California Official Visitor's Guide 2009 - (Page 36) enjoy » tasting » central valley farm trails Venture off the highway and explore the farms, markets, and abundant fresh produce of the Central Valley hit the C alifornia grows more than half of the nation’s fruits, nuts, and vegetables, and the bulk of that comes from the 400-mile-long Central Valley. To call it America’s breadbasket understates its importance: It’s our salad bowl, our serving platter, and our pie plate too. For those who think farmland is flat and dull or whose only view of these fields has been from the interstate, venturing into the valley’s farms and communities yields delightful surprises: cool oases of native willow trees, rolling hills, the vibrant diversity of well-tended produce farms and orchards, and chefs who love working with produce as fresh as fresh can be. The easiest way to appreciate the culinary bounty of the Central Valley is to dive into its markets, where “local” means around the corner, not 100 miles away [ farm trails]. Enter keyword in Search box at visitcalifornia.com Grapevines gracefully shroud the plentiful and picturesque Vineyard Farmer’s Market in Fresno [ farmers’ markets], where you can rub elbows with many local chefs who source their produce there. For less posh but equally local options, head to the Modesto or Stockton farmers’ markets. Just as fresh and wonderfully friendly is the Davis Farmers Market, held Saturday mornings all year round. Along with the gorgeous local produce you’d expect, you’ll find locally grown wool (and some resulting knitwear) at the Yolo Wool Mill stand and homemade gourmet popsicles at Aisu Pop. From March through November, the market is also open on Wednesday evenings for Picnic in the Park. Get groceries to cook at home later, watch cooking demonstrations, and then grab dinner from the stands in the International Food Faire (everything from Just-picked produce Indian and Thai to pizza and ice cream makes its way to floats) and settle on the green grass to farmers’ markets eat and enjoy live music. and fruit stands. 36 SPREAD: CHRIS LESCHINSKY http://www.visitcalifornia.com
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