Farmers Market kicks off Visiting Chef Series with first successful event!

This past Sunday, Jeff Rossman of Terra Restaurant hosted an informative and entertaining cooking demonstration for a crowd of over fifty at the Hillcrest Farmers Market. He started off with a tour of the market while shopping for all of his ingredients on Sunday morning. Every vegetable and fruit was guaranteed to be fresh and local since it came straight from the farmer that morning! Jeff’s tips and tricks for cutting vegetables and herbs, blending vinaigrettes, and cooking pasta to just the right texture. He provided the audience with some educational insight into fixing a fast and delicious meal. The demonstration’s menu included a red walnut and cheese stuffed kumquat appetizer, a salad with citrus vinaigrette and a main course of tomato and basil flavored pasta with a variety of fresh vegetables. Some members of the audience took notes on his recipes and cooking tips and raved endlessly about the samples of the meal they had the opportunity to indulge in. Many people signed up to reserve a copy of Jeff’s new cookbook, From Terra’s Table, at the end of the demonstration! For more information and to reserve your copy, visit http://www.fromterrastable.com/.

If you missed this great event, don’t miss the next chef in the Visting Chef Series coming in late February or early March. Stay tuned for details!

This Sunday we will have three different Hillcrest Farmers Market gift baskets on sale at the information booth. These will be a perfect goody for your loved one on Valentine’s Day, so come take a look!

Five ways to be green at the Hillcrest Farmers Market!

Here are five ways you can start being environmentally friendly at the Hillcrest Farmers Market:

1. Purchase a Hillcrest Farmers Market grocery bag for $10 at the information booth and use it to carry your produce instead of plastic bags.


2. Bring your own containers! Put your berries, tomatoes, nuts, dried fruit, etc. in a reusable container (quart sized yogurt containers work great), instead of taking the bags and baskets that they are sold in.


3. By using your own sustainable beverage container and utensils you can save the plastic ware given out at the market.


4. Walk or ride your bike to the farmers market. Get some exercise and work up an appetite!


5. Make sure you utilize the recycling bins that are provided throughout the market.

Don’t forget!
This Sunday, January 24^th is the start of the Hillcrest Farmers Market Visiting Chef Series! To purchase tickets and guarantee yourself a market tour, a sample of Jeff’s meal and a front row seat for the demonstration, visit http://www.hillcrestfarmersmarket.com/.

Volunteer to help at the Hillcrest Farmers Market and promote your Hillcrest business!

Looking for a new way to advertise your products or services to the San Diego community? By helping out at the Hillcrest Farmers Market information booth, you can not only enjoy the exciting atmosphere and unique shopping opportunities available every Sunday at the market, but also promote your business by hanging up your business’ signs and passing out flyers or giveaways to market attendees. Take the opportunity to promote your company while also helping out at the Farmers Market by calling 619-299-3330 or e-mailing info@fabuloushillcrest.com.

Coming soon to the Hillcrest Farmers Market!

• Look for the fun board games that will be set up at the information booth. Rest your feet and have some fun with the kids!
• We will also be selling Farmers Market gift baskets that will feature a variety of products from market vendors. These are perfect Valentine’s Day gifts for your loved ones!
• Don’t forget about the Visiting Chef Series beginning on January 24th!
  

The series will feature gourmet chefs from local restaurants who will give live cooking demonstrations at the Farmers Market, provide taste samples, and show market patrons how to shop local at Farmers Markets. The first visiting chef is Jeff Rossman from Terra restaurant who will be giving a demonstration on January 24th. For $20 per person, you can join Jeff on a tour of the market at 10am as he selects the produce and ingredients for his recipe. The ticket also includes a front row seat at the chef demonstration beginning at 12noon, a “foodie bag” with information about the Hillcrest Farmers Market, Terra Restaurant and your own Hillcrest Farmers Market apron.

Ornament Festivities

Holiday spirit was merry and bright at the Hillcrest Farmers Market on December 13th! Market patrons young and old alike gathered at the information booth to kick off the holidays with holiday ornament decorating. The market provided the ornaments in all shapes and sizes as well as an array of holiday decorating supplies including glitter, stickers, ribbons, and bows- everything you could need to spice up your ornaments! The activity was very successful with over fifty visitors putting their creativity to the test and getting into the holiday spirit. Keep an eye out for many more fun market activities in 2010!

So many things to do at the Hillcrest Farmers Market.

The Hillcrest Farmers Market is buzzing with activities this and every weekend. There have always been a morning’s worth of super things to do at the market, but these days there is so much more. As always there are over one hundred and twenty food and crafts vendors to visit, selling everything from fruit and veggies to orchids and gyros. Then, every week, the Seventh Day Buskers take to the stage singing their unique mix of bluegrass and roots music. Face painting for the kids is always a “must do” at the market. The face painter is located at the south end of the market.

Each month there are new things happening at the market too. Last weekend, for example, the market hosted holiday ornament painting. Over fifty kids, young and old, decorated a range of ornaments. The market provided the ornaments and materials and patrons provided the creativity. In October the market provided materials for Halloween pumpkin decorating.

In the new year the market will feature a visiting chef series. Chefs from local businesses will provide tips for shopping at the market and will provide live demonstrations of their favorite tasty treats. Visiting chef Jeff Rossman from Terra restaurant will visit on January 24th, with a tour of the market at 10am and demonstration at noon. Also, save the date for an Easter egg hunt on April 24th! Keep an eye out for the many upcoming wonderful upcoming things at the Hillcrest Farmers Market.

Special Guest Vendor: BottleHood

BottleHood was created out of a passion to help our environment, create local jobs and stimulate our local retail economy. BottleHood has taken a stand on keeping bottles which have no California Redemption Value (CRV) out of California’s landfills. In the process, BottleHood produces a line of uniquely handcrafted tumblers and vases made from bottles whose contents were enjoyed in our neighborhood. They hire for local crafts people, who share their concerns for the environment and the economy, to produce their line of glassware.

BottleHood has partnered with Recon Recycle in order to secure a consistent flow of bottles from which to create its line of glassware. The bottles are crafted into vases, votives and tumblers in their workshop at home in Crest with the help of several local crafts people.

“I’ve been reusing, recycling and repurposing for most of my life. As time goes by I see more and more of waste created by overproduction and non-sensible consumer packaging and the trend to follow fickle consumer tastes. Through art and design I’ve learned how to use materials in new and different ways and through discards, I have learned there may be a new purpose for something before quickly disposing of it into our landfills. I’m hoping through BottleHood communities will increase their awareness of our limited natural resources and be inspired to recreate. Inspiration is all about us.”

BottleHood goods are sold in local farmers markets, art and wine festivals, local retailers and online. Since they are a visiting booth at the market, keep an eye out each week for the return of Bottlehood and their environmentally conscious products!

PO Box 600302
San Diego CA 92160-0302
619.599.8855 www.bottlehood.com

The Halloween Event in Review

The first annual Hillcrest Farmers Market Halloween event was a great success! The information booth was packed with kids who were ready to pick out their own pumpkin and decorate them as they pleased. It was great to see the parents get involved and share the holiday experience with their children, who were having a fun time letting their creative juices run wild.

After the pumpkins were painted and decorated the kids had the opportunity to walk the market and trick or treat our vendors. Everyone was pleased with the event and we are excited to host the next holiday event, which will be held on December 13, where we will be decorating holiday ornaments. We wanted to thank everyone who attended and we hope to see you there!

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions please e-mail us at info@fabuloushillcrest.com and check out our website for more information www.fabuloushillcrest.com!