by Jessica Schreibstein

Unless you already knew it was there, you would never suspect that a kaleidoscope of color and flavor was nestled onto a side street off Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood every Sunday morning. The Hollywood Farmers’ Market, an open-air street market with more than 90 farmers, 30 local artisans, and 30 bakers and food vendors, is a vibrant hub well worth the early-morning trek across town.

1. The Hollywood Farmers’ Market is certified market run by the Sustainable Economic Enterprises of Los Angeles (SEE-LA), a nonprofit community development corporation that also operates six other farmers’ markets in the city each week. The market in Hollywood is its biggest accomplishment.
2. The volume and variety of vendors makes Hollywood’s one of the elite — an abundance of organic produce flourishes on both sides of the street, and in early spring you can expect to find crisp greens of all kinds, including rainbow chard, bok choy, broccoli, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, radishes, kale, kohlrabi, spinach, turnips, and salad and herb greens.
3. Taste-testing for the best citrus among mounds of pomelos, lemons, grapefruit, tangerines, blood oranges and limes allows you to find sweet, tender wedges with lots of juice. Elsewhere on the fruit horizon, strawberries are just coming into season, with three cartons available for $6 or $7. And keep an eye out for creamy avocado and cherimoya — an unusual fruit with a peel of green scales and cream-colored flesh that tastes like a piña colada and plays a vital role in many Middle Eastern desserts.
4. In addition to fresh vegetables and fruits, the Hollywood Farmers’ Market offers an array of cheeses, eggs, bread, dried fruits and mushrooms, flowers, honey and jams. Honey Pacifica offers glowing jars of orange blossom, eucalyptus, and sage honey, for instance, and Ha’s Apple Farm offers a Fuji apple jalapeño jelly that is fantastic spread on sandwiches. And if you’re not in the mood to cook but you’re in the mood to eat, you may be tempted by stands offering kettle corn, crepes, pupusas, lemonade, tamales, organic coffee and Peruvian chocolates.
5. To satisfy your cheese craving, venture over to Soledad Goats and melt into fromage paradise. Carol Pearce, the sunny and energetic cheesemaker, provides tastings and background information about her fresh cream goat cheeses and hard cheddar and aged jack cheeses, produced by the 150 goats on her Mojave farm. Available flavors vary depending on seasonal herbs and Pearce’s own inventive whimsy, but be sure to try her popular lemon lavender goat cheese, a unique blend for which she won the gold medal at the World Cheese Awards in London, besting 1,800 cheeses. She also offers pale blue and green araucana Easter eggs, as well as sweet tomato chutneys that would pair well with her savory cheese options.

Hollywood Farmers’ Market
Sunday, 8 am – 1 pm
Ivar & Selma Avenues, Hollywood
Parking:
All meters free on Sundays
Cinerama Dome, $2 for first 2 hours with Market validation
Doolittle Theatre, limited free parking
LA Film School, $2 parking, at NE corner of Ivar & Sunset

[The Hollywood Farmers’ Market is certified market run by the Sustainable Economic Enterprises of Los Angeles (SEE-LA), a nonprofit community development corporation that also operates six other farmers’ markets in the city each week. The market in Hollywood is its biggest accomplishment.]