Springtime is our favorite time of year at the Berkeley Farmers Market - or should we say fava-rite? 

Of all of the spring veggies that we've been patiently waiting for all winter, fava beans are what have caught our attention this week. If you’re not familiar with them, they are a large, flat bean with a super creamy texture when cooked. They are a tad nutty and slightly sweet in flavor, but overall quite mild and easy to incorporate into dishes.

Preparation: An important note: fava beans take a little work enjoy so find somewhere pleasant to sit while shelling the beans and invite good company to help. Once shelled, it's time to remove the beans' outer skin. You can do so by boiling water, submerging them for a minute, draining, and then rinsing under cold water. This makes it easy to pinch them loose with your thumb and forefinger.

Easy Eating: Favas pair especially well with fresh herbs, cheese, and lemon. Pick up your pasta of choice from Phoenix Pastificio and a bottle of Good Faith olive oil for an Herbed Fava Bean Pasta that is 100% sourced from the farmers market. If you're looking for tasty, seasonal side dishes, try a Fresh Fava Bean and Parmesan Salad or Rice Salad with Fava Beans and Pistachios. Roasting them is an easy way for
If you’ve brought home a bag of favas without realizing what you’d gotten yourself into, don’t worry - you can roast them and eat them like edamame. Simply slather them with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast them for about 25 minutes at 450ºF. A squeeze of lemon adds a nice touch, too.

Storage Tip: Place whole pods in an airtight container for maximum freshness.
Fava Bean & Artichoke Dip

Perfect for dunking your Bolani flatbread. Adapted from "The Vegetarian Middle Eastern Cookbook"
Serves 4.
Ingredients
  • 1 3/4 lb fresh fava beans
  • 3 1/2 oz chargrilled artichoke hearts (from a jar or deli)
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • salt & pepper

Instructions
  • Place the fava beans in saucepan and cover with boiling water. Return to a simmer, cover and cook for around 3 minutes, or until tender.
  • Submerge the beans into cold water before rinsing and removing the outer layer of skin.
  • Place all the ingredients into a food processor and process until desired consistency is achieved. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with flatbread.
This Week's Vendors
Saturday Downtown Berkeley

All Things Sharp
Brokaw Ranch
Avalos Farm
Kaki Farm
Good Faith Farm
Golden Rule Organics
Lifefood Gardens
Flying Disc Ranch
Achadinha Cheese Co.
Little Fish
Kashiwase Farm
Stepladder Creamery
Happy Boy Farms
True Grass Farm
Solano Mushroom
Riverdog Farm
Smit Farms
Gattonelli
Frog Hollow Farm
Higher Land Coffee
Tony's Kettle Corn + Crepes
Andy's Thai
Tamales La Oaxaqueña 
Cafe Zambala
Beber Almond Milk
Big Little Bowl
Your Granola Garden 
Laguna Garden Bakery
Morell's Bread
Obour Hummus
Phoenix Pastificio
Bolani
Coracao
Primavera Tamales
Bun Bao
Wild West Ferments
Sika Ethiopian Specialties
Tuesday South Berkeley

Kaki Farms
Massa Organics
Oya Organics
Brokaw Ranch
Lifefood Gardens
Avalos Farm
Full Belly Farm
Flying Disc Ranch
Good Faith Farm
Solano Mushroom
Dirty Girl Produce
Kashiwase Farm
Stepladder Creamery
Riverdog Farm
Smit Farms
Frog Hollow Farm
Little Fish Co.
Queen of Sheeba Honey
Phoenix Pastificio
Base Camp Bakery
Bolani
The Fruit Tree
Tamales La Oaxaqueña (every other week)
Sika Ethiopian Specialties
(every other week)
Andy's Thai
Donna's Tamales
Thursday North Berkeley

All Things Sharp
Pomo Terra Orchard
Little Fish
Happy Boy Farms
Green Thumb Organics
Massa Organics
Chinchiolo Family Farms
Golden Rule Organics
E&H Mushroom Farm
Riverdog Farm
Frog Hollow Farm
Phoenix Pastificio
Big Little Bowl
Donna's Tamales
All Things Sharp
Morell's Bread
Upland Apiary
Crane Creek Growers NEW!
Sika Ethiopian Specialties NEW!
Good Faith Farm NEW!
There'll Be Construction in Downtown Berkeley this Saturday - But We're Still Open!
We are so excited that the Milvia St. Bike Boulevard is nearly complete. On Saturday March 26th, the City will applying the final surface, so you may see crews and equipment. Milvia will be closed to car traffic but open to bikes and pedestrians. Martin Luther King will have some traffic restrictions as well.
Market is fully open and full of great spring produce. Bike parking, EV charging, and ample disabled person parking are available at the Civic Center Parking Lot across the street from the market, accessible from Shattuck and Addison. It is also cheaper than on street parking.

How ever you get there, the Berkeley Farmers Markets are a great way to offer direct and meaningful support to our California family farming community while getting the freshest produce and best artisanal foods. We hope to see you this Saturday!
Seed Saving: Preserving Today’s Seeds for Tomorrow
Thursday April 7, 2022; 6-7:15pm
Online Event
Whether you want to join the seed sovereignty movement or you’d just like to save a few bucks on seeds each year, seed saving is an important skill for gardeners of every level.

Come learn how to save seeds with us for free! On Thursday, April 7, Ecology Center is hosting Bay-Friendly qualified landscape professional, Lori Caldwell, to share with you what you need to know about seed saving!
New Vendors at the North Berkeley Farmers Market
The North Berkeley Farmers Market is excited to kick off spring with a few new faces. Beginning yesterday, we hosted:

  • Crane Creek Growers: This family- owned flower farm from Sonoma county will be joining us with organic cut flowers each Thursday. They will have organic ranunculus, daffodils, and tulips, throughout the spring, with more to come this summer!

  • Sika Ethiopian Specialties: Visiting the North Berkeley Farmers Market during her college years inspired Fasika to begin her own pop-up business centered around fresh, local ingredients. Stop by for dinner or just a cup of freshly roasted coffee. Sika sells at our Saturday and Tuesday markets as well.

  • Good Faith Farm: A 90 acre orchard in Flournoy, CA, Good Faith blesses us with their selection of organic olives and olive oils. You can find them every other week at our Thursdays and Tuesday markets.
Masks Strongly Encouraged at Market
The Berkeley Farmers' Markets will continue to adhere to the City of Berkeley Public Health, CDPH, and the CDC's recommendations, for our mask requirements and policies. Given the current recommendations, masks are not required for attendees to enter the Berkeley Farmers' Market.

While it is not required, we respectfully ask those who are unvaccinated, or partially vaccinated to continue to wear a mask for the ongoing safety of our community.
Farmers' Market Hours & Locations
EBT and WIC Fruit & Vegetable checks gladly accepted and Market Match incentives distributed at all markets.
South Berkeley
Tuesdays, 2 - 6:30 pm
Adeline St. at 63rd St., 
Berkeley
North Berkeley
Thursdays, 3 - 7 pm 
Shattuck Ave. at Rose St., Berkeley
Downtown Berkeley
Saturdays, 10 am - 3 pm
Center St. at MLK Jr. Way, Berkeley
 
[Photo credit: Berkeley Farmers' Market Staff]