Around Town: Singing the praises of the local farmers’ market

I used to run around looking for the perfect farmers’ market, but it turns out that the La Cañada Farmers’ Market is one of the best in the area.

It feels wonderful to make a salad from greens purchased that morning and harvested the day before.

Nothing beats a fruit salad from the freshest fruit, or chicken braised with fresh rosemary and oregano. And it’s all here, in La Cañada Flintridge, at the weekly market on Foothill Boulevard.

The market officially opens at 9 a.m., but I often sneak over at 8:20 a.m.

Blode Kuh sells hand-crafted, dairy-free, often-cashew-based “yogurts” and spreads.

The young man from Country Fresh Herbs sells lettuces, chives, basil, zucchini and heirloom tomatoes. Due to the water shortage, we didn’t plant tomatoes this year, so the herb guy, like Obi-Wan Kenobe, is our only hope.

My hands down favorite is Nicholas Family Farms, certified organic and always open for business when I arrive early. They sell stone fruit, apples, almonds, berries and citrus and they take American Express. Their stall is staffed by the extended Nicholas family. Toddlers, brothers, cousins. They drive down each week from Orange Cove in the Central Valley. We have relatives in Dinuba. It’s a long drive.

Last week, the fish guy from Fisherman’s Daughter Salmon wasn’t at the market, but he sent his helper. Last month he told me that he would be going fishing. He fishes for salmon in Alaska. We expect his return in August with more pole-caught, flash-frozen salmon. In the meantime, his helper will staff the market.

There are other places to shop. Goldstein’s near Café Sole, under the freeway on Verdugo, still has the best bagels. The Lotte Market has fresh eggs and gluten-free soy sauce. Gelson’s sells Stumptown Coffee in case you can’t get to Downtown Los Angeles. Trader Joe’s sells everything else.

Last week, the United Food and Commercial Workers voted to authorize a strike against Ralphs, Albertsons, Vons, Pavilions and Safeway in Southern California. The union and the stores are still in negotiations. The union says a strike is the last resort.

(By the way, did you know both Donald Trump and the AFL-CIO are boycotting Nabisco products made in Mexico? Trump said he’s never eating an Oreo again.)

Bottom line: you might see more folks at the Farmers Markets, Gelson’s, Sprouts and Trader Joe’s.

Everything we need is right here, all through this hot summer, in La Cañada Flintridge.

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ANITA SUSAN BRENNER is a longtime La Cañada Flintridge resident and an attorney with Law Offices of Torres and Brenner in Pasadena. Contact her at anitasusan.brenner@yahoo.com. Follow her on Instagram @realanitabrenner, Facebook and on Twitter @anitabrenner.