Today was Sunday.  I had a trip planned to the Hillcrest/Normal Heights Farmer’s Market, to pick up some ingredients for a test recipe.  Dennis and I have been going almost every week for the last month or two, in order to make contact with farmers from whom we might be able to buy our produce.  It has worked well for that purpose, but I have noticed since returning from Alaska that it gets awfully crowded!  Of course this is a great thing as far as meaning that more people are buying locally grown food, as well as cooking their meals from scratch.  But Hillcrest has always had parking issues, and with the popularity of this market- probably the largest and better attended of the urban markets- it has become virtually impossible to find a spot within a half mile of the location, the Normal Heights DMV.  And that is not a minor point, considering that last time we went, we left with a heavy load of oranges to juice for a homemade soda recipe.  Sometimes it is so packed that you can’t get a good view of what various vendors have to offer, or you have to wait quite a while to be helped in order to purchase things or ask questions about them.

I tried to maintain a positive attitude, but today I hit a wall of frustration, brought on ultimately by a woman who passed me in the parking lot as I sat waiting my turn for someone to leave, and “stole” a place right in front of me!  I was infuriated.  So close, and yet totally unproductive.  I burned gas for half an hour getting there, driving up and down the streets in the area looking for parking, and driving back home empty-handed.  I only live a few miles away.  This is MY farmer’s market.  When I arrived home again, I sat in my car for a minute trying to figure out what to do, then strapped on the canvas bags that I keep in the trunk and walked the 4 blocks to my local, yes, VONS store.  It was a beautiful day and I had been looking forward to wandering the stalls, browsing for the best-looking leeks and tomatoes, hoping to find some rhubarb and other seasonal fruits.  But I am more than happy to NOT have to drive to get my groceries, and consider myself very lucky to live so close to a supermarket, even a large chain one.  I have actually been shopping at this particular location for almost the full 6 years that I’ve lived in San Diego.  The cashiers (in my opinion and given my experiences at this location) are extremely friendly and competent, always somehow correctly pronouncing my last name as they bid me good day, which is no small feat given the multi-syllabic Italian concoction!

I walked into the building somewhat heated from my swift gait and smiled when the air conditioned coolness hit me.  The other thing that hit me was how quiet it was.  There were very few people shopping at the time- I had the place all to myself, which I love!  So far, so good.  I grabbed a basket and headed towards the produce.  Having become very conscious lately about where food comes from, in order to source only local ingredients for the restaurant, I cringed slightly at the thought of picking through fruits flown in from Chili and New Zealand, but was pleasantly surprised to find that the items I wanted were mainly California grown, or from nearby in Mexico.  And even if I picked something up that was from further away, I only chose it if I knew it could also be grown here in San Diego county, so as to make the test recipes as authentic and realistic as possible.  I will admit that by the end of my visit to VONS, I was a bit stiff from the air conditioning, but the several employees who offered to help me find things far outweighed the chill, and I had absolutely no wait in line to check out with my things.  Everything fit into my two canvas bags, and I was able to pay with my credit card, another downside to shopping at the farmer’s markets- you must have a wad of cash with you to get any substantial amount of produce there.

Don’t get me wrong.  I fully support the concept of farmer’s markets, fish markets, and whatever other markets you can think of- they can be a great place to run into your neighbors and socialize, listen to local music, support the local economy, and find the freshest ingredients available around.  And, I’ve always intended to get there earlier in order to avoid the crowds and get the best pick of the goods represented, but let’s be realistic- I am opening a restaurant and have never been a morning person anyways.  The chances of me getting out of bed at 7am to beat the rush is less than slim already and getting slimmer the closer we get to opening!  So, for today, I shopped at an industrial chain, and to come completely clean, I enjoyed it!  Considering that I didn’t waste any gas getting there, didn’t take any plastic home with me, got some exercise along the way, and purchased mostly locally grown products anyways, I think I came out ahead of the game.  And who knows- it just might be that one day soon, with the US industrial food system going the way that it is, grocery stores could simply become the clearing houses for all local products.  Well, one can dream.