Come On, You Can Tell Us! What Are YOUR Farmers Market Secrets?

OK all you farmers market regulars, it's time to come clean. 'Fess up. Put your cards on the table.

We know your type. You show up every Saturday in your floppy hat with a crate on a rolling cart, a wad of cash (1s, preferably) and your shopping list. You have your very own extra special possibly even top secret way of enjoying this classic Pleasanton pastime, and Patch wants to hear about it.

Where is your secret parking spot? Who is your favorite vendor? Are you a, "I really just go for the kettle corn," gal or a dude who can't resist the juicy smells of the rotisserie chicken truck? Do you jet in to grab one thing and pet the doggies or do you make a morning of it, gabbing on the street corner in your workout clothes? Do you do your makeup or do you come au naturel? Do you HAVE to get your coffee fix before or do you sip a cup after, when the lines die down?

You get the point.

I got to thinking about this topic when I realized that after eight years of  frequenting the FM, I realized I pretty much did it the same way each week. I parked in the same spot (yes, the no parking zone by the bank—they never tow, right?), visited the same stalls and even bought things in the same order. (For some reason I always buy strawberries last.)

But then just recently, possibly creeped out by the egg salmonella scare, I decided to cut loose, to break out of my stale FM routine. On a whim I bought some farm fresh eggs for the first time. The nice egg lady even called me sweetie.

I scrambled one of those little guys up with some of FM heirloom tomatoes (I'm a fan of Terra Bella) and some FM green onion and went to town. Wow. The eggs rocked! Who ever knew?

Combine that goodness with my other serious FM habit (a warm-from-the-oven cheese baguette from Bibiane – the BEST thing in the universe), and I think I finally have this Farmers Market thing down. What about you?