Where to find Padron Peppers?

[napawinegirl]

Just had some great padron peppers at REDD in yountville - anyone know of a northbay spot that sells them fresh or sells the plants?

[Kristine]

You can find them at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market on Saturdays, I believe its Happy Quail farms who sells them, also my mom has gotten them at the Sunday Farmers Market at Stonestown.

Don't know about North Bay though.

I would love to find the plants for sale, but I doubt they would grow in San Francisco.

[Paul H]

At the Saturday Ferry Building Plaza Farmer's Market Happy Quail sells them all summer long for $24/lb. Tierra Vegetables sells them for a while (now, actually) for $10/lb. but they let them grow a bit more before picking, so they are bigger than the ones Happy Quail sells.

[AntarcticWidow]

Happy Quail Farms is also at the Marin Civic Center Farmer's Market on Sundays.

[wolfe]

Old thread that might help. Monterey Market has a bushel basket full at the front door, about $5/lb. You could call and ask where they came from.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/436702

[Dan Wodarcyk]

If you're up this way, keep checking Oxbow Produce at Oxbow Market. Last summer they had pimientos de padron quite often beginning in late summer, Aug/Sept. Reminds me to begin checking now. $6-$8 for a nice quantity.

[Junie D]

There were some beautiful padron peppers at the Red Barn Store in Glen Ellen yesterday. I passed them up for the equally gorgeous poblanos.

http://www.oakhillfarm.net/

[cyberroo]

I picked some up from Oak Hill Farm at the Sonoma Farmers Market, and they didn't have the magic of the ones that I had recently at a event - they were about twice the size and much hotter. I like to grill padrons quickly and then eat them as finger food, and the Oak Hill ones didn't work well for that.

[Robert Lauriston]

I think Tierra grows them. Their peppers are the best.

[Paul H]

Robert.. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/6407...

[Cynsa]

yes, Tierra has beautiful padron peppers today

[napawinegirl]

Just found some Great padrons up at Dean and Deluca only $8.00 a pound and grwon at scully ranch. Larger than usally are but very tasty. Much better than the $24 a pound peppers at Ox Bow market from Happy Quail Farms - what a rip off. Will have to get over the hill to Tierra this weekend.

[jimtak]

Great find, napawinegirl, I'll have to stop at D&D on the way home...Happy Quail had this pepper exclusively for years. Conpetition is wellcome.

[Amy G]

Bi-Rite is replete with them for about $10/lb from Mariquita I believe.

[norjah]

The Mariquita ones that I've been getting in my CSA box are great. 1.5 to 2 inches long and perfect slightly roasted with a cocktail.

[Melanie Wong]

Mariquita's bringing them to the City (parked at Piccino) this saturday afternoon. From this morning's email:
"Welcome to the Ladybug "Truck Farm" Buying Club! Andy will be in San Francisco in his Ford 250 flatbed this Saturday with Sweet Corn picked at dawn and Padron Peppers for sale from 2pm-6pm at Piccino.

What:
-Pimiento de Padron Peppers 1#/$9 -or- 1/2#/$6
-Sweet Corn "BiColor" 9 Ears/$3.

How: email us a pre order to make sure he has what you want; then we email back a confirmation. Please let us know your cell number as a form of confirmation, we'll email back Andy's in case there are questions. Minimum order for for pre-orders = $15. -OR- just show up and see what he's got for you. BYOB: Bring your own bag!!!

Who: Mariquita Farm: this Saturday it will be Andy and our son Graydon.

Where: Piccino: a great neighborhood cafe with world class food, coffee, and wine: we've been working with them for years. stop by for a pizza! Piccino is in 'Dogpatch' on 22nd and Tennesse

Why: we want to get good deals on great produce to all of our CSA customers, and the whole greater bay area community who like to COOK. this is open to anyone. Please tell your friends and friendly local foog bloggers. thank you.

Tomatoes?: possibly. we won't know til the Friday harvest, so Andy will either have those or he won't: stop by Saturday and ask!"

[Melanie Wong]

I bought 2# of them on Saturday in SF. Here's what about a 1/2# looked like as an antipasto, cooked in a dry skillet, then drizzled with olive oil and sea salt.
http://twitpic.com/dct7c

The Mariquita truck will be delivering bulk quantities of tomatoes and padrones in Palo Alto on Friday. From today's email from Julia, [e-mail]:
"This Friday (8/14) in Palo Alto at our 2SF Ross Rd. Pick up site 3pm -6pm

Please preorder from this list by Thursday (8/12) am by emailing me. I'll email back the exact address and your total. I might well have 'extras' on the truck: if you know where this is stop by and see if you're not sure now that you can make it. No smaller amounts please: this is a buying in bulk club to make it worth it for you and for me. thank you. Tell your friends!

---------------
Heirloom tomatoes 10#/$16 Early Girl tomatoes 20#/$28 -or- 10#/$16 Beefsteak tomatoes 10#/$15 Yellow Slicer tomatoes 10#/$15
Early Girl tomatoes 20#/$28 -or- 10#/$16
Beefsteak tomatoes 10#/$15
Yellow Slicer tomatoes 10#/$15
Pimiento de Padron Peppers 1#/$9; 1/2#/$6
Sweet Red Pimiento peppers for roasting (great to do in bulk then freeze): 5#/$14"

[weezy1074]

The Spanish Table in Berkeley has them sometimes.

[The Librarian]

I saw them at the Spanish Table in Mill Valley today. The store is in the Strawberry Shopping Center right by 101. (If you go, also get some of the olives stuffed with lemon - they're ridiculously addictive!)

[mick]

Oxbow in napa has them occasionally, SF farmers market has them. The plants have been available at DJ"s growing place on Big Ranch Road in Napa but I believe they are out until next year

[ctscra]

I suggest Forni Brown Walsh in Calistoga. 7.00$ a pound . . . call first.

[wolfe]

Dwindling supply at Monterey Market confirmed $4.98/lb.

[wolfe]

I bought a small amount, about 6 peppers, and sauteed them, seeds included. with onions for dinner. I was unable to tell any difference between the onions with and the onions without I sauteed for the faint of heart.

[Zeldog]

If you're too cheap to pay $10-$24/lb (as I am) it happens that Padrons grow quite well in the bay area, even in the less foggy parts of SF proper. I grow them in my back yard every year and they never let me down. They might come in a bit late compared with the markets -- I just picked my first batch last week.

Be careful if the price looks really good. Shisito peppers, for example, look like Padrons but are smaller. Shisito is an excellent (and inexpensive) pepper. You can sear it just like Padron and the taste is similar, although you won't get the occasional hot one that makes Padrons so trendy, but if you can pick them up for 2 or 3 bucks in Japan Town, why pay 5 or 20?

[happenstance]

I buy them all the time at the Tuesday Berkeley Farmer's market. Riverdog has them and they are delicious.

[jimtak]

Padrons should be much smaller than Shishito, little 1 square inch hearts. And part of the theater of the padrons is that every once in a while, its flame-on!

[wolfe]

Just saw a new supply at Monterey Market, most smaller than habaneros, at $5.98/lb.

[Melanie Wong]

I bought some from Wyeth Acres at the Saturday Healdsburg farmers market. They're sold by volume, $3 for a small carton (the pressed cardboard type used for blueberries). About 20% hot and small to medium size. I'd buy them again.
http://www.wyethacres.com/

The ones from Tierra Vegetables are quite hot now.

[Scrapironchef]

Berkeley Bowl west has them in the organic section.

[Melanie Wong]

From Wyeth or Tierra? I thought both only sold direct to consumer.

[Scrapironchef]

I forget whose they were, but it wasn't either of those.