Top Burnt Chef: Irvine Farmer's Market

I went to the Irvine Farmer's Market by my alma mater, UC Irvine, for the first time on Saturday. I was super stoked to find such a great farmer's market. The Irvine farmer's market is a good sized market with many different vendors. It is much bigger than the Costa Mesa Farmer's Market at the OC Fairgrounds on Thursday. I live in Costa Mesa, so I occasionally buy my produce from the Costa Mesa Farmer's Market but I am usually disappointed by the limited selection. The Irvine market is at least three times the size with many different vendors offering a huge range of products such as organic and pesticide-free produce, flowers, plants, soap, hand made crafts, freshly baked goods, cage-free eggs, grass fed beef and fresh seafood. And to add to the excitement, there is also a kettle corn and roasted corn booth. Unfortunately, I didn't bring much cash and being on a budget and all,I had to conjure up my will power (which is very weak against kettle corn and roasted corn) and restrain myself from splurging on the delicious corny snacks. I focused instead on the free samples.

One thing I noticed while I was sampling left and right, was the abundance of plums! There were so many varieties to choose from: dinosaur, gold, pink, just to name a few. I tried the sweetest plums but unfortunately I can't remember the name of the farm (what a joke!)but they were so juicy and sweet. In fact, I have three plums waiting for me in the ice box as I type right now.

The Irvine Farmer's Market is on Saturdays 8 A.M - noon at the In N Out shopping center at Campus and Bridge.

For more information about the Costa Mesa Farmer's Market and other Orange County Farmer's Markets, check out the Orange County Farm Bureau.

Don't forget to vote for Hank and George in the Cutest Dog Competition. We could win a million dollars!