Ripe Now! Tomatillos I North Berkeley Farmers' Market lifts all-organic rule to boost inclusivity and variety

With Hispanic Heritage Month in full swing, we salute tomatillos and those who pick them. Spanish for “little tomatoes,” tomatillos were domesticated by the Aztecs in around 800 BCE and have been a Mesoamerican staple ever since.

Tomatillos are obviously responsible for delicious salsas, but the thing we love most about them is the way they seem to look out for farmworkers, well over half of whom are Latine here in California according to the USDA. They self-sow, meaning they typically don't need hands to plant them year after year. They also prepackage themselves in little husks, eliminating the need for any sort of cleaning or special processing. It's as if they're aware of the nature of farmworker labor and do everything they can take a load off their plates.

You’ll see both green and purple tomatillos at a number of our farms right now, especially at those that are Latine-owned and operated like Avalos Farm, Golden Rule Organics, Lucero Organics, and Mendoza Organics. Despite how many farmworkers are Latine, Latine-owned farms like these make up only 4 percent of all farms. Shop with them directly at the farmers' market, where they receive the highest return for their labor and land stewardship. And while you may not be able to show gratitude to farmworkers at the farmers' market, you can honor them at large by donating to funds like the United Farmworker (UFW) Foundation.

Easy Eating: You can’t talk about tomatillos without mentioning Salsa Verd e. When the heat passes, enjoy a Spicy Chicken Tinga and Chicken Pozole Verde.

Kabocha Squash in Pipian Verde

This herb and tomatillo-filled green sauce draped over winter squash is a nice way to ease into warmer fall meals. Adapted from Decolonize Your Diet, available at the Ecology Center Store.

Ingredients

3-5 fresh poblano chiles
1 white onion, quartered
10 tomatillos, husks removed
3 whole, unpeeled garlic cloves
1 large kabocha squash
3 tbsp of coconut oil
sea salt and pepper to taste
1c pumpkin seeds
2 c vegetable stock
2 tbsp masa harina
1 bunch cilantro
1/2 bunch parsley
2-4 leaves hoja santa
1 tsp sea salt
2 limes, quartered

Instructions

Roast, peel, and seed poblanos. Preheat oven to broil.
On a rimmed cookie sheet, broil onions, tomatillos, and garlic until they begin to char. Remove, then set oven to 400ºF.
Cut squash in half and remove seeds. Cut into 2 inch wedges, leaving skin on. Slather squash with coconut oil, salt, pepper and place on a cookie sheet to bake for 30 minutes.
Prepare sauce. In a hot frying pan on medium heat, toast pumpkin seeds until they puff and brown. In a blender, pulse seeds with the peeled charred garlic, one chile, onion, tomatillos, masa harina, and herbs. Puree until completely smooth. Add salt and remaining peppers to taste.
Pour sauce into a dutch oven or large saucepan. Simmer gently for 15 minutes.
Serve by placing a generous portion of sauce in each bowl. Place roasted squash on top and garnish with pumpkin seeds, cilantro leaves, and a lime wedge.

Donate to help keep our farmers' markets going strong!

If you would like to acknowledge the Berkeley Farmers' Markets,

please write our name in the notes section of the donation form.

Current Vendors

Saturday Downtown Berkeley

Achadinha Cheese Co.

All Things Sharp

Andy's Thai

Avalos Farm

Bariani Olive Oil

Beber Almond Milk

Bolani

Billy Bob Orchards

~~Big Little Bowl~~

Brokaw Ranch

Bun Bao

C&M Farm

Cafe Zambala

Coracao

Crane Creek Growers

Dirty Girl Produce

Flying Disc Ranch

Four Sisters Farm

Frog Hollow Farm

Gattonelli

Good Faith Farm

Golden Rule Organics

Happy Boy Farms

Higher Land Coffee

Joodooboo Tofu

Kaki Farm

Kashiwase Farm

Laguna Garden Bakery

Lifefood Gardens

Little Fish

Lucero Organics

Massage

~~Mill Valley Pasta Co.~~

Morell's Bread

Obour Hummus

~~Pomo Tierra Orchard~~

Peach Jamboree

Phoenix Pastificio

Primavera Tamales

Queen of Sheeba Honey

Riverdog Farm

Smit Farms

Solano Mushroom

Stepladder Creamery

Tamales La Oaxaqueña

Three Stone Hearth

~~Tony's Kettle Corn + Crepes~~ (out every 1st Sat)

True Grass Farm

Vang Family Farm

VIO Pastry

Your Granola Garden

Tuesday South Berkeley

Andy's Thai

Alexandre Family Farm

Avalos Farm

Basecamp Bakery

~~Big Little Bowl~~

Billy Bob Orchards

Brokaw Ranch

Bolani

Blossom Bluff Orchard

Chay's Farm

Donna's Tamales

Dirty Girl Produce

Farm Chocolate

Frog Hollow Farm

Full Belly Farm

Good Faith Farm

(every other week)

Kaki Farms

Kashiwase Farm

Lifefood Gardens

Little Fish Co.

Lou Vue

Lucero Organics

Massa Organics

Oya Organics

Peach Jamboree

Phoenix Pastificio

Queen of Sheeba Honey

Riverdog Farm

Roadside Rotisserie

Sea to Sky Farm

Silver Sky Ranch

Solano Mushroom

Soul Flower Farm

Smit Farms

Stepladder Creamery

The Fruit Tree

Three Stone Hearth

Yume Boshi

Thursday North Berkeley

All Things Sharp

Big Little Bowl

Blossom Bluff Orchards

Brown Cap Soft Serve

Chay's Farm

Crane Creek Growers

Donna's Tamales

E&H Mushroom Farm

Frog Hollow Farm

Golden Rule Organics

Little Fish

Lucero Organics

Massa Organics

Mendoza Organics

Morell's Bread

Phoenix Pastificio

~~Pomo Tierra Orchard~~

Riverdog Farm

Roadside Rotisserie

The Fruit Tree

Uplands Apiary

*Lists subject to change. Refer to our website for the most updated vendor list.

Vendor Ins

Vendor Outs

Billy Bob Orchards will be out on Saturdays indefinitely.

Learn More About the Berkeley Farmers' Markets

North Berkeley Farmers' Market lifts all-organic rule to boost inclusivity and variety

As of Thursday October 5th, the North Berkeley Farmers' Market has lifted it's all certified organic vendor requirement and welcomed Stepladder Creamery into the Thursday mix. Through this change, we hope to provide shoppers with a wider array of products such as avocados and dairy, as well as increase market access to small, BIPOC growers to whom organic certifications are most burdensome. Read our latest blog post to learn more about this decision.

Learn More

Thirsty Thursdays are back!

October 12, 19, 26 & November 2 & 9

North Berkeley Farmers' Market; 3-7p

Linger a little longer at the North Berkeley Farmers' Market with local wine, craft beer, food, live entertainment and more. Bring friends and family down for this free, all-ages event series co-sponsored by the North Shattuck Association.

Upcoming Events in Civic Center Park

Some of the coolest events in Berkeley happen right next to the Downtown Berkeley Farmers' Market, during market hours! Join in the festivities while you shop!

Indigenous Peoples Day Pow Wow & Indian Market

Saturday October 7; 10am to 6pm

Come out to honor and celebrate the resilience, culture, and contributions of the Lisjan (Ohlone) and indigenous people at large. This free, City of Berkeley-sponsored event will feature food, dancing, arts, crafts, land acknowledgement, and more.

Watershed Environmental Poetry Festival

Saturday October 14; 12-4:30p

Pick up lunch at the farmers' market and head to the park for an afternoon of poetry and music that will leave you inspired to help meet our collective environmental challenges.

Learn More

Locavore Wonderland – Call for Pop-Up Vendors!

The Ecology Center Berkeley Farmers’ Markets are putting on a holiday gifting pop up series at all three of our markets in the first three weeks of December.

Are you an eco-conscious maker, artisan, or artist? We want to hear from you! Apply to sell your handmade goods at Locavore Wonderland: A Farmers’ Market Gifting Series by clicking on the button below.