Today I went down to San Francisco, for a quick tourist-trap-visit, including a chance to visit 
the Ferry Plaza marketplace. I had recently read about it but not actually gone there. This place is packed with fabulous local food-makers. On Tuesdays they also have a Farmers Market when local farmers and ranchers show up with even more organic goodies.
the Ferry Plaza marketplace. I had recently read about it but not actually gone there. This place is packed with fabulous local food-makers. On Tuesdays they also have a Farmers Market when local farmers and ranchers show up with even more organic goodies. Inside, I particularly wanted to check out the Cowgirl Creamery's Artisan Cheese Shop. They sell their own cheeses, made with Straus milk, they also offer others' artisan cheeses. Lined up in the fridge display case I saw their own Red Hawk, Pierce Pt and Mt. Tam. In my fridge was already their Red Hawk, a brie-like but more stronger flavored, creamy and slightly orange-colored wonderful cheese, very nice. It won Best-In-Show at the American Cheese Society's Annual Conference in 2003. Before I forget, I just want to mention a few local artisan cheese-makers in the shop that I have either bought something from, or that keep appearing in stores that I want to track:
- Laura Chenel's Chevre
- Elk creamery
- Bellwether Farm
- Pug's Leap (hard to find)
- Cypress Grove Chevre
- Redwood Hill Farm
- Pt Reyes
- Vella Cheese Company
- Achadinha Dairy
...many fabulous California goat cheeses are nowadays available, thanks to Ms. Laura Chenel apparently.
Lunch was grabbed at one of the Ferry Plaza shops, San Francisco Fish Company, I picked a Crab Hamburger for $9.50. By the way, San Francisco Bay has a few hundred crab fishermen, but the local season only starts November 15 I'm told. In the fridge display they had local California Halibut in stock, $21.99/lb which is a favorite of mine. I like their message and emphasis on "wild caught" rather than farmed fish.
McEvoy Ranch located in west Petaluma, Sonoma County, also has a shop in the Plaza, I had already bought their organic olive oil, (a gorgeous package and bottle) and in the shop they offered 
their range of flavored California olive oils. The olive oil is peppery. I'm still on a hunt for greek olive varieties: black Kalamata for eating and Koroneiki olive-oil.
their range of flavored California olive oils. The olive oil is peppery. I'm still on a hunt for greek olive varieties: black Kalamata for eating and Koroneiki olive-oil.Lastly, Prather Ranch, out of Mt Shasta-area had a shop offering all kinds of organic beef, I sure hope I get a chance to buy some some day. They were also promoting organic no-nitrate hotdogs. How about that, $7 bucks for five upscale hotdogs...
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