I wonder what percentage of Aliso Viejoians received the memo that there’s a new farmers’ market in town. The town was in need of one and Maryann, the market manager, delivered! “I didn’t know there was a farmers’ market here!” still seems to be the common reaction of many of the patrons coming by. It’s been almost a couple of months since we’ve been around and the town continues to gradually find out about us being here, located right in front of Regal Edwards Aliso Viejo & IMAX at Aliso Viejo Town Center . During the earlier hours of the market, I am guessing most of the people passing by are here for the gym, their post-work out smoothies, or early morning grocery haul. Nothing else is open around here until later. The market opens at 8 a.m. and we’ve recently extended the hours until 1 p.m.
Maryann also runs a couple of other Orange County markets (Placentia Certified Farmers’ Market and Great Park Farmers’ Market), so if you’ve been to any of her other ones, you’re likely to see some of the same vendors here, including Baked by A.K.!
Although I come here to be a vendor, I also like to play shopper during my time here. I just have less leisurely time to stroll about and browse as I normally would at a Saturday morning farmers’ market because somebody has to watch my booth lol. I’ve been doing all my produce shopping here lately and I can save some coins here since I get a vendor discount. For my coffee fix, there is Three Hats Coffee Company.
On days I don’t bring lunch, I still need to eat and sometimes I pass the day with way too much grazing.
My go to graze options have been yogurt from Bonjour, breakfast burritos, tamales, and there are some others I’ve yet to try. I never thought I’d be much of a yogurt person, but I have been finding myself getting some yogurt while at the markets. I first discovered them at my very first market, Farmakis. But I soon noticed that they are pretty much everywhere! They have so many flavors to choose from and it is fun to try different ones. My personal favs are the caramel and fig.
Next to me are two vendors that rotate each week, one that sells candles, and the other, essential oils. I love scented candles, so it has been convenient to step on over to sniff different scents.
I am not a tea drinker. I live on coffee. But the other day, I got myself some tea from Power in Herbs. The reason being is that I am scheduled to get my second dose of vaccine soon. I am prepared for the worst, with the side effects. I wanted to pregame. Herbal tea > coffee when I may be feeling like I am about to die. With my first dose, I had some delayed, faint flu-like symptoms. Everyone is different and I have no idea what to expect, but I am mentally preparing symptoms to be severe.
And then there is yours truly. You may know that I offer options in vegan, traditional, and keto. But it seems that most people at the markets come to me for the keto items. The vegan stuff has been secondary. And nobody even looks at my regular stuff when I’ve brought them in the past. I guess I have slowly established myself at the markets as the vendor selling keto or vegan sweets and most of my regulars come for those specific products. So I haven’t been bringing the “regular” stuff lately.
The crowd favorite (at this market and every other market) has become the keto zucchini chocolate cake, which has no sugar, no gluten, no dairy, and has 3 net carbs. The first time I brought it, I had it as a special. I wasn’t sure if I’d add it to the regular menu because coconut flour wasn’t an ingredient that I bought in bulk, which is the flour used in this cake. But it quickly grew as the item that people loved the most, so it wouldn’t have made sense not to add it, right? Right.
Almost a couple of months in and the overall experience here has been unpredictable. I’ve had good days and I’ve had depressing days. A couple of Saturdays ago was one of the depressing days, but it was exciting when a keto influencer, acaieats, stumbled upon us and had good things to share about our products in her post. As more people continue to find out about this new market being here, we are hopeful about what it’ll become. See you at the market!