Food Buzz Breakout Sessions & the Ferry Plaza Farmer?s Market

This morning started out with a great run with a group of bloggers.  We ran 4.6 miles from the hotel down to the fisherman?s wharf & back.  We ran it in about 41 minutes, but since we had to stop at a lot of stop lights, the pace is debatable.

Afterwards, Mellissa, Julia & I headed to Posh Bagels for breakfast.  I had a toasted whole wheat bagel with crunchy peanut butter. 

It was okay.  But I wish it had been creamy peanut butter (sorry, I?m picky ? I don?t like the crunches) and the bagel was too squishy.  I am a bagel snob and I like my bagels New York style.  These were not New York style.  But I did thoroughly enjoy the Honest Tea I paired with it.

Hit the spot.

Then the morning breakout sessions for FoodBuzz Festival began.  I went first to the Blogging for Success, where I met one of the panelists, Da, who is from my new hometown here in Santa Cruz!

Carrots ?n? Cake & Lick My Spoon were the other two blogs represented.

Then, the second session I attended was the Fresh Express Salad demonstration and discussion.  Ashley had created the winning Fresh Express Salad, and she helped the Chef with the demonstration.  It was a butternut squash and caremelized onion mix over a bed of salad with a simple vinaigrette.  It smelled ah-ma-zing.

I have the recipe written down, and will hopefully be trying it soon ? before butternut squash goes out of season!!!

After the second session, Julia needed to move her car, so we opted out of the third session, moved her car and headed down to the Ferry Plaza Farmer?s Market.  We had been told it was something we definitely didn?t miss, so we figured we needed to make sure we hit it up.

And it did not disappoint.  At all.  Here is a snippet of the Ferry Plaza Market in photos.

Dried apricot sample.

A rainbow of honey sticks.

Free sample of jam!

Inside the Ferry Building.

Took this one for Mr. K ? its one of our favorite sorbets ? and they have shops in San Francisco!

The view from the Ferry Building.

Incredible goat cheese.  So good, in fact, I indulged in purchasing 1 slice of each kind of cheese: the Broncha & Capricious.  I seriously can?t wait to grate them over a salad or pasta dish.  They were so flavorful and had great texture, that they will be a great addition to every meal.

We also saw Frog Hollow Farms at the Tasting Pavilion later, where many more pears were indulged.

Chipotle jam.  SO good.

Pink beans!

After the Ferry Farmer?s Market, we headed over to Metreon for the FoodBuzz Festival Tasting Pavilion.  Many more good eats, and wines, were had.

I?ll post a recap either tomorrow or later this week on the rest of FoodBuzz, as we?re off the Gala!!  Should be a good time ? rumor has it that there is a scavenger hunt!