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Community Corner

Best bites at the farmers markets

What to eat at the San Anselmo Farmstand and Fairfax Farmers Market

Since 1983, Marin's residents have enjoyed fresh produce, prepared foods, and other artisan products from the year-round the farmers' market at San Rafael's Civic Center.

If you're blessed enough to live in Fairfax or San Anselmo, you don't have to travel quite that far. From May to September, a short walk or bike ride will take you to a seasonal market or farmstand in your own town.

Though smaller in size, the Fairfax Farmers Market and San Anselmo Farmstand offer produce and food from many of the same vendors you'll see at the larger Civic Center location. Fairfax's Wednesday night market also boasts a whimsical setting under a canopy of redwood trees, live music, and plenty of room for picnicking. San Anselmo's Famstand operates in conjunction with the town's Friday night Picnic in the Plaza, featuring live music, tables and chairs to gather with friends and a bounce house for the kids.

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If you're planning to make an evening of it, here are our picks for the five best bites between the two events.

(And don't miss the fantastic photo gallery at right shot by Fairfax photographer Kristen Townsend.)

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Fairfax Farmers Market, Bolinas Park

Wednesdays from 4-8pm, May through September

Tru Gourmet Organic Dim Sum

Dim Sum at it's very best. Owner and chef Cathy Tsui uses all organic ingredients to create wonderfully delicate dumplings, buns and savory pancakes. Each selection showcases its main ingredient with incredible purity; especially her seasonal selections such as sweet corn and asparagus dumplings. The sticky rice (shitake mushroom or chicken) is not to be missed - savory, slightly sweet and incredibly moist in a lotus leaf wrapping. For those staying away from wheat, have no fear. In addition to being incredibly delicious, most everything on the menu also happens to be wheat-free.

Pizza Politana

Owner Joel Baecker and his crew churn out perfect little pies complete with thin, blistered crust, bubbling cheese and tasty local toppings. And they do it in less than five minutes using an impressive mobile wood-fired oven. Baecker fires the oven with oak logs, brushes the hot embers to the side and cooks the 9-inch pizzas on the firebrick oven floor at temperatures reaching upwards of 600 degrees. Menu staples are the margherita and pepperoni pizzas. The market pizza changes daily and highlights the market's best such as zucchini and Bellwether Farm ricotta.

Roli-Roti

If you didn't know where the market was, you could follow your nose and reach this stand. Roli Roti's menu is small and simple. Perfectly cooked rotisserie chicken with crispy, herbalicious skin and roasted potatoes, showered in the juice of the birds that slowly turn above them.  Roli Roti uses local, free-range chicken from Fulton Valley Farm in Sonoma. If you can't stay to picnic, grab a whole chicken, a large order of potatoes and a bag of fresh salad greens from the stand to the right. It'll feed four and cost around $20.

Fat Angel Bakery

After enjoying your pizza or dim sum, head over to Fat Angel Bakery's stand for something sweet. Fairfax resident and owner Shannon Stapel uses local, organic ingredients whenever possible and you can definitely taste the quality in these treats. Choose from a wide assortment of cupcakes, cookies, brownies and dessert bars. If you can't make the market, you can always pay Fat Angel Bakery a visit at its brick and mortar location at 71 Broadway in Fairfax.

San Anselmo Famstand, Town Hall lawn

Fridays from 11 am-dusk, June through October

Jim Baum, a charming east coast transplant, owns and operates this well-stocked all organic farmstand. Baum sells a wide variety of produce and other goods from many local, organic producers. Full Belly Farm, Paradise Valley Produce, and Star Route Farms are just a few of the names you'll find on his table. In addition to pristinely fresh fruits and vegetables, the farmstand also offers Cowgirl Creamery cheeses, Brickmaiden bread and local eggs. If all goes according to plan, he will soon add fresh Hog Island oysters to the list.

Now through August 27, the stand will operate alongside San Anselmo's Picnic on the Plaza — a town sponsored event encouraging residents to bring their dinner and drinks downtown for live music and good, old-fashioned community building. Stop by Jim's stand to buy some local bread and cheese for the table, or to stock up on fruits and veggies.

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