As many of you know, I’m a huge supporter of the SoCo Farmers’ Market at The OC Mart Mix / SoCo Collection in Costa Mesa, CA. The market, which takes place every Saturday from 9am – 2pm, offers a huge array of gorgeous organic seasonal produce & products from local farms.  And, to make it even more fabulous, each week they have an assortment of Gourmet Food Trucks on-hand serving up their delicious fare. Many of the trucks support the local farmers by incorporating Farmers’ Market ingredients into their dishes – not least of which is one of my favorite trucks on the Orange County GFT scene – Taco Maria.

Chef Carlos Salgado of the Taco Maria Gourmet Food Truck performs a live cooking demo at the SoCo Farmers’ Market

Last Saturday, the talented Chef Carlos Salgado of Taco Maria performed a live cooking demo at the market to introduce Taco Maria’s newest dish – ‘Salad of Avocado, Beets, Mandarin Oranges & Almonds with Charred Scallion Vinaigrette’, featuring organic Farmers’ Market ingredients. He charred, blended and chopped while sharing his enthusiasm for farm-fresh produce with the audience.

So, tomorrow why not finish-off your last-minute Christmas shopping at the SoCo Farmers’ Market? Beautiful produce baskets make great gifts!  And, your family will thank you when you use their delicious, organic ingredients in your holiday feast. They’ll be open from 9am – 2pm. Taco Maria, amongst other fantastic Gourmet Food Trucks, will be there serving up their delicious dishes.  And the market will even be hosting their favorite local rancher tomorrow, Dave from Da-Le Ranch. His grass-fed beef, free-range chickens, sausages, bacon & more are the perfect thing for your holiday table… I mean, doesn’t bacon make EVERYTHING better?! Hope to see you all there!

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Charring the Farm-Fresh Scallions for the Vinaigrette
Chef Carlos blends the Charred Scallion Vinaigrette ingredients together using beautiful California Avocado Oil souced at the Farmers’ Market
Fresh Mandarin Oranges & Vibrant Beets from the market add complex layers of flavor to Chef Carlos’ salad creation
Eye-popping magenta beet puree sets the tone on the plate
Natural California Almonds from SoCo Farmers’ Market add a richness & crunch
Farm-Fresh Salad Perfection by Chef Carlos of Taco Maria!  Introducing Taco Maria’s newest dish – ‘Salad of Avocado, Beets, Mandarin Oranges & Almonds with Charred Scallion Vinaigrette’, featuring organic farmers’ market ingredients. Yummm..