Every fall, from October through December Bariani Olive Oil harvests Manzanilla and Mission olives grown on their farm outside of Sacramento. The olives are hand-picked and pressed each day during the harvest season. This week at Bariani’s Saturday stand in addition to their wonderful unfiltered oils, you can also get your hands on raw Manzanilla olives. Never cured your own olives before? It’s easy and takes more patience than skill. Pick up some Manzanillas at Bariani this week and start experimenting.
Often referred to as a German turnip, kohlrabi may look like something from outer space, but it has a flavor that is distinctly of the earth. This vegetable doesn’t grow in the ground but it is very similar to its Brassica cousin, broccoli. Kohlrabi is a versatile vegetable that is just as good roasted or pureed as it is raw and sliced thin with just touch of lemon juice, olive oil, salt and black pepper. Stop by the Heirloom Organics booth this week to get some of your very own.
Happy Girl Kitchen has been making their seasonally available Dry Farmed Ketchup for a few years now. One of their most popular items, Happy Girl’s ketchup is made with Early Girl tomatoes sourced from farms in the Santa Cruz area and sweetened with just a touch of honey. Be sure to get some while you can because perfectly delicious addition to your condiment collection is in high demand and before you know it will be gone for the season.
The elusive white pomegranate is available now at the K & J Orchards stand on Tuesday and Saturdays. Pomegranate seeds are great mixed in with yogurt and cereal and also work well in salads or sprinkled over sautéed greens for a hint of sweetness. With a shorter season than its deep red counterpart this white variety features seeds that are light pink and are perfectly sweet with just a hint of tartness. I recommend getting to the market early in the morning because the white pomegranate is known to sell out quick.
I love bitter greens, especially when accompanied by a rich salty cheese, so I was excited to learn that this week at Pizza Politana’s Thursday market stand the special market pizza will feature Star Route Farms escarole, Calabrian chilies, black olives and feta cheese. Cooked to perfection in a portable wood-fired oven Pizza Politana is also offering a breakfast pizza complete with an over-easy egg and smoky bacon from 10 am to noon. Market specials for Pizza Politana and all the other fantastic Thursday food vendors is updated each Wednesday afternoon on the CUESA Thursday Farmers market specials page, in case you want to drool over the options before you get there.
