The Peninsula eats well partly because it grows well next door. The Salinas Valley is one of the most productive stretches of farmland in the country, and the farmers markets are where that harvest shows up before it ships anywhere else.
Nearly every town runs one. Monterey and Pacific Grove anchor the week, Carmel and the inland towns fill in the rest, and between them you can hit a market most days if you plan around it. The evening markets double as a social hour, with music and prepared food alongside the produce, while the morning markets are the ones to hit for the serious shopping.
Bring cash and a bag, and go early for the best of the stone fruit and greens before the good stuff sells through. Talk to the growers. The person who picked it that morning will tell you what is peaking and how to cook it, which is worth as much as the produce itself.
Winter thins the stalls but never closes them, and the citrus and greens that carry the cold months are worth the shorter walk.
Market days and seasonal changes post to our events calendar, and our Eats coverage follows the local food scene. For the current schedule of market days and locations, See Monterey keeps a list.
