Farmer's Market at Irvine Historical Park

This week I went to the FM located behind Katie Wheeler Library in Irvine, CA. I wasn't quite prepared with my weekly shopping list for my menu but we were all out of fruit. I decided to meet up with another stay-at-home mom and make a morning of it by going to the library, walking to the farmer's market, and then ending up with a short drive to Tustin Sports Park for lunch and play time.

There are several ways to access the market, you can park at the end of Old Myford Rd (small lot) and the market will be on your right when you exit or if you park at the library, walk to the entrance on the backside of the library building--a palm tree lined path curves towards two opened rod iron gates and opens up into the market.

The market is still fairly small with about 15 vendors. There are some familiar faces like Berumen Boyz Farm and others that I haven't commonly seen including Ray's Ranch of Temecula, Bolani Afghan food, and SMART Fish Co.

Since it wasn't very crowded, I was also able to spend time sampling hummus from BabaFoods, a frequent vendor at many FMs. A basket of cut pita bread in small bags with of 11 chilled squirt bottles of hummus were very inviting.  Some unique flavors included avocado and cilantro, fresh cilantro and jalapeno, and sundried tomato and basil. I actually hate hummus especially garlic hummus so I skipped the roasted garlic and garlic and artichoke for obvious reasons.

Now I started by asking, "Which hummus would someone like if they hated hummus?" The vendor looked alittle perplexed but gave me a try of pesto sundried tomato, it was good. Another "regular" of the FM recommended the roasted bell pepper, nope. Then I tried the avocado and cilantro.  Eureka! Now who would care if I found a hummus I liked or not? That's what I love about the farmer's market. Don't forget the pita bread and chips. Any 3 items for $10.

Nancy's Shopping Stroller-Cart
Here's what else I bought: Bing cherries, blueberries, plums, yellow nectarines, apricots, strawberries, avocados, red leaf lettuce, white corn, cilantro, cauliflower, and broccoli.  I know that's a lot of fruit, but I couldn't resist. 

Truthfully I hate vegetables aren't my favorite.  I grew up eating all things orange (Cheetos) and white (french fries) so I had no taste for real food.  Surprisedly, my 2 year old eats more vegetables and fruits now than what I ate my whole childhood. 

But the FM gently persuades me to "eat your vegetables" and now veggies share half my plate with my blessing.  Oh the wonders of FMs--an appreciation for real food. 

If you're a FM newbie or just need some real food, give the Irvine Historical Park (Katie Wheeler Library) Farmer's Market a try on Tuesdays from 9-1pm rain or shine. It's an easy way to ease into shopping without the crowds and you can ask all the questions you want.  

Want a peek at who's there? This list is based on my observations while chasing a two-year old hoarding strawberry samples, so it is not exhaustive.

Agricultural Vendors:

• Berumen Boyz Farm 
• Berumen Farm
• Orange County Produce Conventional & Organic Fruits & Vegetables
• Ricardo Salazar Produce
• Fruits (Bakersfield)
• Rosendahl Farms (Fresno)--aprium, pluots
• Hopkins Agriculture (Bakersfield)--Roasted/Seasoned almonds & rainier cherries
• Ray's Ranch of Temecula--Organic fruits, raw honey, bee pollen, free range eggs, goat's milk
• Roasted Peanuts (Santa Ana)--roasted peanuts, prepackaged nuts and dried fruits

Artisans & Purveyors

• Bolani East and West Foods Afghan Foods (Concord)--Bolani, sauces, hummus
• Mangi Con Amore (Irvine)--gelato, ravioli
• The Taste of Real Bread (San Clemente)--fresh bread packed in brown bags
• SMART Fish Co.--seafood
• Baba Foods (San Diego)--hummus, Mediterranean food
• Gourmet Tamales (Santa Ana)--Fresh prepackaged gluten-free tamales, chips, salsa
• Jumbo Tamales (Inglewood)--Cooked tamales

My Deal of the Day

2 free oranges and $1.00 huge red leaf lettuce