New Pop-Ups Bring Surprises to the Winter Farmers Market

Brie Mazurek, CUESA Staff
November 4, 2016

This winter, the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market has some surprises in store for you, as CUESA welcomes seven pop-up vendors to the Saturday lineup. With seasonal stands like Green Gulch Farm and Balakian Farms on hiatus for the winter months, CUESA can offer space for a handful of innovative fledgling food businesses to test their products at the market, just in time for the holidays.

Starting tomorrow, you’ll find five new pop-ups at the Ferry Plaza, with more to come in the weeks ahead. From Danish-style smørrebrød and Mumbai-inspired street food to authentic Korean kimchi and artisan cheesecakes, the diverse group of food entrepreneurs includes some fresh faces as well as a couple returning favorites.

The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market welcomes Crumble & Whisk, Heena’s Chaat Corner, Kantine SF, Salt Pt. Butchery and Provisions, Volcano Kimchi, Fifth Crow Farm, and Jamnation to the Saturday lineup this winter.

Crumble & Whisk (starts November 5; south driveway)

Many Ferry Plaza Farmers Market shoppers know baker Charles Farrier and his signature cheesecakes from his Saturday pop-ups through CUESA’s partnership with food business incubator La Cocina, as well as his appearance at the Tuesday farmers market earlier this year. This fall and winter, he’s back on Saturdays with impeccably made seasonal cheesecakes that will provide a delicious finishing touch to your holiday feasts, including cozy fall flavors like Harvest Pumpkin Spice, Apple Spice, and Pecan Crumble. His mini and full-size cheesecakes are crafted in small batches, using produce sourced from local farms.

Heena’s Chaat Corner (Rasoi) (starts November 5; south driveway)

Another participant in La Cocina’s incubator program, Heena Patel is a familiar face to the lunchtime crowd at the Tuesday Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, where she started serving Western Indian fare earlier this year. On Saturdays, she’ll be popping up under a different banner—Heena’s Chaat Corner—with a special menu that is, according to Heena, “influenced by my memories associated with Mumbai street food, and showcasing our farmers market fresh produce.” For your Saturday brunch or lunch, try her Egg Uttapum with Avocado, Cheesy Garlic Naan with Tikka Dip, Samosas with Chole, Pav Bhaji, Pani Puri, Bhel Puri, and Bhajias.

Kantine SF (starts November 5; south driveway)

Inspired by her years living in Copenhagen, former Nopa chef Nichole Accettola creates Scandinavian-style smørrebrød sandwiches from local and seasonal ingredients. As she prepares to open a brick-and-mortar, she’s been growing her following through brunch pop-ups at The Tradesman. Kantine SF’s open-faced sandwiches are served on moist, chewy, seed-filled, sprouted rye bread—a staple on the Danish table—that Nichole makes from scratch. “During the holidays, it is an integral part of many traditional Christmas meals,” says Nichole. “It’s a real labor of love, as it takes three days to make!” On Saturdays at the Ferry Plaza, you can try her smørrebrød with toppings like Roasted Winter Squash, Ricotta, and Dukkah; Liver Pate, Beet, and Mushrooms; and Sunflower Butter and Wildflower Honey.

Salt Pt. Butchery & Provisions (starts November 5; south driveway)

Launched in 2015, Salt Pt. started as a meat share developed by former 4505 Meats butcher Giovanni Betteo. He’ll be offering fresh cuts, seasonal sausages, and charcuterie items, with a focus on pasture-raised animals and zero-waste, nose-to-tail utilization. All products are made with meat from local and sustainable farms like Ferry Plaza mainstays Root Down Farm in Pescadero and Stemple Creek Ranch in Marin County. At Salt Pt.’s pop-up stand, look for specialty sausages including Holiday Turkey Sausage and Coffee Breakfast Bratwurst (made with Four Barrel Coffee); Smokey Bacon Jam; Duck, Rabbit, and Quail Rillettes; and other local gamey charcuterie items.

Volcano Kimchi (starts November 5; south driveway)

Kimchi lovers, rejoice! Inspired by her childhood memories growing up in Buddhist temples in South Korea, Aruna Lee offers vegan and organic kimchi handcrafted in San Francisco, with no sugar or fish sauce added. Her signature product is Napa Cabbage and Jicama Kimchi, and for the holidays, she’ll be selling seasonal kimchi gift packages with ferments like Super Spicy Habanero Persimmon Kimchi, Oyster Kimchi, and Jicama Kimchi Salsa, plus a limited supply of organically grown Korean chili powder produced by two Buddhist nuns who use the proceeds to support their temple. She’ll also offer packaged meals with items like bibimbap, kimchi pancakes, and kimchi rice rolls. 

Fifth Crow Farm (starts November 12; front plaza)

Graduates of the UCSC Farm & Garden program, John Vars, Mike Irving, and Teresa Kurtak founded Fifth Crow Farm on a shoestring budget in Pescadero in 2008. They pride themselves in values-driven farming based on economic viability, social justice, and ecologically sound practices. The young farmers will be offering a diverse array of certified organic leafy greens, root vegetables, dried beans, flowers, and more. Fifth Crow’s pop-up is sponsored through CUESA’s ongoing partnership with Kitchen Table Advisors. Together CUESA and Kitchen Table Advisors are supporting the next generation of sustainable small farms by offering critical market and promotion opportunities and in-depth business and financial advising.

Jamnation (starts November 19; front plaza)

Stanford-economics-major-turned-food-preservationist Gillian Reynolds creates bright, bold jams with a focus on sustainability, seasonality, and superior ingredients. Inspired by her travels to Brazil, London, Turkey, and beyond, she crafts complex flavors that evoke faraway places while using California-grown organic fruit and herbs (some from the Ferry Plaza), and fair trade sugar and spices. For the holidays, she’ll be offering jams like Midnight in Pearis (“luscious, chunky pear butter with warm spices”) and Razzle Bazzle (“brightness of fresh basil infused into the tangy sweetness of raspberries”), as well as customizable gift sets that feature three jars of jam, along with expert cheese pairing notes and recipes.

All pop-ups take place at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market on Saturdays in the winter months.

Photos courtesy of the respective businesses.

Topics: , ,