Give to CUESA Before the Year Ends!

It's that time of year again. Time to look at our budgets and consider our priorities. If creating a more sustainable food system — for your neighborhood and our world — is important to you, please consider giving to CUESA. We rely on contributions from the community to continue our important work. And remember: we're a nonprofit, so all donations are tax deductible. Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to those of you who have already donated this year.

Michael Pollan at the Ferry Building ~ January 23

CUESA and Book Passage invite you to hear one of our nation’s most trusted names in food-related issues speak about his new book, Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual. This handy, pocket-sized resource is the perfect guide to mindful eating, drawing from a variety of ethnic and cultural traditions. Pollan is the author of In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto, The Omnivore’s Dilemma and The Botany of Desire. Tickets are $20 (includes a copy of the book). A portion of the proceeds will go to CUESA. Call Book Passage at (415) 927-0960, ext. 1, to reserve your spot. Learn more >

Marmalade Classes with June Taylor ~ January 16 and 31

Join June for an intimate, day-long, hands-on session focused on the principles and processes of marmalade making and the experiential nature of preserving fruit. Topics include: evaluation and selection of fruit; stages of preparation; making natural pectin from the fruit; and cooking and jarring marmalade. The class is limited to 12 students and includes a tasting and a jar of marmalade you'll make in class. Learn more >

Happy New Year from the CUESA staff! As 2009 ends, we're thankful for:

• The successful return of the Thursday market.
• The 127 farmers, artisans and vendors who fill the Ferry Plaza with beautiful and flavorful produce, meats, cheeses, and prepared foods all year round!
• The farm workers who do some of the hardest work — in summer heat and damp winter cold — to ensure there is food to sell.
• Our fantastic, hard working volunteers!
• Our dedicated customers who come to support their local food system even when it's cold and rainy.
• The thriving sustainable food movement — from the Ferry Plaza to the White House and beyond!
  

This is the most up-to-date information about which sellers will be attending the market as of Wednesday. 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!

Thursday, December 31

In: County Line Harvest, Achadinha Cheese Co., Tory Farms, Everything Under the Sun, G.L. Algiers Farms, Marshall's Farm Natural Honey, Dirty Girl Produce, Thomas Farm, Scream Sorbet, Blue Bottle Coffee, Hog Island Oyster Company, Cap'n Mike's Holy Smoke, Pizza Politana, Tacolicious, Namu
Out: 4505 Meats, Arlequin, Happy Girl Kitchen, Roli Roti, Lagier Ranches

Saturday, January 2

Out: Alive Restaurant, Core Elations, Downtown Bakery, Hare Hollow, Knoll Farms, Redwood Hill Farm, Star Route Farms, McGinnis Ranch
Out for Season: Bodega and Yerba Santa Goat Cheese, Happy Quail Farms, Shogun Seafood Company, Bella Viva Orchards, Juniper Ridge

Tuesday, January 5

In: Hodo Soy
Out: Alive Restaurant, Bella Viva Orchards

Returning and plentiful this month (weather willing):
Page mandarins, nettles, root vegetables, winter squash, persimmons, carrots, Meyer lemons, grapefruit, oranges, radishes, collard greens, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, rapini, limes, baby lettuces, cardoons, puntarella, radicchio, sweet potatoes, leeks, fennel, cabbage, kiwis, chicories, salsify, mushrooms, walnuts, clementines, cherimoyas, stone-ground wheat, dandelion greens, dried shelling beans

Winding down/limited supply:
Grapes, Dungeness crab, pomegranates, avocadoes, berries, pastured eggs, pears and apples (many varieties will still be available of both these fruits from cold storage throughout the winter)

Farms returning this month:
Brokaw Nursery

Vendor and value-added items not to be missed:
Bing cherry syrup from Lagier Ranches, prime rib roasts from Marin Sun Farms, horseradish from Happy Girl Kitchen

Featured recipes for December

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

Grilled Radicchio Salad with Pink Grapefruit, Pink Peppercorns and Garlic-Tarragon “Ranch” Dressing from Chef Eric Tucker of Millennium Restaurant (February 9, 2008)

Hearty Brown Rice, Butternut Squash, and Kale Soup from Sarah Henkin, CUESA's Market Chef (January 13, 2009)

Apple Cider Pie from the Smit Family of Hidden Star Orchards (November 22, 2008)