The Pearl Farmers Market is now selling pork.  South Texas Heritage Pork will be selling chops, ribs, sliced pork belly (uncured bacon), ground pork, and fresh ham steaks.  The farm, located southeast of Floresville, raises Tamworth, English Large Black, and their crossbreeds.  Their website is www.southtexasheritagepork.com.

Today, Pearl will also be hosting the San Antonio Herb Society’s Basil Fest.  There will be a seminar on growing and harvesting the herb, a Mediterranean cooking demonstration, a youth gardening event, as well as a cooking competition among local chefs, the People’s Choice Pesto Challenge.  More information is at their website: www.sanantonioherbmarket.org.

This week, the farmers market at San Antonio Botanical Gardens only had two vendors plus the plant sales.  Celia Rios of Peralta Farms said that there are usually five sellers and that this week was an anomaly.  Even though there was a limited number of booths, her farm offered a great selection including potatoes (Idaho and red), squash (zucchini and yellow), okra, jalapeños, onions (1015 and white), pickling cucumbers, beans (green, purple hull, and black-eyed peas), and melon (watermelon and cantaloupe).  Anthony Micheli of Hillside Farms in Stonewall brought tomatoes, green beans, squash, and Gala peaches.  He said that he anticipates that his freestone varieties will be ready in 3 weeks.

Leon Springs Farmers Market has posted on Facebook some of the produce items available today:  tomatoes, carrots, zucchini, cucumbers, squash, okra, potatoes, onions, cantaloupe, watermelon, and pecans.  They are also offering fresh seafood, grass-fed beef, honey, eggs, and goat cheese.  For the garden, there will be plants and herbs.  The market features live music.

Leon Springs Farmers Market
24133 Boerne Stage Rd.
Leon Springs, TX
www.leonspringsfm.com
Saturdays, 8:30 a.m. – noon

Pearl Farmers Market
200 E. Grayson St.
San Antonio, TX 78215
www.pearlfarmersmarket.com
Saturdays, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

San Antonio Botanical Garden
555 Funston Place
San Antonio, TX 78209
www.sabot.org
Thursdays, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Those reusable cloth grocery bags we use for shopping could be turning a rather unpleasant shade of green.

That is, if we are not washing them regularly.

Researchers at the University of Arizona in Tucson and Loma Linda University in California have released results of a study indicating dirty shopping bags can become welcoming environments for bacteria that cause food-borne illnesses.

In the summary of their report scientists wrote. “Large numbers of bacteria were found in almost all bags and coliform bacteria in half. Escherichia coli were identified in 12 percent of the bags and a wide range of enteric bacteria, including several opportunistic pathogens.

“When meat juices were added to bags and stored in the trunks of cars for two hours the number of bacteria increased 10-fold, indicating the potential for bacterial growth in the bags,” wrote the scientists.

The study examined 84 cloth bags collected from consumers at shopping points.  Charles Gerba, a UA professor of soil, water and environmental sciences, added that the dirty bags were “particularly a danger for young children”. Gerba co-authored the study, as was reported today in the UA News.

Scientists recommended that bag labels encourage consumers to keep their totes washed and clean. (And, we’d suggest carrying meat in a separate bag and, of course, getting it right home to the refrigerator.)

The floors are in and the onyx for the restroom counter tops is shipping soon.

So, says sushi chef and restaurateur William “Goro” Pitchford, the new Godai Sushi Bistro, at 4553 N. Loop 1604 W., should be ready to roll in early- to mid-July.

“That’s our target date,” said Pitchford, whose popular Godai Sushi Bar & Japanese Restaurant, just finished its fifth year at 11203 West Ave.

The Godai Sushi Bistro  management team includes general manager Francisco Quintana and executive chef Chris Kidd. Pitchford says he’s been putting Kidd through his paces at menu tastings and “he’s coming through with flying colors.”

The restaurant decor will be simple, in colors of cream and black cherry.  Inside the restaurant will seat 149; outside between 40-50.

Godai Sushi Bistro is in The Ridge shopping center, on the north side of Loop 1604 between Lockhill-Selma Road and Northwest Military Highway.