Echo Park Farmers’ Market finds

Last Friday, I posted a sneak peak of all the wonderful goods I picked up at the Echo Park Farmers’ Market, all delicious goodies which I cooked up over the long holiday weekend.

This little Farmers’ Market shopping trip was meant to explore some the vendors and find out how far away (or close) the food at the market was coming from. It also gave me an opportunity to meet with blogger Valentina of the newly published Eastside Food Bites as we explored the sights, smells and tastes of all this great, local food.

While unable to interview all the vendors at the market, I do have some recommendations based on this recent experience as well as from some raving reviews from other Echo Park residents:

John Sweredoski helps customers at the Farmers' Market

Sweredoski Farms: Located in Bell Gardens (more less, about 15 miles from Echo Park) has a lot of herbs, lettuce varieties, really fragrant tomatoes, and other produce. The man behind the counter shown above is John Sweredoski; he is very friendly and knowledgeable about the produce he has available, and is there every week. From there I purchased an enormous zucchini and saucer squash, squash blossoms, potatoes, dill, and lemon basil. Everything is fresh, organic, and delicious.

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Rivadeneira Farm potatoes

Rivadeneira Farms: Located in Fillmore, about 50 miles away, the farm has five acres for the free range chickens to roam – which must be why they call it the “The Happy Chicken Place” on the booth’s sign. Eggs are $1.75 for a half a dozen, $3.50 per dozen (which is what I purchased – my Saturday scrambled eggs were so light and fluffy). A whole chicken is $13.00, $7.00 for a half (they also sell breasts and quarters). They also have garlic, potatoes, and other pesticide-free veggies, and accept WIC and Senior Farmers’ Market checks.

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Photo by Dave Lieberman via OC Register

Soledad Goats: based in Lancaster (about 68 miles away), the goat farm creates a variety of goat cheese, such as raw unpasteurized, hand rolled, soft, and semi-firm goat cheeses. The cheeses range from $1/oz. for hard cheeses, $8-10 per jar for the hand-rolled, and $6 for soft cheese. Robert, behind the table, is very helpful, and will let you sample what you’re interested in.

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Valentina of Eastside Food Bites grabs some deliciously stinky cheese

More cheese: Lastly, Laurent Bonjoy’rs Cheese Corner is also there every weekend. The last time I went there, I got a delicious chunk of Humboltd Fog, and the rest of his offerings all equally mouth-watering.

The Echo Park Farmers’ Market takes place every Friday from 3-7:00 pm in parking lot #663 (half a block south of Sunset Blvd. off Logan Street). You might also find many of the same vendors at the Silver Lake Farmers’ Market every Saturday, and the Atwater Village Farmers’ Market every Sunday.