The farmer’s market in Castro Valley is just .7 miles from my house. And it is open! So I donned a mask and backpack and set off for the market. I found so many of my favorite foods and helped out a lot of farmers with my purchases that I ended up filling my backpack with 20 pounds of produce. The Castro Valley market was well adapted to COVID-19 social distancing. Everyone wore masks, the farmer’s bagged your food, and we all stayed 6 feet apart. There is nothing like fresh seasonal produce and an outdoor market.
Many recipes are in the works including aguas frescas and Chicago Deep Dish Pizza flavored oven fries. Stay tuned as I develop the recipes and shoot the results.
When I posted the “agua frescas” on Instagram, I got several requests for recipes. It is so easy! Agua frescas are simply fruit drinks made with water, simple syrup, fruit, and lime juice. I first tried them when I went to a Mexican restaurant in Oakland. They were delicious and I loved their translucent colors.
Agua Fresca
- 2 cups of water
- 1 cup of sugar
- 2 cups diced fruit like melons, berries, or kiwi
- juice of one lime
Place the water and sugar on the stove, bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and allow to cool. Blend the fruit in the blender, adding the simple syrup slowly. Finish off the agua fresca with freshly squeezed lime juice. I used about 1-2 limes per recipe.
The flavors featured include:
- Kiwi-mint
- Watermelon
- Double berry
- Strawberry
The agua frescas keep for about 2 days in the refrigerator. They probably won’t last that long! They did not at my house. You can also freeze them into popsicles.
Here is a tribute still life gallery of the farmer’s market produce dedicated to the people who grow our food. I was able to purchase fresh red bibb lettuce, fennel, Yukon gold potatoes, mulberries, oyster mushrooms, tomatoes, summer squash, cherries, and peaches. I can’t wait to cook them!
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