Hillcrest Farmers Market redux

Back to the market for me this morning. It's my me-time, I guess. I get up early every Sunday, head for the market, then hit Trader Joe's down the street, and then it's home to make Sunday Breakfast. I get 2 hours to myself, and it's lovely.

This morning's treasure included nectarines, Armenian cucumbers, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, organic sweet onions (excellent on the grill folks!), and heirloom tomatoes. Oh, and green beans!

There are a few vendors I'd like to feature here over the coming weeks. Today I'll start with Robert, who is my sole source of eggs and honey. I wouldn't get them anywhere else. He's a gregarious, friendly man who always has a smile for anyone who visits.

He has several varieties of honey, and though I'm personally not a fan of honey, I hear people every week talking about how wonderful it is. What I go for is the eggs. Jumbo & large brown eggs to be exact. The freshest you can find, and they come from vegetarian fed hens.

Before I met him, I bought eggs from his father. If you ever met him, you'd see that the friendly, kind attitude comes honestly!

Another favorite stop at the market is Presher Coffee. Now, if you're looking for beans to make espresso at home, let me tell you that the Merlot beans from Presher make a phenomenal cuppa!
You can see them on the left of the photo ----->

Run by Nick and Randy out of the back of a customized truck, Presher coffee is a favorite amongst market-goers every Sunday morning and they have a loyal following. You can visit their website here: Presher Coffee for inline ordering and updates as well a link to their own blog.

The thing I love about these guys is they will make whatever it is you want, whether it's on the menu or not! My kinda guys.

Ok, one more featured vendor, and then I'm done, I promise!! I know that there are alot of people out there who are too busy to make their own jam, but you don't have to! Jackie's Jams uses the best produce from the market and local farms to make delicious jams and jellies.

My personal favorite is the Triple Berry, which I love because it's one of the few that don't have blueberries. Now, I love blueberries, don't get me wrong...but I just don't care for them as much in jams. The Triple Berry from Jackie's has rasberries, blackberries, and strawberries- a perfect trifecta if you ask me! If, however, you DO like blueberries, they have the BRB, which I'm sure you can figure out :)

You can also get no sugar added jams, and fruit butters.

The farmer's markets run every day except Monday throughout San Diego county. If you can't make it to the Hillcrest location on Sunday, just hit another one during the week! You can find a complete list of markets, as well as a seasonal produce calendar here: San Diego Farm Bureau.

Manga!