Farmers Markets
Exploring Sacramento Has Never Been Better Than Spring! And once the pollen has died down, there will be no end to the fun just waiting for you! So get out and get going ‘cause spring will be summer in no time at all.
It is the beginning of festival season in the Sacramento Region. Calendars ready? Adventure out to the colorful and educational Pacific Rim Street Fest in Old Sac & Downtown Plaza May 18th from 10am to 5pm - great food, amazing costumes and family-friendly! If you are looking for something fun, energetic and different check out Spanglish Arte’s unique Pinata Festival at Southside Park in Sacramento May 24th from 11am to 6pm. Have you ever been to a pinata-hitting contest? Guaranteed laughs....and of course lots of candy! Ready to get down and dirty? Kick it up a notch with crawfish and blues? Cajun and Blues in Isleton, the grand daddy of jazz festivals will be June 14th and 15th (Father’s Day Weekend).
You are probably asking....but where is the FOOD DRIVEN EVENTS and FESTIVALS? Good point....we got you covered! If you want to spend A Day on The Farm you can visit American River Ranch on May 18th for a day of learning, eating, music and celebrating the local farms bounty.....even cooking classes will be offered. Two great events to consider on Saturday June 7th - Sacramento VegFest - a food event celebrating plant-based foods and products with some world-class speakers. All takes place at the Red Lion Hotel - 11am to 6pm. Wanting more that weekend...head on over to Cesar Chavez Plaza for Sacramento Region’s Premier Wine & Food Festival - Grape Escape. Over 60 of the region’s wineries and 40 local restaurants - you won’t walk away hungry or dehydrated for sure! Advanced ticketing required for this event. If you are looking for a more Intimate Affair with food and smooth tequila then reserve your seats for a Pre-Father’s Day Tequila Pairing 4 Course Dinner at Mayahuel Tequila Museo Friday June 13th at 7pm. You can book your tickets thru Local Roots Food Tours who is sponsoring the event! Buy Tickets Here.
Futbol is here, fellow soccer fans! Say hello to the Sacramento Republic FC. Now that we have a team, let’s join the rest of the world and call it futbol. The Republics are currently tied for third place in the USL Pro standing. A great match up against LA Galaxy II should be your next sporting event in Sacramento - Saturday May 17th at Hughes Stadium. A few pointers: It is a match, not a game. It is a pitch, not a field. There are no time outs.
The boys of summer are back! The Sacramento River Cats are well into the swing of their season. And home games abound. Forget about Fix50, pull into Raley Field and take in American’s pastime on June 13th and 14th when they vs. Iowa. And for the second year, fireworks after every Friday night home game and Saturday game. If it's good food and good beer you are after then you have come to the right place! Sure there are peanuts and cracker jacks, but also An Honest Pie - a food truck featuring sweet and savory pies, as well as an expanded menu from Broderick Roadhouse in the Jack Daniels Solon Club. There are gluten-free and vegetarian dining options. And don’t forget the beer garden. Going to a game has never been this delicious before.
You might not need a pig, but you definitely need to go to a market and ALL of our local Certified Farmer’s Markets are open. Over 11 to choose from in the area!! Find a market near you: CLICK HERE If you are looking to learn about the farm before you pick up your fork you should check out Sierra Foothills Farm & Wine Tour in Placer County on Saturday, May 31st or Friday, June 6th. Meet farmers, vintners and a pig named Gordo! Buy Tickets Here
Local Roots Food Tours will be going strong all summer long offering farm to fork walking food tours! What better time to learn about Sacramento and the hidden neighborhood eateries. They have Sacramento covered: Downtown, Midtown and East Sac all have delicious and interesting tours. Want a day trip? How about the charming town of Murphy’s in the foothills or a farm to fork tour in Placer County? Check out their food tour menu and dates to go: Local Roots Food Tours Click To Continue!
Summer Foodie Stay-cations!
With the soaring prices of gas, inflation and the housing crunch, many vacationers are holding back their grand vacation plans for the time being. Many would-be holiday makers are simply choosing a "stay-cation" instead. What's a "stay-cation" you ask? Simply put, a "stay-cation" is a vacation that is close to home. Many people are choosing locations that are with an hour or so from their homes, it's close enough to save on gas and just far enough to feel like a getaway. A stay-cation allows a family to save money while spending more quality time together and helping a local economy.
Everyone loves to eat on vacations so why not focus your family stay-cation around food? Here are 10 tips and ideas to get your stay-cation planner filled up and your bellies full!
First off: In order to enjoy your stay-cation we recommend you:
1. Put the World On Hold - Take time out—literally. Eliminating reminders of time helps wipe away the stress of the daily grind. Gather up all the clocks in your house and stash them in a dresser drawer. Throw your watch in next to them. Leave them there for the whole day (or two, or five).
2. Turn off the ringers on your phones and mute the answering machine. Check messages only when you want to, keeping in mind that "not at all" is always an option.
Do an “out of the office” message for your e-mail (even if your office is a corner of the playroom). Say you won't be checking your e-mail till you're back from vacation. Then power down the computer and throw a towel over it.
3. Skip the news—and maybe even stop the mail—for a week. When you banish the source of stress, the stress itself may follow. The earth will continue to turn even if you're not reading all about it every morning at 7:30 sharp, and sadly, the bills will still be there when your vacation is over.
So now let's get to the food portion of your stay-cation, shall we? Here's our top 7 ideas on how to create a foodie stay-cation.
1. Book a week long series of cooking classes in your local area. Sacramento offers several options for classes and cooking camps this summer. Check out these companies and see what might peak your palate: Lulu's Kitchen in Sacramento has a variety of day and evening cooking classes. The Learning Exchange in Sacramento offers food & wine classes. Whole Foods Market and Sacramento Co-op are both offering fun summer cooking demos and classes you surely can fit into your stay-cation. They even have summer kids cooking camps.....just in case you have more space to fill in your calendar.
2. The California State Fair - take a few days with your entire family and do the State Fair Fried Food Challenge - you haven't vacationed until you've experienced the deep fried mac -n -cheese on a stick, deep fried cheese curds and deep fried twinkies at the fair. State Fair Summer 2013 dates: July 12th-28th. Many local businesses offer discount fair tickets - check out Big O Tires - buy one get one free ticket offer before they run out!
3. Grab your bags and baskets and plan a Farmer's Market Week with your family. Lucky for you there is a market within a 20 mile radius of Sacramento each day of the week. Have fun and meet your local farmers and artisans.....there might even be some education involved! Searching for markets in the vicinity? Google: California Grown, Placer Grown, Davis Farmers Market, Ferry Building Market, Oxbow Market in Napa. Go to the market w/ a shopping list for the ingredients you will be needing for your brand new farm to fork recipes. We recommend coming on an empty stomach for the fun food truck vendors and samples you will run into. Try a different ethnic type of food at each market each day...making it an epicurean adventure.
4. Strap on your tennis shoes and sun had and participate in a culinary walking adventure in and around Sacramento. Eat your way thru your own city or explore the town next to you by going on a food or farm tour. These food tours are a half day event and give participants the opportunity to get up close and personal with local chefs, artisans, farmers and passionate mom and pop eatery owners. Kids will think you are the coolest parents when they have the chance for a local chef to sign their dirty napkin....Souvenir award for sure! 5 to 6 food stops along with history, culture and architecture just right out your back door. Check out Local Roots Food & Farm Tours for their different tour menu options and make it a foodie stay-cation must. Click to continue with our tips!
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Come join Local Roots Food Tours as we get up close and personal with local farmers, vintners, and executive chefs in our new Market-To-Plate Executive Chef’s Tour! This tour takes you through a popular downtown Sacramento farmer’s market, Cesar Plaza Farmer’s Market or East End Capitol Park Farmer’s Market and then into a four course, four star dining experience prepared by two local executive chefs!
This tour is a culinary and educational adventure. Participants are guided through an open-air market, where you can chat with the farmers and producers as the aroma of herbs and flowers waft around you. You’ll learn about what’s in season and how to choose and prepare foods from their seasonal harvest. We will meet local olive oil producers, lavender and flower producers, meat producers, and other artisans – in short, people who love to work with and talk about food! A shopping experience like no other!
Our tour continues with a 3 course exclusive lunch prepared by Executive Chef Michel at Morgan’s Restaurant (a four star, hidden gem restaurant serving farm-to-table ingredients). Lunch will be prepared using fresh local seasonal ingredients. Chef Michel will educate participants on how to use the produce they purchased at the morning market and share his culinary wisdom and passion for fresh, local ingredients. Definitely an up close dining experience! Lunch will be paired with a selected local wine. Click to learn more!
Black garlic is a type of fermented garlic used as a food ingredient in Asian cuisine. It is made by fermenting whole bulbs of garlic at high temperature, a process that results in black cloves. The taste is sweet and syrupy with hints of balsamic vinegar or even tamarind. Black Garlic is prized as a food rich in antioxidants and added to energy drinks, and in Thailand is claimed to increase the consumer's longevity. One interesting use is in the making of black garlic chocolate. In the United States black garlic entered the mainstream in 2008 and has become a sought-after ingredient used in high-end cuisine. Black garlic is great for your health—it’s loaded with nearly twice as many antioxidants as raw garlic. Click to read more
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