October 5, 2009 - Santa Monica Farmers' Market Report – Josie Restaurant 
by Nancy Cipes
 
In honor of dineLA week (Oct, 4-9 & Oct. 11-16) I spoke with Josie Le Balch of Josie Restaurant on Pico Blvd. in Santa Monica, to see what she’s buying at the market this week.
“We buy so much from the Santa Monica Farmers' Market,” says Josie, “it would be easier to tell you what we don’t buy!”  Almost all the farmers Josie frequents grow year round, and offer a different array of produce depending on the season.   “October is a totally schizophrenic month, ” she says. “Tenerelli still has late season peaches, Gloria’s corn and tomatoes are peaking, but at the same time the winter squash is in, and apples and pomegranates!”  Josie’s menu is a combination of traditional French and Mediterranean influence, but at the same time it’s contemporary and very local.  “Right now, we’re serving a salad of peaches with a drizzle of port wine reduction, a few leaves of wild arugula, some shaved parmesan and pickled onions.”
 

 
July 15, 2009 
By Nancy Cipes
 
Wednesday is just another day of the week for most of us, but at Suzanne Goin’s Tavern restaurant, Wednesday is Market day with a capital M.   Executive chef Julie Robles and sous chef Sara Woodward make the rounds among the farmers gathered for the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market, tasting and choosing the best produce as they go.  

 
June 17, 2009  by Nancy Cipes

The best thing at the Santa Monica Farmers' Market right now is definitely stone fruit, which is coming into the peak of season.  Stone fruit is anything with a hard, stone-like pit in the middle.  Peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, and their hybrids (pluots, plumcots and apriums) fall into this group.