Downtown Sacramento's Weekly Farmer's Market

It's just so hard to cut down my really long shopping list knowing that this Wednesday is the last day of the farmer's market for 2013. I'm not one to pickle and jar the summer and fall produce, which is what I see most people doing. They're making tomato sauces to freeze and use all winter through while I'm sauntering buying produce for the next week, knowing I'll replenish the stock one way or another either from the Co-op or Trader Joe's, or even the Grocery Outlet that's a few streets away. I'm still operating on the Indian mindset of a perennial market and settling for refrigerated, out-of-season tomatoes and strawberries. Doesn't stop me from stewing inside at the sight of blog posts reporting on home-made sauces and end-of-season bottling and pickling, just imagining the true fall harvest ensconced in those delectable sauces and preserves.

Returning to the shopping list, I keep reminding myself that there's always next year and the perennially fresh produce at the Co-op, to which the same farmers supply. I was telling one stall owner how much I'll miss her weekly selection of fresh picked cremini and button mushrooms and she did say that I can continue to get her farm's produce at the Co-op and Grocery Outlet which was a comforting thought. At the same time, I couldn't help thinking how much I will miss the festive atmosphere of the market itself.

I will miss my friends, the mostly reserved but also friendly farming folk and their great produce stalls. The food carts arrayed like gypsy caravans in a circle sit in the very middle of the park, their bright colors adding to the market attractions and festivities. Open barbeques are set up at the time the market opens: meats start to sizzle over hot red coals, attracting the smaller, mid-morning crowds of seniors and coffee shop patrons. In just an hour or two, the lunch crowds assemble in great numbers, standing in long snake queues in front of the food carts. From the lunch hour until 2 pm, business is brisk, discounts are given and gratefully accepted and slowly but surely most of the produce, especially the strawberries disappear from the stalls.

Throughout summer, I either made it to the market during the lunch hour or at the very end when stalls would start to fold up and food trucks would call it a day. During one cool fall morning, I was early. I had to attend a Capitol garden and trees tour scheduled at 12 pm and hence, walked to the market early just about at the time that stalls were setting up for the morning. I sat on a bench, sipping my decaf latte, slowly observing the proceedings from under the shade of a tree. A few ladies were walking around the market, making small talk and inspecting the fruit or vegetable they were hoping to buy. The farmers were chatting amongst themselves, exchanging news and gossip. Soft laughter rang out from jokes shared between friends. It was soothing to just sit and listen to these sounds, whether or not I followed the jokes or was even noticed did not matter. Once I had finished my coffee, I walked slowly trying to cover every stall in the market. I contemplated whether I wanted a gyro early this morning and regretfully decided against it. However, I bought pea greens, zucchini, pomegranates of a startling red color, red-green grapes, white button mushrooms. I wondered about all the possibilities of these vegetables. And I slowly made my way out of the park, not looking back but feeling happy to have had this day to really enjoy the market and appreciate its simple magic.