The Brentwood Farmers' Market kicks off its new season this Saturday morning, and shoppers will be hard-pressed to find a more luscious assortment of fruits and vegetables than Brentwood's own, says Farmers' Market Director John Silveira.
Of all the markets we do, there just aren't any fresher than Brentwood, said Silveira, who organizes over 50 local farmers' markets throughout the Bay Area. This area has picked up a lot of momentum, and Brentwood has really raised the bar on quality. It's going to be a very exciting year.
This will be the second year that the market has been held on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon on First Street between Chestnut and Oak streets in downtown Brentwood. The market will run through the end of October. Previously held on Thursday afternoons along Second Street, the market's new weekend time and location has become a destination for the culinary curious as well as weekend warriors in search of delectable specialty items and local goodies.
There are just a lot more strollers out on Saturday mornings, and it's a festive, positive energy, said Silveira. People are tired after work and it's hard sometimes to come out, but on a weekend morning, you capture a lot more interest.
Of particular interest at this week's market, said Silveira, will be springtime's bounty of cherries, blueberries, asparagus, broccoli and cauliflower.
At this time of year, it's my favorite: asparagus, said Silveira. The information booth will be stocked with some unique recipes such as asparagus pesto, and a great asparagus salad made with fresh parmesan cheese. It's all free and available to the public.
Also on hand this season will be Santa Cruz favorite Beckman's Bakery, Arata Farms and their fresh fruit pies, as well as local farmers Seiko Ranch, Nunn Better Farms and a dozen of other agriculturists.
But visitors to the downtown market can also expect a few out-of-the-ordinary items as well. Fresh locally made pastas, sweet potato pies by Grandma Lilly, corn-fed beef from the Ennes Ranch and of course, Flowers, always flowers, and lots of them, said Silveira. There will be a lot of those kinds of items that you don't necessarily expect to see at a farmers' market, but which are wonderful.
Silveira is also hoping to incorporate some local artists' works into the market again this year. After all, agricultural is truly an art and
we want to celebrate it, he said.
Sponsored by the Brentwood Chamber of Commerce and the City of Brentwood, each farmers' market is operated by a certified farmers' market association.
For more information, call 800-949-FARM or visit www.pcfma.com.
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