One of the best— and most aromatic— things I saw in the SC farmer’s market was these chickens roasting right over the rosemary potatoes below. This food truck knew how to do it right, as they were regularly tossing the potatoes in the chicken drippings, and the fresh rosemary wafted through the air. We didn’t get a chance to try this one (we were too busy with sorbet and peaches) but we saw some people feasting on these tasty treats and they reported— pretty dang good.

One of my favorite days in Santa Cruz, CA was Wednesday, their weekly farmer’s market. Located in the middle of town, the Santa Cruz farmer’s market was one of the absolute best I’ve ever been to. The fresh produce was abundant, colorful, delicious, and beautiful. Vendors were friendly, helpful, and offered lots of free samples. To top it off, there were several sections that had (awesome) live music, including some banjo and mandolin. I was a little bit in love with Santa Cruz, right at that moment.

These edible flowers were my favorite of the fresh and local offerings. Another thing we tried that was to die for was some local sorbet:

Slip and I shared the strawberry shortcake and the coffee almond:

I can’t really explain how amazing this was, because I’ve never ever tasted sorbet like this before. It was creamy and rich and delicious. I fell in love with the strawberry shortcake and totally ate all of it, but Slip was nuts for coffee almond. Next time I’m in Santa Cruz I better be there on a Wednesday so I can get more sorbet!

Another thing at this farmer’s market you don’t see around Philly farmer’s markets? Lots of fresh fish. There was even an oyster bar:

We decided to pick up some fresh fish (black snapper), lots of fresh veggies, and a loaf of bread, to make some dinner at the beach. 

Once we got home I seasoned everything with some olive oil, salt and pepper, and fresh rosemary. We walked down to the beach and somehow, luck of all luck, obtained a fire pit as another group was leaving. Our friends met us later with our farmer’s market bounty and we built a beautiful fire, grilled it all up, and enjoyed our dinner with some beers, the sun setting, the sound of the ocean and Eric playing the guitar. A perfect night and perfect way to end our time in Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz is a beautiful place to spend a week, and if you’re headed for a California vacation I highly recommend it. From the adorably classic boardwalk (you can hear the rollercoaster screams from blocks away), to the beach, to the restaurants on the wharf, and the gorgeous 2000-acre UCSC campus, you can find something new to do everyday, and something new to eat every night. We enjoyed running and biking along the cliffs, kayaking in the ocean, and hiking nearby in Redwoods Big Basin State Park. Totally fascinated by the banana slugs, I loved hiking amid some of the oldest (and biggest) trees in the world, as I sprinted up the trails excited to get to the next view. Each day ended with a feeling of contentment, worn out by the many physical challenges we undertook and full with the yummy fresh seafood/Mexican food/pizza or other local places we tried. And, more to come on this, but Santa Cruz is home to the absolute best farmer’s market I have ever visited. Can’t wait to go back!