Pimento del Patron (to buy) Sightings in N-bay?

[kare_raisu]

I forgot to ask the source of the PdelP while I was at West County Grill. The chef just said he buys them from a guy that grows them locally (Seb.). Has anyone seen them at Farmers Markets, and or grocery stores?

I bought some similar - long thin Italian sweet peppers from the farmers maket last night in SR but they are not the same.

Japanese Shisito might work in a pinch as well.

Many Thanks..

[canard]

I found them at Sebastopol farmer's market two weeks ago. I don't recall the vendor's name.

[Melanie Wong]

I tried the pimientos de padron from Tierra last weekend. They're 4/$1 and mostly on the large side. I selected the smallest ones in the bin, having heard that they're less likely to be hot. But all four were quite spicy, and I won't be buying more. Love eveything else I've bought from Tierra!

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Tierra Vegetables
651 Airport Blvd, Santa Rosa, CA 95403

[kare_raisu]

Thanks for the update - I bought some from his stand I believe at the Wed. SR Market. He also had Aji amarillo and the most beautiful habanaros I ahve ever seen.

[kare_raisu]

The italian sweet peppers actually worked quite well. I just chopped em up to padron size.

[chemchef]

Quetzal's are delicious... I bought some at the Thursday Berkeley farmer's market last week.

I also just got a bunch from Mariquita's mystery box last night as well. Had to go to SF to get them, but at least it might be another option if you don't find them closer to home.

[The Librarian]

In the past, they've had the Happy Quail Farms peppers at The Spanish Table in the Strawberry Village Shopping Center in Mill Valley. You may want to give them a call before you go.

[Morton the Mousse]

Heirloom pepper farmer in Sebastopol? Sounds like Quetzal to me. They sell at the Sunday San Rafael farmers' market. They definitely grow padrons, despite Happy Quail's claim to be the only grower of padrons in the region (perhaps you could try both and let us know how they compare). Oh, and Quetzal's dry farm tomatoes are amazing.

[Melanie Wong]

There's a lead . . . Anstead's market in Healdsburg buys from Quetzal, might be worth a call to see if they stock pimientos de padron or can order them.

Talked to one restaurateur in Sonoma County who had tried a local source - don't know if it's Quetzal - and said that too many were hot, around 40%, and not as sweet in flavor. Happy Quail runs 10% hot although that ratio gets bigger later in the season in this chef's experience. There has been some debate elsewhere about whether some of the growers who claim to have padrons have true seed or not.

Quetzal's pimientos:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/326561

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Anstead's - now Shelton's
428 Center St, Healdsburg, CA 95448

[Scrapironchef]

I've seen them in my back yard, as well as Shisito, but never at a market. How many do you need?

[Melanie Wong]

Happy Quail participates in the Sunday farmers market at the Marin Civic Center.
http://www.happyquailfarms.com/