The Santa Barbara Saturday Farmer's Market is the market I grew up attending. It's where I first fell in love with tender Medjool dates, crunchy pistachios, luscious avocados, gerber daises of every color and tiny, incredibly sweet, Gaviota strawberries. Join me as we stroll through aisles, overflowing with the abundance of Southern California produce.

This year-round Saturday Market, held in downtown Santa Barbara, is about as friendly, pleasant and delicious as a market can get. It's hard to believe that in early March, when so much of the country is bundled in their down jackets and double socks, I'm strolling these colorful stalls in flip flops, sampling slivers of cherimoyas and knocking back blueberries from my basket.

It's a always summer in Southern California, and the juicy fruits are a testament to the warm weather. When I lived there, I fantasized about seasons, now that I'm gone, I'm searching for a reason to bring me back to this produce Eden. It's a spectacular way to spend a Saturday morning, a must-do, if you are visiting this darling little town by the sea.

Shopping List of Market Specialties:

• Earthtrine Organic Farm is based in Ojai, and sells flavorful, not often-seen herbs such as chervil, ruby streaks, mizuna, horseradish, chamomile flowers, lovage and intense mustard-family plants. Mike, one of the purveyors, will make you smile with a joke as he hands back your changed.

• Santa Barbara Pistachios will make it impossible for you to buy the jewel-like nuts anywhere else. I'm a particular fan of the onion garlic flavor.

• Good Land Organics grows cherimoyas, the custard-like fruit with large black seeds, locally. These fruits are becoming more and more popular in Southern California, and I'm grateful to have found a perfectly ripe cherimoya to serve as an afternoon snack to my guests.

• Fair Hills Apple Farm manages to sell crisp, flavorful apples almost all year round at the Santa Barbara Farmer's Market. It's a real treat to visit their organic farm out in Paso Robles, Ca.

Have you visited this delightful market? What did you think of it?

• Visit the Market: Santa Barbara Farmer's Market

(Images: Leela Cyd Ross)

Santa Barbara Farmers' Market

http://www.sbfarmersmarket.org

Visit the store page

Comments (13)

My hometown market! One of the best in Southern California; five days a week all year long. Absolutely love it!

that dude is growing more than mizuna, I reckon.

I'm so jealous! The farmer's markets around here are pretty lame.

My old stomping ground, and now I am all crazy nostalgic feeling.
I moved away long before I would have been able to take advantage of such awesomeness--if it even existed that long ago!

just made me really regret not going home for spring break. I love portland's saturday farmer's market but its just not the same.

This is my favorite farmers market second to the one in Davis, CA. Where else can one mingle with the late Julia Child, noted chefs, and movie stars who just want to buy good things to eat too?

yay SB!! i grew up here and am still here!

Really great to see thekitchn profile my hometown. The downtown Farmer's Market is just one of a handful scattered throughout the city and Goleta. It's a real joy to visit them each week, even if just to browse.

I live just north of there in Arroyo Grande and we have so many fantastic farmer's markets. We are very lucky! This week's rain definitely put a damper on the strawberry crops (expect to see a $3 jump in the stores next week) but the growers I wait on at my restaurant still brought me in a flat to have for my birthday this weekend!

Okay, can't help myself - they are gerberA daisies. They were not invented by a baby food company. Gerbera. Not gerber.

Sorry, can't help it. My parents are florists and I'm a stickler for correct spelling and grammar.

Have to say though, here in NY where we just got hammered with another round of snow, looking at all that glorious produce makes me so jealous of you right now.

3.85 a pound for tomatoes?? Yeesh!

Living the life in SoCal....love it!

Love this farmers market! When my gramma lived there, we'd go all of the time! When I got married in SB in 2005, my best friends mother purchased the flowers for my wedding from the farmers market!