VOLUNTEER  •  BLOG   •  MARKETS  •  EVENTS  •  DONATE

GROW

Saving Heirloom Tomato Seeds

Every heirloom tomato you buy at the SFC Farmers' Market comes with a fairy-tale prize inside: generation after generation of tomato plants, neatly packed away within each one! Heirloom tomatoes are treasured for their flavor and variety, and, like the keys to a kingdom, their seeds are shared and passed down from grower to grower like the priceless inheritance they are. With just a little effort and knowledge, you'll be starting your own tomato dynasty soon enough. Read on for the basics of what you need to know to start saving seeds right now! (hint: now is the time--once tomatoes go out of season, you'll have to wait another year)

Read More » »

SHARE

What's So Special About Heirloom Tomatoes?

What's so special about heirloom tomatoes? In a world where flavor and color are sacrificed for uniform, homogenous tomatoes bred for their ability to withstand the rigors of long-distance shipping, locally-grown, proudly diverse, and shockingly flavorful tomatoes are a precious rarity. And they're worth the wait. We are willing to forgo fresh tomatoes (often sad, forgettable rounds of pale pink on a sandwich or in a salad) all year for the pleasures of a sun-ripened, carefully-tended real tomato, either tart or a little sweet, dripping with juice and full of character and complexity. Farmers have their favorite varieties, and they'll tell you all about them. Here's a list of some of our favorites we've spied recently at SFC Farmers' Markets--now is the time to visit, try them all, and choose your favorites!

Read More »»

PREPARE

Eat All You Can and Preserve the Rest

The incredible abundance of summer produce brings with it just a wee bit of anxiety. We know all this ripe, juicy flavor is only around for a limited time, so how do we make the most of it? Certainly with recipes like this simplest of pastas--a true celebration of pure, powerful tomato flavor, accented with not much more than basil, garlic, and fruity olive oil. But what to do with what's left--the pounds of tomatoes getting riper by the moment, with more than we can eat getting red on the vine by the day? In November, all this will be a distant memory, and we'll wonder why we didn't appreciate it more while we could. Not to fret--we have the answer! Eat all you can, and relax: preserving the best of the season is easier than you might imagine.

Read More and Get the Recipe »»

SFC AND COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS

Come grow with us!
Exciting career opportunities at SFC: Community Outreach Coordinator and Grow Local Education Coordinator. Click here for more info »


Love local food and community and want to spread the word about it?
We have new internship opportunities! Check out our positions for farmers' market marketing intern and public relations and media intern here »


Eat gelato with Teo in Italy!
To celebrate the honor of being named one of the top gelato makers in the world in the Gelato World Tour in May, Tèo is offering one lucky gelato lover a plane ticket to Italy as part of the sweepstakes taking place July 1st through August 4th. Find all the details here »


Buy Confituras and support our friends at Urban Roots!
Part of the proceeds of the Confituras Plum Orange Blossom Preserves (made with plums from the Urban Roots Farm) go straight back to the organization to support their mission of creating opportunities for at-risk youth and increasing food access for our community.


Seasonal Summer Sangria with the Bonneville
SFC Friends of Food enjoyed seasonal farmers’ market-inspired sangrias at The Bonneville recently--get the recipes here. If you’re interested in connecting with fellow local food-lovers, we’d love you to join our group. Get connected here »


Gaining New Skills in the Kitchen
Home cooks in The Happy Kitchen classes take home new skills to last a lifetime! Read all about what’s cooking for two recent participants here »


Precious Resource: Water Conservation Class
In SFC’s Teaching Garden, we learned skills for preserving precious local water resources while growing food. Check out pictures and a class recap here »


Market to Menu: The Peached Tortilla
The Peached Tortilla shared bites and a recipe at SFC Farmers’ Market at The Triangle last week—click here for pictures and the recipe for Vietnamese Steak with Grilled Peach Salad »


Cooking with Concha!
Join vendor, fishmonger, and salsa diva Yvonne at SFC Farmers’ Market at Sunset Valley this Saturday to taste and get the recipes for Vagan Calabacitas, Watermelon Salad, and Snapper with Salsa Verde.


Taste the Place!
This Saturday, we’ll be offering up samples of Fresh Tomato Salsa Crudo with Zucchini “Noodles” at both Downtown and Sunset Valley markets—stop by for a taste!