San Francisco street food and farmers' markets

By now, you probably know that I've always had a soft spot for farmers' markets that boast fresh, delicious and organic produce, as well as simple and vibrant dishes that celebrate ingredients themselves.  Well now, I've developed an additional obsession - street food.  

Across the country, the concept of street food has been rapidly evolving and expanding so it does not just refer to late-night taco trucks anymore.  In an eclectic and fast-paced city such as San Francisco, the street food craze has taken off.  Before I get into that any more, however, I wanted to share a couple photos of the vibrant produce I recently encountered at the Noe valley farmers' market.

And now, back to my newfound love of street food...

Over the past several months, I've spent countless hours researching food carts across the country in preparation for the San Francisco Street Food Festival that took place earlier this month; however, I waited until then to experience food truck fare for myself.  Here are two delicacies that I enjoyed the most out of a wide array of new cuisines and foods that I sampled.  

-courtesy of Pinx-

-courtesy of The Creme Brulee Cart-

After that eye-opening first encounter, my interest in street food skyrocketed. Thankfully, San Francisco is home to  off the grid, a "mobile food extravaganza" that showcases street food vendors on a daily basis.  I've had the privilege of attending this roaming collection of "gourmet" food trucks twice thus far, and plan on returning many more times.  More info and pictures coming soon!

Weekend discoveries

One thing I love about the city is being able to simply wake up and explore.  Whether it’s Noe Valley, the Ferry Building, or an entirely new location, I’m sure to discover something I’ve never seen before.  Here are just a couple shots of my recent excursions. 

Although any trip to the Ferry Building is met with wonderful sights, smells, and tastes, my favorite times to visit are Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings when the Farmer's Market is open.  Not only am I greeted by the wonderful goodies from shops within, I also have the opportunity to savor small tastes of juicy citrus and purchase fresh, organic and locally grown produce right outside in the fresh air. 

  

I love how something as stereotypically unpleasant as a MUNI station in San Francisco can wind up looking beautifully modern. 

Just an average weekday

      Tuesday morning began with a walk through Noe Valley.  I soon decided to trek across Dolores Park and grab a pastry from Tartine Bakery.  Here’s a taste of what I encountered.

After waiting in the long and anticipated line at Tartine, one pastry in particular caught my eye.  

It was a savory Gougère pastry filled with subtle Gruyère cheese, black pepper and one of my favorite herbs: thyme.  

Though mostly hollow within, its depth of flavor provided just the right amount of satisfaction and saltiness to start my day.

Sunday sightings

Yesterday morning, it being a strangely bright and sunny day, I decided it was time for me to make a visit to the Ferry Building.  Here are some of the delicious morsels I came across.  

Ah, the joy of eating a macaron from Miette pastry shop.  A little bundle of love, my Rose Geranium macaron was soft and chewy as I took the first bite.  Next on my list to try are their Grapefruit and Chocolate-Orange macarons along with a bundle of dainty Lavender Shortbread cookies. 

Next stop was Stonehouse Olive Oil.  I have always loved olive oil.  Especially when paired with herbs, sweet balsamic vinegar, salt, and a crusty piece of bread, I will, no doubt, gobble it up.  When the opportunity arose for me to taste various flavors of olive oil, I was delighted.  My favorites were the lightly flavored citrus varieties including Blood Orange,  Persian Lime and Lisbon Lemon.  

Here are just a few more delicious sights from the Ferry Building that I didn't indulge in, but wanted to.  

The Boccalone Salumeria, known for its “tasty salted pig parts”

Just a few of the beautiful mushrooms from Far West Fungi

 Hope you enjoyed this past weekend as much as I did...

Yummy hummus

First of all, who doesn’t love hummus?  It’s a simple comfort, rich and creamy; yet the subtle flavors have such depth. 

I came across Love and Hummus the other day as I began an online quest for local organizations involved in the cultivation, preparation and marketing of food.  One of these organizations, La Cocina, is San Francisco’s first incubator kitchen whose mission is to aid low-income food entrepreneurs in growing their businesses.

I soon discovered that Love and Hummus was one of these establishments and yearned to taste their product.  As I walked into Whole Foods the next day I caught a glimpse of their four flavors of hummus encapsulated in colorful and adorable packaging.  I knew then that I had to try some.  

So I finally decided to purchase the Roasted Lemon & Thyme Hummus.  Though on its own, it was quite lemony and tart, it tasted great with some fresh veggies {yellow bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, broccoli and carrots}, olive oil, and feta cheese.

Their other flavors include Classic Hummus, Spicy Harissa Hummus and Caramelized Garlic Hummus.  

Weekend discoveries

Saturday morning started off as one of those dreaded winter days in San Francisco: cold, foggy and constantly raining.  See for yourself.   

A view of Twin Peaks from my backyard

Rather than jumping up out of bed and walking to the Noe Valley Farmer's Market as I had planned, I decided to stay in for the morning and fix myself a delicious bowl of oatmeal.  

Final product: a bowl of oatmeal, blueberries, banana, walnuts, soy milk and maple syrup... oh and hot tea of course