SF IS...

Part of making a life here  - I suppose it could be named settling into a routine  - has been a weekly Saturday morning trip to the Ferry Building Farmers Market.  We generally end up at the door to Slanted Door at 11 am- yes, country folk hours but no less part of a gang crowded there, waiting to get in - and, making our way past those in line to claim their ressies,  "settle" into the bar counter for lunch. 

 This Vietnamese restaurant  is one of the top, top spots for great food in this great food city and perhaps I should not broadcast it but lunch at the bar, albeit early in the day, is a doable thing.

With a couple exceptions- the various fresh veggie stand, the flowers, the tofu stand with silken tofo that I have only tasted in Japan, - our favorites turn out to have...ta da! ...websites.  and you can order, if you wish, and you should,on line.  This is good for us and, if you will trust me on this, great for you too. So here they are with their addresses.

First image - the source for a most wonderful brown rice.  With a pinch only of salt, another scant pinch of sugar, this rice is unlike any you know and..good for you.  Check out www.masaorganics.com

Segundi - Rancho Gordo beans.  Now it is not easy to say that these beans have changed my life so, well, just disregard that I managed to say that.  These beans are heirloom beans, that is to say rare and nearly lost variety of bean from around the world.  And that fact really doesnt matter so much to me as that they are fresh dried bean and there is a fantastic cookbook that is available that has guided me to some super dishes.  Ok, so I shall not go on about bean properties.  But, truly, these beans are so good, the recipes are so good and, well, ok, it is up to you to follow through.  A cool site to check out too.

www.ranchogordo.com

Finally, the stand of G.L Alfieri.

Well, here is where the TOFFEE begins.  It is so good.  Just a bite here and there, yes? Or ...a good bit more when you cant help yourself.  They give out samples infront of the stall and that is the end of will, mine anyway.

But also this is  the source of super, super almond butter.  and it is fresh. That is to say it has not been sitting on the grocery shelf a long time.  The clue at the grocery is the layer of oil on top, lots of oil, lots of age.  It has been a great treat to buy, as needed, this not your grocery shelf almond butter. 

 Only if you know about it and now you do, you can also order apricot pie filling - a taste of summer whole fruit - in the winter.

www.alfierfarms.com