Laguna Niguel/Aliso Viejo Farmers Market, The haul―what did we find?

[Priscilla]

This Sunday market, in the shopping center at the corner of La Paz and Pacific Park/Oso comes in exceeding useful when I don't make my usual Friday Laguna Hills Mall farmers market visit, and don't make the SECOND most usual Saturday Irvine/UCI visit, OR, and this is a very important or, I need honey. Today turned out to be a conflation of all three!

Because I love Honey Pacifica sage honey and this Sunday market is where out of those I frequent it is available. I've always bought sage honey from whatever farmers market honey vendor, but Honey Pacifica is my favorite, and after buying it for the first time several years ago it went immediately to Best in Class.

This is a very good market in other ways too... just saw today for the first time the tamale guy I like is there with his big steamers, and if we hadn't started our day at Cream Pan we certainly would have availed ourselves. At any rate, good to know, and filed away for future.

Most of my favorite Friday vendors are represented, except, sadly, Top Veg, but that turned out OK today because the big stand with the Asian and Continental veg supplied beautiful Shanghai bok choy (three times officially makes a jag, right?) and gorgeous butterhead type lettuce the sign said was Nancy lettuce.

Carrots and strawbs from the carrot lady, iceberg destined for blue cheese/bacon wedge salade from the Redlands guys, tons of beautiful fruit from my favorite fruit people from Friday (and also Irv on Sat). Week 3 for Bosc pears sent straight from heaven, for instance, and today also nashi and Fuji apples. All, yum, and I know in advance because the nice lady gave us a taste of each.

Bag o' lemons from the friendly citrus people, and, major yay, Hass avocados. I know it's early and these won't be the most rich oily of all tarnation, but they were there and I'm glad to have two of them on my counter.

Russet potatoes and white onions from the potato lady, fahncy tomatoes from the fahncy tomato guy, bicolor pink gladiolas from the flower people. More cucumbers from the earnest young organic people I first encountered just the other Friday at Lag Hls, plus a passel of green beans from them, too, blanching even now in a bit pot of boiling salted water. Will be sauteed w/garlic and anchovy later this evening.

Excellent marketage, overall. One of the cheeriest aspects to this market, and one needs a cheering up after negotiating, or attempting to, the parking lot, is how well-attended by a diverse population this market is... old, young, every color and subculture. Just another Orange County farmers market crowd, in other words. But worth repeating.

[Priscilla]

This was my weekend market again this week due to a different series of events than last week. No prob!

Yukon golds from the potato lady, and one of her Hass avocados too. The friendly citrus people gave us two more VERY ripe Hass with our Satsuma purchase when we asked after avocados, so that was nice.

More excellent Fujis from our favorite fruit vendor. Just astonishingly good. We await their reappearance every year. Sort of how it is with most things at the farmers market, innit?

Spinach for value-added smashed potatoes from the people on the end with the exotic and regular veg... and more Nancy butterhead lettuce too. So good.

More green beans from the earnest young organic sellers with the stacks of printed literature. And a nice pink Brandywine from the fahncy tomato guy.

We were a little later today, getting toward noon, but the market was still fresh and wel-attended, and the vendors were happy. Yay.

[Priscilla]

Once again it was Laguna Niguel/Aliso Viejo... yes, there was a chain of events that made today Sunday farmers market day but also -- there is that lettuce.

Bought a bunch. The nice girl at the greens stand brought out a brand new box of it for us. I love rooting around having my pick of the litter. Plan is, a favorite plan: Goat cheese, toasted walnuts, walnut oil vinaigrette.

But for tonight, yet more of the excellent green beans from the earnest young organic people. Plan is yet more of the anchovy/garlic flavor profile, this time with the addition of the little bit of mustard I'm going to paint on the rack o'pock that will be landed, cut into chops, atop these beans later for dinner.

More unearthly great Fujis from our favorite fruit people, also a big old Asian pear, and the nice lady gave us the traditional gift of a few bonus Satsumas. Then bags o' Satsumas from the friendly citrus people, since everybody likes them, the Satsumas, not to mention the friendly citrusers, so well.

Freshly roasted peanuts from the fresh peanut guy, who is at I think every market I go to. And thank God he is, too.

[Priscilla]

So, ya, it was this Sunday market AGAIN, and very nice it was, too.

Yukon Gold potatoes, Clarissa squash, plum tomatoes, Italian eggplant, purple onions, green beans, asparagus, fennel bulb, red bell pepper, what else am I forgetting anything, all for to be roasted and serve as a bed for concomitantly roasting Claro's sausage, on sale this week, down from their usual cheap price to a really cheap price.

Also tons of fruit from our favorite vendor, incl. more of the best Bosc pears EVAR, and Asian pear, and the Fuji apples which are a fall/winter staple for us.

Also, pretty good strawbs from the earnest young organic growers, who only had strawbs this week. Strawb froz yog a la David Lebovitz is indicated, as it has been like 800 times this year.

[Priscilla]

AV/LN Sunday market again... events conspired to make it the market of the post-holiday return to farmers marketage. Just in time, feels like, although we had a very nice salade the nice before of lettuce from our own garden, so not doing too-too badly, right?

But what a relief to get back to our favorite apples, and the nice lady GAVE me some of the markdown applesauce apples, just because. Asian pears, and Boscs which were perfect AGAIN, and squishy-soft Hachiya persimmons just demanding to be 1. eaten with a spoon just as they are, or, 2. made into persimmon pud and served with whipped cream.

Russets from the potato lady, more beautiful onions from the carrot lady, really good JANUARY strawbs from the earnest young organic people, who now have a signboard noting helpfully, "Celery: Jan. 2010." So we have that to look forward to.

Two beautiful caulis from the other OC organic people, will be roasted and served w/rack of pork. At least at this planning juncture, that is the plan.

Missing quite a few vendors still on holiday schedule, incl. the people with the unbelievable wonderful butter and Nancy lettuces... will be glad when they return, although scored 2 giant gorgeous Romaine to tide us over in the meantime.

Extra-tall white spider mums to arrange in my newest Hall China water server.

All this AND we scored a Doris Day parking space on the side there. When we returned we'd been joined by our Prius' twin parked next to us, except HE had groovy modded wheels and mysteriously tinted windows.

[Priscilla]

You know, Aliso Viejo/Lag Nig is getting some personality in spite of its own darn self. Or maybe it's just more apparent to me since I've been to this market several times in a row.

And what a gorgeous day to be shopping at ANY farmers market, eh?

It had been decided on the way that patate maritate were possibly what we wanted for dinner, so ingredients were assembled: Russets from the potato lady, Italian parsley where I got my $1 cabbage, and earlier, after Cream Pan breakfast where such things are discussed, Parmigiano and deli-sliced whole-milk mozz @ Claro's.

Also more delicious Fujis from my fave fruit vendor, and more very good strawbs from the earnest young organic sellers, and tomatoes from the fahncy tomato guy, only not his fahnciest, just the Bingos which have been very very good. ESP for it being January, for God's sake. Big lovely brown sweet onions from the other OC organic grower. Bag o'lemons from the friendly citrus people.

The greens people at the end weren't there again, hope they return, but in the meantime we'll make do with excellent Romaine and redleaf from the people in the middle whence the aforementioned $1 cabbage and parsley originated as well. Giant carrots and a nice cilantro from the carrot lady.

A very good haul.

[Priscilla]

Greens people were back today!!! Yay. Big bag o' beeyootiful little lettuces, which they sell by the pound, which comes out to hardly any monnaies at all.

Also a really good fennel bulb from them, matched up with blood oranges for yet another visit from the sliced fennel/supremed blood orange/shaved Pecorino salade later this week.

More excellent Fujis and Asia pears and even Comice pears from my favorite fruit people. So good! And I know this because the nice lady gave us samples while we were picking.

Yukon Golds from the potato lady, and onions too. $1 cabbage and some small acorn squash from the nice bounteous stand right at the entrance, the squash intended for another Mario dish for a veg dinner night, squash with what amounts to a savory bread pudding baked inside. Carrots from the carrot lady, strawbs and two beautiful caulis from the earnest young organic people.

I can't remember what all else... oh a napa from the greens people to pickle w/kombu. Other stuff. All good! Lots of cooks shopping here!

[Priscilla]

So glad, yet again, for this Sunday market. Sometimes Sunday is the EXACT day I need fmage.

No lettuce from the greens people, but beautiful mature basil... I can only surmise that where they grow near Fresno has been too hot for lettuce, perfect for maturing basil. Which is supremely lucky today RIGHT when I was thinking about pesto on grilled halibut.

(Supreme luck continued when Costco, conveniently up above there on the next level of the Acropolis, had a huge amount of beautiful halibut to choose from... high halibut season, clearly.)

Mexican grilling onions from the earnest young organic people, and my little friend there said it was even GOOD we missed yesterday's Irvine UCI market -- supercrowded due to a nearby charity walk. Also organic strawbs, only $5 the 3-pack this week.

Tomatoes for slicing, tomatoes for cooking, two different vendors.

My $1 cabbage. Nice bag o'onions, up to $1.50 I notice but still, cheeeeep.

Beautiful apples from my favorite fruit vendor, and ready-today Boscs again, the kind of thing only the fm can provide, today-readiness in a Bosc pear. Also Asian pears. And yet more apples for applesauce from the bin of imperfects priced low for the purpose.

Saw so many enjoying the delicious tamales from my favorite tamale vendor, was jealous, but we'd just come from Cream Pan and so I really didn't have much to complain about did I.

[Priscilla]

Quick visit to this market today, gotta have our strawbs from the earnest young organic growers, and more Fujis from our favorite fruit vendor, plus a bag of imperfects for yet more applesauce.

Gerberas were 1/2 price for some reason, always welcome, when a favorite, that I was going to buy anyways, is fully one-half the price it is usually. Got a mass of shell pink doubles, very nice.

What else. Tomatoes. Butter lettuce from what has become my favorite butter-lettuce vendor, although they also have other good-looking stuff too.

Rio Red grapefruit from the friendly citrus people, which are already juiced and mostly consumed at this moment.

[ivan]

So today I was waiting for P outside the big veg tent on the South East corner of the market, and I heard someone behind me say "So what do you think? Maybe some Swiss Chard?" I turned around and saw it was a dad talking to his 2 children, a boy and a girl, maybe 6 to 10 years old. The little girl asked, "What are we having again?" The Dad answered, "I was thinking meatball soup." The girl thought for a moment, then said, "Maybe some celery...". As I passed him, I said "You're bringing them up right!", which made him laugh happily. I meant it. Those kids are lucky.

[Priscilla]

What a nice fam they were.

I was IN the big tent getting a big bunch of dill, not that I needed particularly a big bunch, just a bunch, but they were all big and of highest quality.

This dill I needed for the veg borsch planned as we sort of wrapped up, necessitating a return to the far other end to the big tent for the dill, but that is OK. Good, even.

Said borsch will also call for many of the other veg procured: My $1 cabbage, and my but weren't the $1 cabbages gorgeous today, (mine is from Smith Farms, as are the fresh giant white onions w/tops too), carrots from the carrot lady and celery too I almost forgot, Yukon Gold potatoes. Tomatoes for slicing. Strawbs from earnest young organics. Rio Red grapefruit, already juiced and mostly consumed at this juncture, and bag o'Hass from friendly citrus. Romane and gorgeous giant beets from Berumen Boyz.

Stargazers this week, for flowers. Guess I wanted the downstairs to smell all flowery-like.

[Priscilla]

Good haul today. Beeyootiful skinny crispy fresh green beans from the earnest young organics... along w/strawbs and another of the giant sweet onions that was maybe the best onion ever.

From Smith Farms lovely Romaine, my $1 cabbage, and celery the length of a 6-cell Maglite. Oh and excellent broccoli, and skinny asparagus, which I couldn't resist getting 3/$5 and planning to roast tonight.

My favorite fruit vendor said it's her last week for apples and gave me 3, she's so nice, even though I was buying her apricots and cherries (both really good this year, we are finding.)

Great mix of customers at this market... clearly, lots and lots and lots of cooking going on around Aliso Viejo/Laguna Niguel. I LOVE that!

[Priscilla]

A quick hit this a.m. because Ivan wanted specific green beans to accompany his birthday steak tonight, green beans from the earnest young organic people. And yea, there they sit, blanched and quietly awaiting their fate.

Also more cherries and DELICIOUS white nectarines, first of the season, from our favorite fruit vendor.

2 big crunchy beeyootiful heads of Romaine and that was that.

[Priscilla]

This market was THRONGED today! Wonderful how it's developed. Not that it wasn't successful right out of the gate, but wowee.

And, so many Priuses, we've taken to calling it Priuso Viejo. Greenish livin' and farmers marketage do sort of go together, don't they.

Lessee: More excellent zucchini and yellow squash from the earnest young organics, plus more of their ethereal green beans, if green beans can be said to be ethereal and I think they can, IF they taste like theirs, + strawbs and delicious sweet onions.

More crunchilicious Romaine from the deep shade people... gorgeous. And a nice cel from them, too.

Stupendously good cherries, apricots, white nectarines (and a couple yellow) from our fave fruit vendors. They're so nice. And their stuff, too.

Tomatoes from the fahncy tomato guy, but from his regular line, which I actually prefer to many of the soi-disant hairlooms, to be matched up with you-know-what and you-know-what for the essential, to us at least, Caprese.

[Priscilla]

Wow once again thronged, even though we got there after what would normally be Red Hour. Lots of produce being sold in Lag Niguel/Aliso Viejo. Yessssss.

More delicious supercrunchy Romaine from the deep shade people, also celery from them, so good. Wax beans and strawbs from the earnest young organics, who were also demoing their beans at local Costcos that day, we were told. Right on!

White nectarines, white peaches, cherries from our favorite fruit vendor. I can't remember white nectarines ever tasting this good... sweet and all, yes, but these have just SO much flavor. Not to mention PERFECT texture.

Tomatoes, of course... "regular" ones from the fahncy tomato guy for me, and hairloom, what puts the fahncy in fahncy, for Ivan. He also bought a hairloom Green Zebra from the carrot lady while I was selecting my, yes, carrots. Ivan likes his hairlooms. (I love homegrown hairlooms, there's a lovely big as-yet greet Brandywine on a plant in our garden I'm watching with anticipation, but I find the commercial ones, even those at the farmers markets, to be watery and squishy. I think maybe Ivan buys them as a good-luck talisman for his own tomatoes, which is OK with me.)

Restocked my sage honey from Honey Pacifica, who also had a small but nice selection of beeswax candles on their table. I shall keep that in mind for my candle needs... I love candles, and only use beeswax.

Just a lovely fast trip through this easy-to-negotiate, well-stocked market.

[Priscilla]

Of course another productive, pleasant visit last Sunday. Notably, got some of the teensy zucchini w/attached blossoms from the fahncy tomato guy. I had goat cheese stuffing over from the night before's stuffed fried blossoms, beautiful ones my neighbor invited me to pick, and we wanted to use it. A nice addition to our Father's Day menu.

This guy almost always has these, and often blossoms by themselves as well, and the price is a stone bargain: $4.99/lb. He could easily charge $12/lb. or more and it would be fair. The work required to get them from plant to market table represents a LOT of meticulous hand labor. Not to mention growing them so nicely in the first place. A tremendous resource, right at our fingertips. He sells at most all the markets I frequent, and I bet others, too.

They were very good in the classic stuffed battered fried preparation... I think I prefer plain blossoms, but that's just me. Others at the table were suitably impressed.

[Priscilla]

Wow was this market thronged again today. Sososo good to see people carting away those huge bags o'veg.

Ivan says it has become his favorite market. It IS really good, attracts a wonderful range of vendors, and highly motivated, way enthusiastic customers, a magical combination that makes farmers market shopping, already a favorite activity, even BETTER.

Our haul today included veg for this evening's grilling -- shiny Asian eggplant, gorgeous red bells, ethereally pale patty pan squash -- plus the usual beeyootiful Romaine from the deep shade people from whom today I also got some beefsteak tomatoes. Their tomatoes were among my faves last summer... sometimes nothing but a classic beefsteak will do, esp. after one too many watery squishy so-called self-styled soi disant hairlooms.

[Priscilla]

Garnered today lots and lots of summer squash, since that is what THEY want to grill, AGAIN.

Not that I don' t like it, I do. ESP. patty pan, that has always been and continues to be my favorite. But we also got golden zucchini, and the gold/green patty-pan-zucchini cross, and yellow straightneck. We already were in possession of excellent regular green zucchini from neighbor friend with the actually producing organic garden.

Also: tomatoes, red bell peppers, pasillas, (these last 2 will be taking advantage of the grill for charring/skinning purposes but have differing destinies), scallions. Very nice shiny Italian eggplant, too. Should make a nice platter o'grilled veg all right.

Also best-of-season white and yellow peaches, and strawbs.

Market was a little subdued, but we were a bit later than we've been recently. And there still was lots to choose from among, which is the important thing.

[ivan]

Market was a little subdued, but we were a bit later than we've been recently.

Well, the dramatic medical emergency may have been a factor. Although, the paramedics seemed to enjoy themselves after the crisis was past, as they strolled up and down the aisles.

[Priscilla]

This market was BUSTLING today! That is great to see.

Even if there was no dill @ the greens stand, there was beeyootiful Italian eggplant to be grilled tomorrow.

And so much else. Delicious almost-end-of-season yellow peaches, at a bargain price since the holiday meant no Monday market for our favorite fruit vendor. All sorts of tomatoes, a gorgeous glossy eggplant which was bunged into the oven straightaway in advance of meeting its eggplant caviar fate.

Lessee what else. My $1 cabbage, part of which will go to coleslaw this evening. Cantaloupe from 2 differennt vendors, have I mentioned enough times how much I love cantaloupe season?

And a bunch more stuff. What a lively, well-stocked, well-attended market. With the typical lovely Orange County multi-culti multi-generational clientele.

Lots of other stuff I can't remember... oh I do remember beautiful dark pasilla and big old honkin' Anaheim chiles to be charred and peeled and rajasized.