The first day of our Thursday lunchtime market was a huge success! Thanks to everyone who came down to taste, shop and enjoy the day. If you missed it, don't worry, we'll be here every Thursday with more delicious street food and the best peak-season produce. See more photos here.

Reduced July 4th hours

Wondering where you might get last- minute corn, ground beef and watermelon? The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market will be open tomorrow from 8 am to noon.

Declare your Food Independence

Local foods are patriotic, whether you’re buying them from producers in your area or growing your own. They’re good for local farmers, our economies, our health, and that of the planet. This July 4th, the folks who brought you the Eat the View campaign calling for a White House garden are asking elected officials not only to lead by example, but to eat by example by sourcing their holiday meals as locally, deliciously, and sustainably as possible. Declare your food independence here >

Beekeeping on the Urban Fringe ~ July 12

Slow Food Delta Diablo invites you to spend a day at Knoll Farms in Brentwood touring the farm, eating lunch and learning about honeybees and the important relationship between thoughtful farmers and mindful beekeepers. The event runs from 10 am to 3 pm. Buy tickets here >

Vote for the FPFM and jump start our farmer micro-grant program!

You now have two ways to vote for the Ferry Plaza as your favorite farmers' market. This one, sponsored by American Farmland Trust, and this one sponsored by Care2 and Local Harvest. The latter earns the winning market $5,000 and if CUESA wins we will use the funds to start a micro-grant program for farmers in our market looking to make their practices more sustainable. How's that for an incentive?

Graze the Roof urban gardening workshop ~ July 11

A hands-on workshop focused on building raised beds out of milk crates. These containers are not only elegant, but affordable and easy to make. The planters are also strategically designed to capture and reduce runoff and are great for rooftops, patios, and contaminated sites. Only $5. Learn more here>

 

Saturday, July 4 ~ No demos

Tuesday, July 7~ Food Wise Booth

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

Saturday, July 11 ~ Market to Table

11:00 am Seasonal Cooking demonstration
Pru Mendez, Tucos Wine Market and Café

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

It was a rare hot day at the farmers' market. Shoppers wore sun dresses and hats, Happy Girl's strawberry lemonade was selling like crazy, and the veggies called out to be scuttled directly home to the fridge. But some of us stuck around, groceries in tow, to watch four local chefs — Taylor Boetticher of Fatted Calf, Mark Sullivan of Spruce, Andrew Swallow of Mixt Greens, and Elizabeth Falkner of Orson — compete for this year's burger master title in CUESA's second annual Iron Chef Grill-Off.

The winner, Mark Sullivan, made two types of burgers. The first "appetizer-sized" burgers were made from Marin Sun Farms ground goat meat prepared with mint, garlic and harissa (and just a touch of pancetta). He wrapped the patties in fig leaves and caul fat before grilling, then topped them with Cypress Grove goat’s milk gouda and served them on a house made English muffin with fig chutney.

The second, entree-sized burger was made from Marin Sun Farms ground beef and served with pickled onions and zucchini, sliced tomato, romaine lettuce, and a side or remoulade. It sounds simple, but Sullivan had a trick up his sleeve.

The ground beef that he used is a new blend made from sirloin and short ribs. According to Judie Geise of Marin Sun Farms, Marin Sun "got the idea after reading about the burger blend craze sweeping NYC." Since no one was was selling a burger mix in the Bay Area, the farm put together several prototypes and sent out samples to a select group of chefs for a blind tasting. "Everyone loved the combination of sirloin and short rib," Geise says, adding that it "just seemed right for the economic climate — something more upscale than a regular burger but not as expensive as a steak."

Did we mention it was a very close race? Sullivan took the prize by a mere half point (Elizabeth Falkner was a close second). And while the crowd started off envying the four judges (who were each served four full-sized burgers over the course on an hour), most did not envy the incredibly difficult choice they had to make under pressure.

Elizabeth Falkner made the all-beef Orson burger and served it on a scallion brioche bun with foie mayonnaise, cobb relish, and house made steak sauce.

Andrew Swallow's burger was made from a mix of lamb and beef. He served it with Cambozola cheese, wild arugula and Kalamata olives.

Taylor Boetticher, who says he loves grilling so much he does it several times a week when it's warm out, made a Banh mi-style burger (based on the popular Vietnamese sandwich), with pickled vegetable toppings.

Getting fired up to grill some of your own burgers this weekend? Take a look at our grilling tips and go to it!

Photos from top: Taylor Boetticher of Fatted Calf, Mark Sullivan, of Spruce, Mark's winning burgers, and Elizabeth Falkner of Orson.

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, July 4

In/returning: Hunter Orchards
Out: Bernard Ranches, Critical Edge Knife Sharpening, Flatland Flower Farm, Flying Disc Ranch, Star Route Farms, Chue's Farm
Out for the Season: Candy Cot Fruit Company, Paoletti Farm

Tuesday, July 7

In/returning: Snyders Honey

Thursday, July 9

In/returning: 4505 Meats, Thomas Family Farm (new)

Returning and plentiful this month (weather willing):
Okra, figs, plums, field grown tomatoes, melons, dahlias, new potatoes, peanuts, shelling and romano beans, tomatillos, crabapples, grapes, summer squash, nectarines, peaches, pluots, radishes, basil, sunflowers, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, garlic, onions, lettuces, french and green beans, heirloom roses, corn

Winding down/limited supply:
Blueberries, hot house tomatoes, apricots, cherries, dates (new crop will come in early September), rhubarb

Value Added and Vendor items not to be missed:
Lunch from one of the 6 vendors at the Thursday market, apple wood smoked salt from Allstar Organics, peach preserves from Hunter Orchards

Farms/Vendors that may be returning this month (weather willing):
Woodleaf Farm, Payne Farms

Featured Recipes for June:

Simple and Delicious: Summer Pepper Salad from David Winsberg of Happy Quail Farms

Corn Soup from Roland Passot of La Folie

Pacific Halibut with Farmer’s Market Succotash and Yukon Gold Sauce from Anna Davis of Houston’s Restaurant

Cocktail ~ Basil Gimlet from Greg Lindgren of Rye