Report from the First Carmel Certified Farmers Market

I didn't count 1 organic stone fruit purveyor or more than 3 or 4 Monterey County growers in the mix, but the real magic number on this historic farmers market just might have been 65. 

As in 65 degrees Farenheit for a spotless-sky type of Thursday in the half-full Sunset Center parking lot—the market goes 10am-2pm—providing a heaven sent climate for a first ever Carmel Certified Farmers Market.

There were other relevant numbers to consider amid the rabid anticipation generated by more than a year of planning and debate over what the market should be like.

Here they are:

• 3 different restaurant chiefs shopping around in the 20 minutes I was there, including Tony Salameh (Anton & Michel, PortaBella, Merlot! Bistro and The Grill on Ocean Avenue), Brant Good (formerly of Sardine Factory and now organizing The Wharf Marketplace in the old Pacific train station) and Stephan Lemaire (Andree's Bouchee), with his chef Jacques, buying farm-fresh strawberries and impeccable squash blossoms to fry and stuff with sweetbreads. Restaurant professional presence has always been a great go-to indicator of market strength.

• 1 farmer from family-farm incubator Agriculture & Land-Based Training Association (better known as ALBA)—an impressive co-op formed to give small organic operations a break on leases as they start off—peddling heirloom carrots and plucked-that-day strawberries.

• 12 plastic bags spotted in as many minutes, which raised the ire of several in attendance, including Eco Carmel's Kristi Reimers. 

• Seemingly 200 types of fresh spreads from San Leandro's Hummus Heaven, including my 3 favorites, the artichoke, tomato-basil and babaganoush numbers.

• 4 types of kale from Serendipity Farms (726-9432), including Russian, red boar, purple Nagoya, dino. (They also rocked atomic red and cosmic purple carrots, and I made off with one bag of super blueberries, $5, and two bacon avocados, $1 each.)

• 20-plus eager vendors, including a couple of crafts booths. Each one who I talked to seemed pleased with turnout, though some were apprehensive they'd see a dip when novelty wears off.

• 4 dog-show-grade canines, including a perfectly poofy poodle hybrid named Poiseidon and a bloodhound with a purple leopard print collar named Momo. In other words, the Most Pet Friendly Town in the U.S.A. backed up its rep. 

• 3 types of dynamic salmon preps from the 1 prepped food rep I saw, sown-by-the-Sea Lincoln Street Catering (236-3120), which puts its memorable barbecue salmon on sandwiches on Parker-Lusseau brioche ($8)—which sold out—on a bed of Earthbound baby greens ($10) and a festival platter with tabouleh, baby greens, mango-corn salsa pita and lime ($12).

• 0 restaurants tabling like they do at any number of other markets, 0 of promised wine tasting stations, or any real indication of what organizers have been actively describing as more of a "Carmel experience" than a classic farmers market.

• 55, as in the amount of cash vendors paid to play.

• 1 guitarist, Fred McCarty (408-248-4045), covering Eric Clapton and The Beatles, among others. 

• 4 beautiful farmstead cheeses from Garden Variety Cheese of Royal Oaks (761-3630). I emerged with a divine wedge of sharp but buttery Black-Eyed Susan manchego ($8) and 1 mason jar of lavish sheep's Greek yogurt ($6.50)—which pretty much makes for a successful market by itself.