This Saturday, February 2nd, marks the seasonal return of the Market to Table programs in the CUESA Classroom at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. Every Saturday local chefs will demonstrate easy and fun recipes featuring their favorite picks from the market’s bounty. Each free Saturday program includes samples of the featured dish, recipes to take home, and a chance to ask the chefs for cooking tips. It’s a great way to get inspiration for simple, seasonal, and delicious farmers market meals you can make in your own kitchen.

For our first demo of the season, we welcome Joanne Weir, a legendary local chef and owner of the newly opened Copita Tequileria y Comida in Sausalito. Joanne will be in the CUESA Classroom signing copies of her new book Cooking Confidence: Dinner Made Simple, a companion book to her PBS series of the same name. She will also demonstrate her recipe for Orecchiette with Cauliflower, Brown Butter and Fried Capers. Other chefs who will be taking the demo stage in February include Jason Berthold from RN74, Adam Dulye of Abbot’s Cellar and Carlo Espinas of Comstock Saloon.

Chef Joanne Weir with farmer Bill Crepps of Everything Under the Sun Farms

Since Joanne is all about making dinner simple, we asked her to help us create one of the two Chef Market Baskets that are available to order this February. The Chef Market Basket is a DIY kit featuring recipes, farm-fresh ingredients and tips for how to create an easy farmers market meal.

Joanne’s basket will include the fixings for a hearty and winter-appropriate Fennel Soup with Meyer Lemon Crème Fraiche and Fresh Spinach and Shaved Root Vegetable Salad. Chef Adam Timney of Starbelly Restaurant will provide the second Chef Market Basket option for February. His basket will include all the ingredients needed to make his recipe for Grilled Little Gem Lettuces with Market Oranges, Pistachio and Feta as well as Butter Bean Puree with Smoked Dried Tomatoes and Herb Sauce.

Our friends from Luke’s Local will be helping us pack up the baskets each week with ingredients sourced directly our farmers at the Tuesday market. Baskets are now available for pre-order and can be delivered or picked up at any of the Tuesday Ferry Plaza Farmers Markets during the month of February. With the return of our weekly cooking programs and the launch of our Chef Market Baskets, February is the perfect chance to start cooking like a pro with all your farmers market favorites.