Chino Farms & the Cult of the Vegetable
This is a fabulous local vegetable producer based in Rancho Santa Fe (just east of Del Mar and north of San Diego). It was started by a Japanese immigrant couple (interned in the US during the Second World War) who were keen to develop a small family business focused on variety and taste. Hence a visit to their Vegetable Shop will no doubt surprise you with its amazing selection on offer, many of which I had rarely ever seen before; purple Japanese sweet potatoes, pink carrots, red kale, candy striped beets all jostle for your attention in a very limited space (it really is just a stand). A summertime visit will produce a similarly extravagant variety of tomatoes and other summer vegetable and fruit offerings.
Don’t bother calling ahead to find out what’s on offer for the day (you just have to show up and see for yourself), don’t try and place an order (unless you are Alice Waters from Chez Panisse fame, who first helped spread the word about Chino Farms and is a big fan herself of the Slow Food movement), but do pay a visit if you are in the San Diego area (about a 20 minute drive from downtown).
Oh, and there are no prices displayed anywhere. Just expect to pay at least double or more what you would pay in a regular supermarket. But boy is it worth the premium.
