Edible Paradise celebrates the year-round abundance of the highest quality, freshest food grown on the Central Coast by our family farmers at the Monterey Bay Certified Farmers Markets. If you enjoy preparing and eating locally grown food, this blog is for you!
🎶✨ The Great Morgani Comes to Aptos Farmers Market! ✨🎶
Join us Saturday, July 11, for a special morning with one of Santa Cruz County’s most unforgettable local legends: Frank Lima, better known as The Great Morgani!
For more than two decades, The Great Morgani delighted market-goers and downtown visitors with dazzling costumes, lively accordion music, and a wonderfully original spirit that became part of the fabric of our community.
Now, Frank is sharing the story behind the sequins, feathers, masks, music, and magic in his memoir, The Great Morgani: The Creative Madness of a Stockbroker Turned Street Musician.
Stop by the Aptos Farmers Market to meet Frank, purchase a signed copy of his memoir, and hear a few stories from the man behind one of Santa Cruz’s most beloved characters.
From a Soquel chicken ranch to an accordion-playing local icon, his story is every bit as colorful as his costumes.
Come for the fresh produce, stay for the creativity, music, memories, and market magic. 💫
📍 Aptos Farmers Market
📅 Saturday, July 11
🎵 Book signing with Frank Lima, aka The Great Morgani
#AptosFarmersMarket #TheGreatMorgani #SantaCruzLife #Aptos
⭐🇺🇸 Sweet treats are shining bright at the Monterey Farmers Market this morning!
Don’t miss the star sugar cookies at Sweet Elena’s Bakery—beautifully decorated in red, white, and blue and just waiting to become part of your Fourth of July weekend. Pair one (or two!) with a bowl of homemade ice cream for a simple summer dessert that’s sure to make everyone smile.
While you’re there, be sure to browse the bakery case. From flaky pastries, fruit tarts, and buttery croissants to fresh-baked breakfast favorites, it’s the perfect excuse to slow down, savor a leisurely holiday weekend brunch, and enjoy the simple pleasures of summer.
We’ll see you at the market!
#sweetelenasbakeryandcafe #bakedgoods #montereyfarmersmarket
Have you spotted these little green gems at the market?
Fresh tomatillos have arrived at Pacific Rare Plant Nursery and they’re the secret behind authentic salsa verde!
Despite looking like green tomatoes, tomatillos have their own unique personality. Tucked inside their papery husks, they have a bright, tangy, slightly citrusy flavor that becomes mellow and wonderfully savory when roasted or simmered. They’re delicious in green salsas, enchilada sauces, soups, braises, and even grilled alongside summer vegetables.
To prepare them, simply peel away the papery husk, rinse off the naturally sticky coating, and they’re ready to use. Roast them under the broiler or on the grill until lightly charred to bring out their natural sweetness before blending into your favorite salsa.
Need inspiration? Visit Edible Paradise (link in bio) for delicious salsa recipes and bring a fresh taste of summer to your table!
The Monterey Farmers Market is open until noon. Come stock up for the weekend festivities!
#pacificrareplantnursery #tomatillos
Good morning from the Monterey Farmers Market at Del Monte Shopping Center! ☀️🍉
Guess who’s back? Munak Ranch has returned with some of the sweetest melons of the season—and yes, you’re invited to sample them before you buy!
From juicy watermelon to fragrant cantaloupe and other delicious summer varieties, there’s nothing quite like a perfectly ripe melon on a warm day. Whether you’re planning a backyard barbecue, a picnic, or simply looking for a refreshing summer treat, these farm-fresh beauties are hard to beat.
Stop by, say hello to the growers, taste the difference, and bring home a little sweetness from the market. We can’t wait to see you this morning!
#munakranch #delmonteshoppingcenter #montereyfarmersmarket
🇺🇸 Yes—we’re OPEN on Saturday, July 4! 🎉
Start your Independence Day the freshest way possible at the Aptos Farmers Market at Cabrillo College! Join us during our regular market hours, 8:00 AM–12:00 PM, for everything you love about Saturday mornings at the market.
Stock up on farm-fresh fruits and vegetables, artisan breads, pies and pastries, locally raised meats and seafood, fresh flowers, handcrafted foods, and all the ingredients you need for your Fourth of July celebration.
Come early for the best selection, enjoy the beautiful morning, and support the local growers and makers who help make our community thrive.
#aptosfarmersmarket #montereybay #supportlocalfarmers #fourthofjuly #californiagrown
Have you ever cooked with green eggplant?
One of our favorite things about visiting KT Farms is discovering something new every week. Alongside their beautiful purple eggplants, you’ll often find the less common green eggplant—a favorite in many Asian cuisines.
Green eggplants have a milder, slightly sweeter flavor than their purple cousins, with a creamy texture and very little bitterness. They’re delicious grilled, roasted, stir-fried, added to curries, or simply sautéed with garlic and a splash of soy sauce. Their tender flesh also makes them wonderful in dishes where you want the eggplant to become silky and rich.
Whether you’re recreating a favorite family recipe or looking to try something different, KT Farms’ colorful display is full of inspiration.
Stop by and see what catches your eye—you might just discover your new favorite vegetable! 🌱🍆
#greeneggplant #asianvegetables #montereyfarmersmarket #eggplant #asiancuisine
This morning you’ll find beautiful fresh cranberry beans (in the foreground, with Romano beans behind them) at Borba Family Farms’ booth.
Fresh cranberry beans are a seasonal treat. Unlike green beans, they’re grown for the plump beans inside the pods, so you’ll want to shell them before cooking. The beans have a creamy texture and a mild, nutty flavor that’s delicious in soups, stews, pasta dishes, grain bowls, or simply simmered until tender with olive oil, garlic, and fresh herbs. (The pretty cranberry-colored speckles fade as they cook!)
Romano beans, with their broad, flat pods, are wonderful steamed, sautéed, grilled, or slowly braised. Visit Edible Paradise (link in bio) for cooking instructions and recipes!
If you’ve never tried fresh shelling beans, this is the perfect opportunity to bring home something a little different from the market!
The Monterey Farmers Market is open until noon—come see us! 🧑🏽🌾
#montereyfarmersmarket #eatseasonal #supportlocalfarmers #californiagrown #borbafamilyfa
Good morning from the Monterey Farmers Market!
Look what just arrived! 🌽 The first harvest of sweet corn is now at Pinnacle, and it couldn’t have come at a better time for weekend barbecues, picnics, and family dinners.
Fresh-picked and full of summer flavor, there’s nothing quite like corn that’s gone from the field to the market. Enjoy it grilled in the husk, slathered with butter, tossed into fresh salads, or simply steamed and served alongside your favorite summer meal.
Stop by early while this first harvest lasts—and don’t forget to explore everything else our local farmers have brought in fresh this morning.
See you at the market!
#montereyfarmersmarket #montereybay #philfosterranch #californiagrown #sweetcorn
🥕🍓🐝 Calling all young food explorers! 🐝🍓🥕
Join us at the Monterey Farmers Market on Friday, June 26, for a morning of discovery, tasting, and hands-on fun as the Kids Eat Right team from Montage Health returns after an overwhelmingly enthusiastic response earlier this season!
Kids and families will enjoy:
🌽 A guided farmers market adventure
🍑 Seasonal fruit and vegetable tastings
👩🌾 Meet-the-farmer experiences
🔍 A fun scavenger hunt throughout the market
🥗 Nutrition activities and take-home resources
🍎 Dried fruit samples from the farmers market
✨ Plus, the first 50 children or families who participate will receive $5 in Farmers Market Bucks to spend at the market (while supplies last)!
Kids Eat Right helps children build healthy habits through fun, interactive experiences that make nutrition easy to understand and exciting to explore. Come learn where your food comes from, taste something new, and discover the colorful world of fresh local foods!
📍 Monterey Farmers Market
📅 Friday, June 26
⏰ During market hours
Bring your curiosity, your appetite, and the whole family!
#montereyfarmersmarket #kidseatright #healthykids #eatlocal #familyfun
Meet the faces behind the market! From left to right: Judy Nagamine and her dad, Henry; Catherine Barr, our beloved leader; and sisters June and Kay Gatanaga. For many of us, these familiar faces are part of what makes the market feel like family—a community built on friendships, shared traditions, and years of growing together. ❤️
One of the best days ever—celebrating with friends and our farmers market family! 💙🫐
One of the greatest gifts of a farmers market is the relationships that grow over time. Year after year, season after season, vendors become friends, and friends become family.
We’ve watched young farmers build businesses, raise families, celebrate weddings, and welcome grandchildren. Those shared moments create bonds that go far beyond buying and selling food.
That is especially true for Triple Delight Blueberries. Over the years, we’ve had the joy of watching their three beautiful daughters grow up, get married, and start families of their own. Yesterday, at our 50th Anniversary Celebration, the Triple Delight family—including the grandkids—was there celebrating with us!
Thank you, Triple Delight Blueberries, for being such a special part of our farmers market family and for sharing this beautiful video with us. Here’s to the memories we’ve made together and the many more still to come. 💙🫐
#aptosfarmersmarket #tripledelightblueberries #farmersmarketfamily
