Atwater Farmer's Market

Here in Los Angeles, when it comes to fresh local produce you have many options. There is the mega affair that is the Hollywood Farmer's Market. There is one at Sunset junction for your Saturday needs, and if you miss the above two, then the Atwater Farmer's Market on Sunday fills the void. Such was the case this weekend. As I was working on Saturday and I wanted some fresh veggies, I rounded up my housemates, packed into a car and set off to find some local produce.
It was a small farmer's market, no more than 25 booths total. Some were selling duplicate items. They definitely covered the basics, from Tomatoes to Apricots. I picked up some Squash, zucchini and Tomatoes for the week. They also had 4-5 food stands. One served several different types of Humus and other Middle Eastern Fair, there was a Tamale Staion, a Juice Station, the token Bread booth and even a popcorn stand. I went to the Tamale stand and got Esquite. A typical south of the US food, steamed corn, with spices, salt, mayo, and cheese. It turned out quite nicely. I had seen many people eating something similar at fairs, or on my trips to Mexico, Peru, Argentina, and Chile but have never had it in this form before. It was usually on the cob.While the corn could have been steamed a bit longer, it was a satisfying side to my main course. I really enjoyed the spices, they had great flavor and warmth without being overpowering and too hot to eat. The item I decided to pair it with came from the Pupuseria. A pupusa is an El Salvadorian treat, a corn tortilla is stuffed with a filling in this case, Beans and Cheese. You can read more about a Pupusa here. They added a slaw type salad that had a vinegar based dressing, salsa, and sour cream. I squeezed some lime from the Esquite over the dish. It had a good mix of flavors and was quite filling for one pupusa. The salsa wasn't too hot and was complemented by the sour cream.
Esquite $2.50, Pupusa $2 - $3 each. $5.50 for a filling vegetable filled meal, that supports local merchants and farmers is my cup of tea.

Wherever you are, try and get out to your local farmer's market, I would love to hear about any unique ones or specialty items you come across: thefoodmonsterblog@gmail.com

Atwater Farmer's Market
3250 Glendale Blvd. in the Wells Fargo Bank Parking Lot
Los Angeles, CA 90039

(year round)
Sundays from 10am to 2pm