Yay! Yesterday was the first San Carlos Farmers’ Market of the year, so of course, the first market since I moved there. A surprisingly large (for sleepy SC) number of vendors of fresh produce and cooked foods assembled on Laurel Avenue between Olive and Cherry Sts. Strawberries and asparagus seemed to be the order of the day, although I also noted a number of booths selling gorgeous heads of lettuce and shelled peas. So Mom, Dad and I went a bit overboard and bought oodles of fresh vegetables: a big head of red butter lettuce, a tight bulb of fennel, sugar snap peas, gain lan, baby bok choy, spring onions and cucumbers. I suppose that as far as indulgences go, this is pretty innocuous. We have now solemnly promised ourselves to make a giant, meal-sized salad to properly utilize our purchases.

We also got a few things from prepared foods vendors, i. e. a trio of lovely rich, gluten-free (not that it matters to us) cakes from baker whose name escapes me (I will get it next time), and a tub of “sour kraut.”

This last purchase excited me the most, in spite of the fact that it springtime. Perhaps it has something to do with reading Eugenia Ginzburg’s Journey into the Whirlwind, an autobiography of one of the survivors of the great Stalinist purges. It came from a local San Carlos vendor, Dalex Co, so I suppose that if one is busy or unavailable on Thursday evenings, one can go to the storefront. At its farmers’ market booth, Dalex sells a number of their own homemade Eastern European delicacies such as borscht, piroshki and artichoke dip (delicious, but ?Eastern European?). I saw my mother eying the cabbage rolls with great interest. I suspect that they will be a future purchase.

Beyond a Dr.-Who-inspired affection for the company’s name, the products I tasted were all delicious, but I was particularly impressed by the sauerkraut. It was balanced, tangy and light tasting, with a satisfyingly toothsome texture. In fact, I am not exactly sure what to do with it, as it would be a shame to to cook it. Perhaps as a side salad to sausage or fish?

San Carlos Farmers’ Market
Thursdays, 5-8 pm (May-September)
On Laurel St., between Olive and Cherry
San Carlos, CA 94070