From the cold ocean waters to a nice hot grill.
These fat, fresh oysters, topped with minced garlic (and eventually, in one instance, homemade cocktail sauce) were described to me only as "Pacific" oysters. Crassostrea gigas is very variable in appearance; perhaps some astute reader can determine a specific spawning bed after studying the photo below. On a cool morning at the farmer's market, however, I couldn't imagine how anyone would push these aside simply because they hailed from Hood Canal and not, say, Hamishley Bay.
Also shown below: pomelos; Meyer lemons and sweet limes; Hartley walnuts from Sass Ranch; assorted breads and spreads from Bolani East & West Gourmet Afghan Food; an assuredly healthy but very vegetal agua fresca from Rainbow's End Farm; a distinguished seafaring local (who appeared on numerous occasions, in many forms, during my West Coast trip); and a shrimp tostada ($5) from the El Caches truck, one of several such vendors at the market.
Santa Rosa Farmer's Market
Outside the Veteran's Building, Wednesday and Saturday mornings
Santa Rosa, California
