Sneak peek: This year's Sunday Supper Reception

• Mini polenta cakes with goat chile verde and pumpkin seed pesto
• Marinated anchovy, white bean puree, arugula, egg and pork charcuterie with accompaniments
• Sliced duck ham on rye toast with a honey fig and single malt scotch compote
• Cucumber and heirloom melon soup with crème fraîche
• Muscat grapes stuffed with chèvre and roasted almonds

The above are just a small sampling of the 23 delicious bite-sized hors d'oeuvres that chefs from around the city will serve at CUESA's Sunday Supper reception. Guests will graze, nibble and taste their way through the ground floor of the Ferry Building while enjoying cocktails and an array of locally produced beer and wine. All proceeds will go toward CUESA's work to support a local, sustainable food system.
See this year's entire appetizer menu here >
Buy tickets for the reception ($60) or reception + supper ($200) >

Urban Farming Tour ~ Friday, September 12

Join CUESA for a tour of two urban farms: Happy Quail Farms in East Palo Alto and Alemany Farm in San Francisco. Farmer David Winsberg will take us on a tour of his greenhouse and shade houses, where he grows 30 different pepper varieties, and treat us to a tasting of Happy Quail peppers. Next we’ll head to Alemany Farm, the largest farm in the city and a source of both organic food and jobs for the residents of a nearby public housing development. Get more information or buy tickets here >

Three Wise Farmers Tour ~ Sunday, September 28

This all-day farm tour will highlight the adaptations and innovations of three organic farmers: Greg Massa and Raquel Krach of Massa Organics and Carl Rosato of Woodleaf Farm. At Massa we'll see rice growing in the field and, if we're lucky, a harvest in progress. At Woodleaf, we'll hear about Rosato's choice to plant vegetables after losing a year's worth of stone fruit in a freeze. Come learn from three wise farmers! Get more information or buy tickets here >

Waste Wise tip of the week #15

The green plastic baskets that hold things like strawberries, figs and cherry tomatoes are easy to wash, collect and bring back to your favorite farm stand.

Waste Wise volunteers are needed every Tuesday and Saturday at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. E-mail ashleigh@cuesa.org for details.

Saturday, August 30 ~ Market to Table

10:30 am - Meet the farmer
Jim Cochran, Swanton Berry Farm, interviewed by CUESA volunteer Earl Shaddix.

11:00 am - Seasonal cooking demonstration and book signing
Jennifer Carden, author of Toddler Café: Fast, Healthy, and Fun Ways to Feed Even the Pickiest Eater

11:45 am - Seasonal cooking demonstration
David Gingrass, TWO

Slow Food Education Extras

In honor of Slow Food Nation, CUESA is stepping up its education programs for one week only. See descriptions below and stop by the Education Booth in the south driveway to take part.

8:00 am - 1:00 pm (every hour, on the hour) - CUESA's Executive Director, Dave Stockdale, will give free 15-minute introductions about the history, mission, operations and programs of the market. Maps and Slow Food Ark of Taste Product directories provided.

8:00 am - 2:00 pm Education booth: Where does your food dollar go?

9:00 am - 2:00 pm - Desmond Jolly, co-author of California’s New Green Revolution: Pioneers in Sustainable Agriculture, will be signing and selling copies of the book.

Tuesday, September 2 ~ Easy Market Meals

12:00, 12:30 and 1:00 pm - Seasonal cooking demonstrations
Shanti Wilson, local chef and former CUESA Market chef, will present a trio of easy meals to prepare for children of different ages using ingredients from the market.

Saturday, September 6 ~ Market to Table

10:30 am - Farmhouse Cooks
Christina Kelso and Robert Lower of Flying Disc Ranch will demonstrate recipes that highlight the dates they grow.

11:00 am - Seasonal cooking demonstration
Sascha Weiss, Lettus Café Organic

11:45 am - Cooking demonstration and book signing
Diane Morgan, author of Grill Every Day: 25 Fast-Track Recipes for Weeknights at the Grill

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

This week's feature was written by Rachel Cole, who just completed her term as CUESA's summer intern.

Shopping at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market isn’t tricky, but it is an art worth perfecting. Here are a few tried and true tips that will make even the most savvy shopper’s next visit to the market richer, easier and more fun.

BYOB. Whether your aim is to be eco-friendly or fashionable, packing a reusable bag or basket is a great way to cart all your treats home. Instead of reaching for the plastic bags provided at most stands, bring cloth produce bags or a stash of plastic grocery bags from home.

Handle With Care. Have you ever returned from a trip to the market with bruised, squished, and pummeled fruit? This can be particularly tricky when it comes to perfectly ripe Hachiya persimmons, soft figs, or delicate heads of lettuce. Try placing your fragile fruit in recycled plastic containers lined with a dishtowel for extra cushioning (one-quart yogurt containers work well!).

Bills, Bills, Bills. With a little planning, transactions at the market can go smoothly. First, come with enough cash, so you can avoid the long lines at the ATMs inside. Second, bring small bills. Many of the vendors need to make change quickly, so leave the Benjamins at home. Lastly, don’t hold up the line; keep those dollars where they’re easy to access.

Ditch the Shopping List. The best visits to the market begin with an open mind. Instead of making a list, let the produce that tastes best, looks the freshest, and whispers "eat me" shape your meal planning. You might even want to challenge yourself to throw your recipes out the window in favor of cooking up a spontaneous meal with whatever calls to you.

Cosmetically Challenged. Some fruit farmers sell what are known as "seconds" at a significantly reduced price. These fruit usually have a few bruises or maybe a bug bite or two, but are perfect for baking into pies, making jams, and even putting in fruit salad if you cut off the ugly parts. If you don’t see seconds displayed, they may just be out of sight.

There Are No Dumb Questions. In addition to being farmers, jam-makers, and bakers, the producers who sell at the market are also incredible resources. Whether you want to know the best way to cook beans, the differences between the Artic Rose and Artic Queen nectarine, or what biodynamic means, just ask!

Super Taster. Sampling is helpful in a market with a sometimes overwhelming abundance of produce varieties. That said, savvy shoppers understand that―when they’re available―samples are generously provided by the producers, and not a substitute for lunch. Finally, even if one taste has double the flavor of what you’ll find elsewhere, please don’t double-dip.

Compare and Contrast. It can be hard to resist filling your market bag with the first goodies you find. However, a teensy bit of self-control and a stroll through the entire market before you start your buying will often lead you to the best produce and the best prices.

Report Back. The farmers and artisans take great pride in what they sell, but rarely get to hear what becomes of their products once they get toted off to your kitchen. If you have great fortune (or failure) with your purchases, come back and share your experience with the farmer; chances are good that they’ll want to hear about it.

Do you have your own Insider’s Tip to suggest? Send it our way. Maybe we’ll publish it in an upcoming e-letter.

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, August 30

In/returning: Alive Restaurant, G&S Corn, La Cocina
Out: Bernard Ranches, Core Elations

Tuesday, September 2

In: Redwood Hill Farm

Returning and plentiful this month (weather willing): Asian pears, dates, apples, summer squash and early winter squash varieties, French prunes, artichokes, pomegranates, carrots in many colors, frisee, brown rice, Valencia oranges, radishes, basil, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, Brussels sprouts, grapes, romanesco, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, wheat, persimmons, corn, onions, lettuces, okra, grass-fed beef, tomatoes, melons, ornamental millet, potatoes, beans (wax, shelling and Romano), jujubes, jicama, radicchio, sweet potatoes, plums

Winding down/limited supply: Paw paws, prickly pears, peas, nectarines, peaches, pluots, fresh garbanzo beans, figs

Farms that may be returning in this month (weather willing): Flying Disc Ranch, Woodleaf Farms (please note that due to extreme weather last Spring they don't have stone fruit to sell this year but will bring us some of their wonderful vegetables).

Seasonal vendor items not to be missed: Tofu jerky from Hodo Soy, Sikil P’ak from Primavera, Bread and Butter pickles from Happy Girl Kitchen, Bella Donovan coffee beans from Blue Bottle Coffee

Featured Recipes for September:

Sharlyn Melon with Boccalone Lardo and Torn Basils
from Chris Consentino of Incanto and Boccalone

Miriam’s Butternut Squash and Pear Soup
from What San Francisco Families Eat!: Favorite Family Recipes from Presidio Hill School in San Francisco

Ear-Shaped Pasta with Broccoli Rabe & Sausage
from Janet Fletcher, San Francisco Chronicle

Sweet Couscous with Fresh Pomegranates
from cookbook author Paula Wolfert