Produce to the People: New Ideas for Local Distribution ~ Tuesday

There are now over 5,000 farmers markets in the U.S., yet still only a small percentage of Americans regularly eat fresh produce from local farms. Join CUESA and Kitchen Table Talks for a lively conversation about inspiring models for getting fresh, local food to more Bay Area residents. The panel will include: Grayson James, executive director of Petaluma Bounty; Melanie Cheng, founder of FarmsReach; and Christine Cherdboonmuang, Coordinator of the Oakland Farms-to-Schools Network and Oakland FRESH School Produce Markets — a project of the East Bay Asian Youth Center (EBAYC) and the Oakland Unified School District. The panel will be moderated by Michael Dimock, president of Roots of Change. The conversation will begin promptly at 6:30 pm and will culminate with refreshments and a reception from 8:00 to 8:30 pm. The event is free and open to the public. Learn more >

Tacolicious Challenges SF Chefs to Make Tacos ~ starts March 4

Tacolicious has asked some of the City's best chefs to create their version of a taco for the Tacolicious market stand, every week, for the next six weeks. The lineup:
3/4 - Chad Newton, Fish & Farm
3/11 - Craig Stoll, Delfina
3/18 - Alex Ong, Betelnut
3/25 - Mark Denham, the soon-to-open Bishop
4/1 - Liza Shaw, A16
4/8 - Robbie Lewis (formerly of Bacar and Jardinière).

As Tacolicious co-owner Sara Deseran writes on their blog: "While Joe [Hargrave] is thinking of it like 'Top Chef Masters' for tacos, I'm thinking of it more as something like Jean Paul Gaultier for Target…except with chefs and tacos." Either way, those are bound to be some good tacos.

Alemany Farm Apprenticeship in Ecological Horticulture

March 1st is the deadline for this 11-month course that takes participants through the seasons and covers key garden and orchard tasks that occur in each one. Apprentices will learn core principals of food production such as: soil fertility and composting, propagation and planting, seasonal tree care, water-wise irrigation, integrated pest management, and crop planning. The hands-on training — using the gardens and orchards at Alemany Farm — will cover several methods of sustainable horticulture. Apply here

Jill Richardson in Conversation with Bonnie Powell ~ March 10

Join the Society for Agriculture and Food Ecology (SAFE) for a conversation with Jill Richardson, author of Recipe for America and Bonnie Powell, cofounder, editor, and writer for the food-politics blog The Ethicurean . The dynamic conversation will run the gamut of food issues — from the Farm Bill, to community food projects and councils, food labeling, school lunches, food safety, and animal agriculture. Learn more >

Closing the Food Gap ~ March 11

Join Slow Food for a panel discussion focused on food access. Panelists will include: Martin Bourque of the Ecology Center, Annie Shattuck of Food First/The Oakland Food Policy Council, Bruce McKinney, Manager of the Free Meal Program at Glide, Nikki Henderson People's Grocery, Paul Ash of the SF Food Bank, Josh Viertel of the Slow Food USA. The event is at Glide Memorial Church and is free. Learn more or RSVP >

Graze the Roof Spring Beekeeping Workshops

Susan Prentice and Paul Koski of the San Francisco Beekeepers Association will co-facilitate two hands-on beekeeping workshops at Glide Memorial Church. Introduction to Beekeeping on March 13 and Introduction to Hive Management on April 17. Learn more >

Frog Hollow Blossom Festival ~ March 14

Frog Hollow Farm is celebrating spring with a blossom festival at their farm in Brentwood. Dr. Gordon Frankie from UC Berkeley will share his latest pollinator research and Alan Hawkins of A.W. Hawkins Apiaries will talk about bees. Admission includes lunch catered by Curt Clingman and Mary Jo Thoresen of Jojo. Learn more >

Attention Early Birds: Howard St. Parking Garage Now Opens Later

We're sad to announce that the popular 75 Howard Street parking garage now opens at 8:30 am, rather than 7:00 am.

Saturday, February 27 ~ Market to Table

11:00 am - Seasonal cooking demonstration
Alessandro Cartumini of Quattro Bar and Restaurant at the Four Seasons Silicon Valley

Tuesday, March 2 ~ Food Wise Booth

12:30 - 1:00 pm - Sarah Henkin, CUESA's market chef, will give out recipe cards and samples of a simple meal made with market ingredients. She'll also be on hand to offer advice for all your seasonal meal planning.

Saturday, March 6 ~ Market to Table

11:00 am - Seasonal cooking demonstration
Joe Hargrave, Tacolicious

All programs take place in CUESA's Dacor teaching kitchen, in front of the Ferry Building on the north side.

Nothing chases away the late-February doldrums like a fantastic, and warming, bowl of soup. This month, CUESA invited our market sellers to share a soup recipe that uses their products. We got almost 30 recipes! These are a few of our favorites, (more will appear in the e-letter/website in the coming months.)

Hungarian Mushroom Soup from Far West Fungi

Swiss Chard and Bean Soup from Loredana Borsoni, Iacopi Farms

Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon and Leek Yogurt Cheese from Kristina de Korsak, St. Benoit Yogurt

Spinach Meatball Market Minestrone (aka “ski” soup) from Steve McCarthy, Prather Ranch Meat Company

Vegan Roasted Garlic and Almond Soup from Robert Murphy Chapell, Capay Canyon Ranch.

Bollito di Puntarelle from Blossom Bluff Orchards

Hot Borscht from Happy Girl Kitchen

Chunky Pork Chop and Leafy Green Soup from Chue Yee Moua, Chue’s Farm.

This is the most up-to-date information about which sellers will be attending the market as of Friday. If there are no changes to a seller's status, they will not be listed. You'll find a list of which farmers regularly attend each market here. Please understand that there are often last-minute changes—it's the nature of farming!

Saturday, February 27

Returning: Ridgecut Gristmills
Out: Hare Hollow, June Taylor Company
Last market for the season: Olsen Organic Farm

Tuesday, March 2

Out: Alive! Restaurant

Thursday, March 4

Returning: Achadinha Cheese Company, Zuckerman's Farm

Returning and plentiful this month (weather willing):
Blood oranges, root vegetables, cipollini onions, chicories, cauliflower, lettuces, broccoli, fennel, plant starts, cabbages, nettles, pea sprouts, green garlic, grapefruit, collard greens, cherimoyas, tulips, flowering branches, torpedo onions, spinach, Meyer lemons, radishes, Brussels sprouts, avocados, asparagus, chard

Winding down/limited supply:
Some citrus varieties, sunchokes, pastured eggs, potatoes, winter squash, apples, and pears

Vendor and value-added items not to be missed:
Southern cornbread mix from Ridgecut Gristmill, citrus salt from Eatwell Farm, tulips from Thomas Farm

Featured recipes for February

Roasted Root Vegetable Soup from CUESA's market chef, Sarah Henkin

Shaved Fennel & Orange Salad from Lulu Yang, Lulu's Kitchen

Leek and Rapini Fritters from Angelo Garro with Nikki Silva & Davia Nelson, The Kitchen Sisters, authors of Hidden Kitchens.