Eat Local: A Farmers Market Cookbook for August

Knowing your way around the best farmers market produce is its own kind of Westside food shopping savvy. It also matters more than it used to. At a time when it's harder to know where your food actually comes from, farmers markets keep it simple: the person selling you the tomatoes is often the person who grew them. Every basket you buy for your next culinary adventure is a small investment in the local growers who make the gorgeous stands come alive with the colors of the season. So, consider this your go-to guide to eating your way through August, market by market, ingredient by ingredient.

Where to Shop This Week

Santa Monica Farmers Markets

Three locations, all weekend. Take your pick:

Wednesdays & Saturdays, 8am-1pm — Arizona Ave & 2nd St
Saturdays, 8am-1pm — Pico & 22nd St
Sundays, 8:30am–1:30pm — Main St & Ocean Park Blvd

The original, the icon, the one every chef in the city still swears by? The Arizona Avenue market. It turns into a produce runway of Weiser Family Farms greens, Harry's Berries strawberries, and enough microgreens to make you feel personally inadequate. Go early. Go hungry. Bring cash for the stalls that don't do cards.

Brentwood Farmers Market

Sundays, 9am-2pm. Smaller, crowded, a little more upscale, a lot more see-and-be-seen. Gorgeous citrus and stone fruit vendors, sourdough that's basically a personality trait at this point, and the kind of casual morning where you might end up standing behind a celeb doing their weekly shop.

Mar Vista Farmers Market

Sundays, 9am–2pm. The community one. Grandview Boulevard gets shut down, families take over, and the produce is every bit as good as its flashier neighbors — just with lower stakes and better parking karma.

Century City Farmers Market

Thursdays, 10am-2pm. The lunch-break market. Quick, tight, perfect for grabbing a week's worth of vegetables between meetings.

Venice Farmers Market

Fridays, 7–11am. Low-key, early, and a good excuse to be near the beach before the rest of the Westside wakes up.

What's In Season Right Now

August on the Westside means the produce stalls basically become a stunning still-life painting (and an Insta moment). Look for:

Stone fruit everywhere — peaches, nectarines, pluots, and donut peaches at peak sweetness
Heirloom tomatoes in colors that don't look real
Corn, sold sweet and often still warm from the truck
Figs, right as they start to show up in the good baskets
Squash blossoms, if you're quick — they sell out fast
Melons — cantaloupe and honeydew hitting their stride
Basil, the backbone of every good August dinner

Three Recipes Worth Building Your Weekend Around

1. Heirloom Tomato & Burrata Salad 

Ingredients (Serves 4):

• 3-4 large heirloom tomatoes, assorted colors

• 8 oz fresh burrata (1 ball)

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing

• Flaky sea salt

• Freshly cracked black pepper

• 1 small handful fresh basil leaves, torn

• 1 tsp balsamic glaze or reduction (optional)

Directions:

1. Core the tomatoes and slice into ½-inch rounds or wedges. Arrange on a serving platter, overlapping slightly.

2. Season the tomatoes with a pinch of flaky salt and let sit for 5 minutes — this draws out their juices and concentrates the flavor.

3. Tear the burrata in half and nestle both halves in the center of the platter, letting the creamy interior spill over the tomatoes.

4. Drizzle everything with olive oil (and balsamic glaze, if using).

5. Finish with cracked pepper, another pinch of flaky salt, and torn basil leaves. Serve immediately at room temperature.

2. Grilled Corn with Cotija & Lime

Ingredients (Serves 4):

• 4 ears fresh corn, husks on

• ¼ cup mayonnaise or Mexican crema

• ½ cup cotija cheese, finely crumbled

• 1 tsp chili powder (or Tajín)

• 2 limes, cut into wedges

• Chopped cilantro, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.

2. Pull back the husks without removing them and strip off the silk, then fold the husks back over the corn.

3. Grill the corn, turning occasionally, for 12-15 minutes, until the kernels are tender and lightly charred in spots.

4. Let cool slightly, then peel back the husks and use them as a handle.

5. Brush or slather each ear with mayonnaise or crema, then roll in cotija to coat.

6. Dust with chili powder, squeeze lime juice over the top, and garnish with cilantro. Serve warm.

3. Stone Fruit Galette

Ingredients (Serves 6-8):

• 1 store-bought or homemade pie crust (9-inch, chilled)

• 4-5 ripe peaches or pluots, pitted and sliced into ½-inch wedges

• ⅓ cup granulated sugar, divided

• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour

• ½ tsp ground cinnamon (optional)

• 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

• 1 tbsp turbinado or coarse sugar, for topping

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Roll out the pie crust into a rough 12-inch circle and transfer to the prepared baking sheet.

3. In a bowl, toss the sliced fruit with ¼ cup sugar, lemon juice, flour, and cinnamon until evenly coated.

4. Pile the fruit mixture in the center of the crust, leaving a 2-inch border all the way around.

5. Fold the border up and over the fruit, pleating loosely as you go — it should look rustic, not perfect.

6. Brush the folded crust with beaten egg and sprinkle with the remaining sugar and turbinado sugar.

7. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and the fruit is bubbling.

8. Cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing. Serve warm, ideally with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The Takeaway

You don't need a reservation, a recipe box, or even much of a plan — just a canvas bag and a Westside market schedule. Whether you're new to the neighborhood or you've been doing this Sunday-morning loop for a decade, August is the month the markets show off. Go get your peaches before someone else does.

Grabbed your peaches, tried the galette, or found a stall we didn't mention? Tag us on Instagram @smithandberg — we're always looking for our next market recommendation.