In addition to fresh fruits and veggies, shoppers can find local, prepared foods Photo Andy Scheck

Produce, get your farm fresh produce. Beautiful tomatoes, asparagus, lovely strawberries and more were ripe and ready to rumble at the Plaza Park last Thursday. Under sunny skies with great music from El Desayuno, a salsa and Latin jazz band celebrating Cinco de Mayo, a steady stream of shoppers came armed with cash and shopping bags for opening day. The music and fresh produce along with gourmet bread and jam can be found every Thursday from now until September 29 with new hours from 3:30 to 7:00 to be more convenient for families picking up their kids from school.
Just like last year, look for the Veggie Valet to assist with your purchases. It's like a coat check - just drop off your bags, and come back with your car to easily drive to the loading zone for quick pick up. With thirty-one vendors, it;s impossible to list all of them, but keep an eye out for Alhambra Valley Pears, J & J Farms, Steve;s Bees, Hamada Farms and Free Wheeling Farm along with Metropolis Baking Company and Cottage Kitchen. Unique vendor My Own Harvest sells Tool Free Raised Bed Kits to make your own organic garden.
Opening day also featured a booth with the Lamorinda Weekly's own favorite chef, Susie Iventosch. She was preparing and handing out delicious samples of Pistachio Pesto Penne with Spring Asparagus and a Strawberry Glaze Pie*. "As a cook, there is nothing more fun than perusing the farmers' markets to see, feel, and sometimes even sample, the weekly harvest," said Iventosch. "The textures, colors, and scents all work in harmony to help us design meal ideas for the week! The Thursday Lafayette Farmers' Market is a wonderful mid-week respite from the hustle and bustle world that our daily lives otherwise inhabit."
Starting May 19, every third Thursday is Market and a Movie night. Kicking off the line-up is a screening of ET. Look for How to Train your Dragon on June 16, Raiders of the Lost Ark on July 21, and finally on August 18 Finding Nemo.
The market is run by Contra Costa Certified Farmers' Markets, a not for profit organization established in 1982. They seek to cultivate local sustainable farming and provide a community gathering place with healthy and organic food.
*Find the recipe for Susie's Strawberry Glaze Pie on page C6

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