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While our holiday feasts will be quieter and more intimate this year, there are many reasons to be grateful. Let us give thanks for the nourishment the earth provides, and for every essential person who tends the land and helps bring the bounty to our tables. 

In the Bay Area, the fall harvest is especially worthy of gratitude. At CUESA’s farmers markets, you’ll find a diversity of sustainably grown fruits and vegetables, humanely raised meats, handcrafted pies and treats, and other seasonal favorites to fill your holiday table. Hearty winter squashes, beans, grains, and mushrooms make it possible to have a sumptuous meat-free meal. Persimmons, pomegranates, apples, pears, quince, jujubes, and other fall fruit abound.

Here are some special items you can only find at the farmers market and farm-fresh recipes to inspire your fall feasts.

Ferry Plaza Farmers Market Schedule

CUESA farmers markets are open on the following days to satisfy your holiday needs:

• Saturday, November 21, 8 am to 2 pm
• Tuesday, November 24, 10 am to 2 pm: Fall Holiday Farmers Market

• CLOSED FOR THANKSGIVING DAY: Thursday, November 26

Seasonal Specials for a Farm-Fresh Table

Find pasture-raised meats from local farmers at CUESA’s markets, including:

• Devil’s Gulch Ranch: maple-sugar smoked hams, whole poulet de bresse chickens (heirloom French breed prized in Europe and sought after for holiday dinners), and squab and quail for holiday appetizers or main dishes
• Farmer Joy: duck, chicken, beef, pork
• Massa Organics: pork
• Mountain Ranch: guinea hen, chicken
• Root Down Farm: chicken, duck, ham

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Looking for a delicious vegan alternative to the Thanksgiving bird? Hodo Foods teaches you how to make your own mock meat Holiday Yuba Roast (pictured above) in the traditional Buddhist vegetarian manner. Stop by their booth on Saturday to pick up a recipe and fresh Yuba Sheets, and learn how to make your own plant-based holiday roast (with video!).

For veggie dishes, you’ll want to stock up on winter squash, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, carrots, collards, and other seasonal vegetables from our local farms. (Click on the links for details on specific farms.) Learn more about foods native to the Americas, and see some enticing vege-based recipes below.

Ready for a new savory taste sensation for your Thanksgiving table? Aedan Fermented Foods’ Good Food Awards Finalist Sauce of Nostalgia (made from country miso, amasake, and sesame oil) adds umami to sauteed vegetables or meats.  

For sides and snacks, Tory Farms has pomegranate jelly and Flame seedless raisin rolls, Wise Goat Organics has fermented cranberry relish, and Tomales Farmstead Creamery has holiday cheeses.

If you’re baking homemade pie, find freshly harvested nuts at Glashoff Farms, G.L. Alfieri, Massa Organics, and Old Dog Ranch, or apples and pears from a number of our farmers. Check out our pie recipes below.

Looking for a no-fuss dinner? Pasta Shop offers handmade raviolis in Winter Squash with Sage, Roasted Butternut Squash with Kale, and Goat Cheese with Pear and Arugula.

Handcrafted Pies, Sweets & Treats

Acme Bread has pumpkin breads and rolls, pear ginger mini puffs, and more! Saturday, Ferry Plaza.

Batter Bakery will have holiday baked goods galore, including pumpkin pie, bourbon pecan pie, apple cranberry pie, honey rye apple cider cake, sweet potato molasses cake, pumpkin bread loaves, hand-decorated fall shortbread cookies, and lots of retail goodies perfect for hostess gifts! Saturday, Ferry Plaza; online shop.

Love cheesecake? Crumble & Whisk is offering fall flavors like Harvest Pumpkin Spice, Apple Spice, Pecan Crumble, and Winter White (white chocolate with cranberry compote) crafted in small batches using produce sourced from local farms. They’ll also be offering holiday dessert boxes. Saturday, Ferry Plaza; online shop.

Delightful Foods has an array of handcrafted pies, including key lime, chocolate cream, pumpkin, pecan, apple, and sweet potato, all made in Oakland. Delightful Foods uses minimal ingredients, such as barley flour, cane sugar, and non-GMO oils, incorporating organic and farmers market products when possible. Saturday and Tuesday (pop-up on November 24), Ferry Plaza.

Marla Bakery will be offering special menu items, including Pecan Tart, Sugar Pie Pumpkin Tart with Sugared Sage, Gâteau Basque, Parker House Rolls, Pain de Mie Bread (for stuffing), and more. Saturday and Tuesday (pop-up on November 24), Ferry Plaza; online shop. 

Three Babes Bakeshop is offering made-from-scratch holiday pies. Enjoy seasonal favorites like Pumpkin, Classic Apple, Bourbon Pecan, Blackberry Crumble, and Vegan Blackberry Crumble. They are also offering gluten-free options in Bittersweet Chocolate Pecan and Classic Pumpkin. They will have a limited selection of pies on hand at the market, but to ensure that you get your pie of choice, pre-order now for pickup at the farmers market. Saturday, Ferry Plaza and Tuesday (pop-up on November 24); online shop.

Treat yourself to an easy and oven-free, post-feast breakfast with Wise Sons Jewish Delicatessen’s bagels, lox, and shmears. Rye bread, and challah loaves and buns are perfect for holiday meals (be sure to check out Wise Sons’ recipe for challah stuffing) and for those leftovers sandwiches. Saturday, Ferry Plaza.

Fall Feast Recipes

Make fall produce the star, and nourish your family and friends with these seasonally inspired recipes shared by local farmers and chefs.

Tastebud Teasers

Root Vegetable Chips with Roasted Carrot Hummus | Joanne Weir, Kitchen Gypsy

Persimmon Pickles | Sophina Uong, Revival Bar + Kitchen

Lightly Pickled Fall Root Vegetables | Alice Waters, Chez Panisse

Fall Harvest Punch | Dillon Lockwood and Alex Smith, Novela

Soups and Salads

Creamy Carrot Soup with Berbere Spice Blend and Cashew Cream | Bryant Terry, Vegetable Kingdom

Cauliflower Zahlouk | Joyce Goldstein, Inside the California Food Revolution

Della Panzanella | Kathleen Weber, Della Fattoria

Curried Persimmon Soup | Bryce Loewen, Blossom Bluff Orchards

Asian Pear, Persimmon, and Almond Salad | Margo True, Sunset Magazine

Savory Sides & Stuffings

Classic Smoky BBQ Cube Stuffing | Hodo Kitchen

Challah Stuffing | Evan Bloom, Wise Sons Jewish Delicatessen

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Maple Crème Fraîche | Nik Sharma, The Flavor Equation

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Honey, Rosemary, and Hazelnuts | Craig Stoll, Delfina

Rainbow Chard with Squash Seeds | Annie Somerville, Greens Restaurant

Hearty Plant-Based Entrées

Tamale-Stuffed Winter Squash | Donna Eichhorn, Donna’s Tamales

Holiday Yuba Roast | Linday Tay Esposito, Flavor Explosions

Nutloaf-Stuffed Delicata Squash | Green Gulch Farm

Butternut Squash Galette with Roasted Garlic, Caramelized Onions, and Toma | Jennifer Luttrell, Pt. Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co.

Fall Vegetable Hash | Evan Bloom, Wise Sons Jewish Delicatessen

Meaty Mains

Spinach and Shaved Root Vegetable Salad with Moroccan Spiced Chicken | Joanne Weir, www.joanneweir.com

Three-Ingredient Prime Rib Roast | Ryan Farr, 4505 Meats

Honey-Glazed Roots with Smoked Ham, Lacinato Kale, and Pickled Mustard Seeds | Isaac Miller, Maven Restaurant

Pumpkin Seed Crusted Lamb Loin with Persimmon Chutney | Francis Hogan, Bluestem Brasserie

Turkey Gravy and Sweet Potato Mash | John Fink, The Whole Beast

Farm-Fresh Pies

Classic Apple Pie | Lenore Estrada & Anna Derivi-Castellanos, Three Babes Bakeshop

Lorraine’s Sweet Potato Pie | Lorraine Walker, Eatwell Farm

Kabocha Crème Fraîche Pie with Candied Pecans | Ze Lin Xiao, Pie Contest Winner

Sautéed Quince and Pear Pie | Reggie Harris, Pie Contest Winner

Pumpkin Pie | Lenore Estrada & Anna Derivi-Castellanos, Three Babes Bakeshop

Pie and ice cream photo courtesy of Smitten. Panzanella photo by Ed Anderson.