What a gorgeous day at the Montecito Farmers Market! It’s just a hair over 1.5 miles from the park and while it was a little foggy on my way over, the sun eventually made its way through the haze and warmed things up just right.
Sometimes on my way over I stop in at Starbucks or Blenders in the Grass, both in Von’s shopping center. If you haven’t tried a Blender, you should! My favorite is a Purple Banana (not on the menu, you have to ask for it), and my daughter loves the Tropical Acai Bowl. This is the perfect way to get your servings of fruit in for the day!
Strawberries are in season and boy, are they sweet this year! Big, bright, red and juicy, they will be perfect in my son’s lunch box (and maybe just one or two dipped in chocolate for me?) There are usually several people selling berries this time of year. Harry’s Berries also sells jams and pickled veggies. The asparagus was really young and tender too, so I got a few bundles.
There were some good tomatoes also, and I expect there will be more as the days get longer. I got some small beefsteak tomatoes which are great in a layered salad with avocadoes and the tiny cucumbers they had.
One guy there always has farm fresh eggs, which are so flavorful and rich, and he also sells fresh whole chickens. I’ve never bought one though, because I’m too lazy to do anything with it. Sigh.
There are always lots of potted plants and orchids and fresh cut flowers. I actually still have an orchid I bought there last year, and I haven’t managed to kill it yet!
After foraging through the stalls of goodies, I felt like I had earned a good hot breakfast, so I ambled over to Jeannine’s Bakery, just adjacent to the market, where it was warm enough to sit outside. Everything on the menu there is really, really good, but I particularly love the Kahlua Banana French Toast. Really, it is too wicked. They also have some daily specials, so be sure to look for those. Coffee is self serve, so you can grab a cup after you order and another hot cup when your food arrives. You can bring your dog and sit outside, which is another big plus for me!
So, of course, I can’t just walk back to the RV park without stopping in at the new location of Crushcakes. Oh. My. Goodness. Of course, I didn’t NEED a cupcake (who actually needs a cupcake?) but I sure do love them. After lots of hard work scrutinizing every single confection behind the counter, I finally settled on a mini vanilla cupcake with vanilla frosting. I know, I know, but that’s what I like. I was also surprised to find that this location of Crushcakes also has savory pot pies and mini quiches, which are perfect to pack in a lunch for a trip to Butterfly Beach…next week!