.
Far West Funghi (Moss Landing). Mushrooms.
Hamada Farms (Kingsburg). Stone Fruit, Grapes, Eggplant.
Hamlow Ranches (Turlock). Sweet potato, walnuts, almonds.
Happy Boy Farms (Freedom). Various vegetables, lettuces.
Heritage Vegetables (Cole Valley). Plant starts.
High Ground Organics (Watsonville). Squashes, vegetables, fennel.
Iacopi Farm (Half Moon Bay). Artichokes, peas, fava beans.
Kashiwase (Winton). Stone fruit.
Kika's Farms (Watsonville). Strawberries, raspberries.
La Marca of the Sea. Oysters.
Mission Fresh Fish.
Molinari Salami (San Francisco). Salami and cured meats..
Mora Farms (Denair). Grapes, stone fruit.
Morgan Hill Top Crops (Los Gatos). Honey.
Munak Ranch (Paso Robles). Tomatoes and melons.
Natasha's Health Nut Cookies. Baked goods.
Nina's Kitchen (Watsonville). Vegan & Vegetarian Russian Cuisine.
Papachay Peruvian Coffee (Belmont). Coffee.
Rhodes Family Farms (Visalia). Stone fruit, apples.
Rodin Farms (Modesto). Tomatoes, grapes.
Schletewitz Family Farms (Sanger). Grapes, stone fruit.
Sukhi's. Prepared Indian foods.
Sunrise Nursery (Watsonville). Flowers.
Swank Farms (Hollister). Veggies, melons, tomatoes.
Vasquez Farm (Moss Landing). Strawberries.
Wierseg Garden (Los Altos). Plants.
Zuckerman's (Stockton). Potatoes.