French Farmer's Markets vs. Ferry Plaza

Sometimes I find myself still thinking I'm an SF resident. I read all the SF blogs, articles about new museum exhibits and restaurant openings, and Daily Candy newsletters. And I daydream about the Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market. Not the green hills of Marin, looking back at that white cityscape and red span of bridge, or a sunny day at Dolores Park or sitting in a North Beach cafe, but about the endless samples at the farmer's market. The weirder sounding the better. (Pluots? Gotta love them. But hadn't heard of them before starting my Saturday morning ritual).

So now it's been a few years since those sun-kissed days by the bay, and I still daydream about the cheeses from Cowgirl Creamery, Frog Hollow preserves, those tasty burritos, and thick, delicious Greek yogurt. Mmmmm.



To my delight, I've been discovering that the great nation of France, agriculturally-minded as it is, has some exquisite produce markets. They may not be a fancy foodie's mecca, like Ferry Plaza, but they aren't too shabby. There's a weekend market in almost every town, with beautiful displays of fruits, veggies, and of course the best fromage and saucisson in the world. The season is all about strawberries right now, and though the little fruit in our garden are rotting and gross, the market's got full baskets of perfect red berries.



My only complaint about these charming French markets? They skimp on the samples!