the farmers’ market: a love affair (part 1)

17 December 2008 By Kari 1 In farmers' market

Buckets of vibrant colors

Southern California is a great place to live for many reasons, and for those of you suffering in the snow and ice, I’ll spare you all the gory details. But one of the things I love most are the great farmer’s markets – all over town – all year long!

My personal favorite is the Hillcrest market (in the DMV parking lot at Lincoln & Normal) on Sunday mornings. Because it was my first, it will always have a soft spot in my heart. I’ll never forget stumbling across it 10 years ago, as a new San Diegan, awed by the gorgeous selection of fresh cut flowers. The farmer’s market quickly became a part of my Sunday routine: go to Peets for a coffee with steamed soymilk, walk to the market, pick bunches of flowers and spend the better part of the day creating arrangements for every room in the house.

Somehow this routine has changed over the years. I now go to the market for delicious, local fruits and veggies to last throughout the week and (sadly) only an occasional bunch of flowers. However, fruits and vegetables can create beautiful vignettes, as we designers like to call them (aka: pretty stuff arranged on table, bookshelf, mantel – you get the idea). Here’s one I put together around Thanksgiving.