Skye Dean (’27)
Cabbage from Her Farms.
The next stop on our tour of Bay Area farmers’ markets was a quaint, produce-dominated collection of stands tucked into the parking lot of Creekside Park in Cupertino. Only a row of vendors long, this was by far the smallest market we have visited, more of a grab-and-go supermarket alternative than a full-blown weekend excursion—fitting since it’s held on Friday mornings. Nevertheless, the market was alive even early in the morning as shoppers collected bushels of fresh greens or grabbed a morning bite before work!
Information Desk
We first spoke to the Creekside’s information desk to better understand how markets like this are organized and where they fit into the greater landscape of Bay Area farmers’ markets. We learned that Creekside’s market is organized in conjunction with two other year-round markets in Cupertino, part of a collection of upwards of 25 markets in the area and additional pop-up markets depending on the season. Being such a small market, Creekside planners expect to have 13 to 14 vendors at the market every week, taking up roughly twenty booths. The information desk head explained to us that certain vendors, especially those selling large collections of goods, will use more than one desk for their products. Seasonal changes also influence the marketed goods: “Some of [the vendors] are seasonal, some of them go year-round, but they won’t be able to bring a lot of fruits and vegetables in the wintertime…in the summertime, they’ll bring more.”
California Bakeshop
At the entrance of the market, we came across the California Bakeshop, a booth with a wide selection of flatbreads, breads, pastries, empanadas, and cookies. I made an immediate beeline for the olive rosemary bread. The bread had a well-fired, crisp, crunchy crust with a soft and fluffy inside. The olive and rosemary ingredients complemented each other very nicely with their distinct earthy and herbaceous flavors. We feasted on this olive rosemary bread all morning, eating it straight from the packaging with no heating, condiments, or toasting necessary. For these reasons, we give the olive rosemary bread a solid 8.5/10. Due to our satisfaction with the olive rosemary bread, we decided to venture out of our comfort zone and try a chicken empanada. In the past, we had avoided empanadas due to their unappealingly greasy dough, but this empanada appeared to have a crisp and fresh exterior. However, upon biting into the dough, our taste buds were displeased by the overpoweringly sweet crust. The filling consisted of chicken breast, carrots, peas, potatoes, and raisins. It was rather flavorful, but the filling felt an awful lot like a Thanksgiving meal as opposed to an authentic Spanish dish. The olive oil dipping sauce was the star of the show, but we wished we had saved it for a better dish. The chicken empanada gets a generous 4/10.
Another item that caught our eye from the California Bakeshop’s selection of goods was the walnut banana bread. Pressed to get to school on time for first period and unsure of what we would do with a loaf of bread in our backpacks for the day, we opted for the walnut banana bread. The bread was firm and moist inside, perfectly done. It had a crumbly top that melted at the first bite. The walnuts were the perfect complement to the banana flavor, each working in tandem with the other to ensure neither flavor was overpowering. We would recommend this banana bread to anyone with a few minutes to spare before a Gold day because it’s the perfect filling bite to start the day. The walnut banana bread earns a solid 10/10!
Hummus Heaven
To the right of California Bakeshop was Hummus Heaven, a booth hosting an array of Mediterranean-style flatbreads, homemade hummus, Greek yogurt, and pita chips. We had the opportunity to speak with the Creekside Hummus Heaven’s vendor. He has been coming to the Creekside market for “two years now, but the company has visited Creekside for over fifteen years.” At Creekside, his booth’s popularity is “so-so, but at other markets it is much busier than this.” He recommended the white flatbread and sun-dried tomato hummus during our interview. We took his word for it and purchased both items. The white flatbread was just okay. It was rather bland and lacked any texture, earning a 2/10. The sun-dried tomato hummus, on the other hand, received a much higher rating of 7.5/10 due to its smooth consistency, abundant flavor, and tangy aftertaste. While we loved hearing Hummus Heaven’s story, its products didn’t live up to their vendor’s showmanship.
Produce
Knowing Mollie’s mom would want some fresh produce back at home, we purchased cabbage from Her Farms and cilantro from J&M Ibarra Farms. Mollie’s mom always tells her that a good cabbage should be firm, heavy, and have crisp green/purple leaves. Just about all the cabbages displayed these traits, so we found it difficult to settle on just one for the salad. However, we found it even more challenging to pick good cilantro because Mollie has the OR6A2 gene. This gene is linked to the perception of cilantro tasting like soap, and for Mollie, it also makes it smell like soap. Mollie’s mom had advised her to choose cilantro that doesn’t smell damp or musty, but that was impossible. Luckily, we relied on visual cues to determine the best cilantro, and deliver fresh, crisp, and flavorful produce. Both Mollie’s mom and Mollie gave the produce a 9/10.
Ultimately, the Creekside Farmers Market is the perfect way to spend a Friday morning if you’re looking for a quick chance to chat with a friend and restock on some groceries for the week. But if you’re searching for a larger, bustling market, we’d encourage you to look elsewhere.