Things to find at Good Food Sundays

Good Food Sundays (GFS) is a bi-monthly weekend market that pops up every 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month in Uno Morato’s compound on the corner of E. Rodriguez and T. Morato (the building with Sabroso’s Lechon) in Quezon City. The market is a project of Good Food Community, a non-profit CSA (Community Shared Agriculture) organization that aims to connect consumers with the people who grow their food, especially smallholder farmers.

The market is tiny—there’s only a few stalls selling limited kinds of products—with carefully curated vendors who keep to the market’s theme of local, organic, and sustainable. “We began with an idea of what we wanted our Sunday mornings to be like, the kind of food that we wanted to be there,” says Charlene Tan, Good Food Community’s CEO. Here are some of what you can see, eat, drink, and buy when you stop by:

Abe’s Homestead offers vegetarian fare such as mushroom quinoa burgers and banana heart bolognese that use local ingredients and taste so good, meat-eaters will forget to complain about its lack of meat. “It's about farmers trying to push the stuff you can do with their local vegetables,” Char says.

People who love condiments should check out Chili Asylum’s list of offerings. Their chili chutney is a must for those who can’t get enough spice, while their watermelon salsa will add oomph to your midnight tacos. They also serve cooked food, such as both meat-based and meatless lasagnas, each tasty in its own way.

Earnest Bakes is a purveyor of delicious home baked treats, from chili chocolate chip cookies to calamansi pie to rhum cake. They also make beautifully decorated fondant cakes and cupcakes to grace special occasions.

Folks looking for sustainably farmed organic vegetables need look no further than Good Food Community (GFC). The organization offers weekly vegetable subscriptions according to your budget, and the market is a great place to sample their wares and to inquire about the process. They also sell milky mushrooms from the producer of the same name.

Daisy Langenegger is one of the pioneers of the natural/ organic movement in the Philippines and is one of its primary advocates. Her restaurant, Green Daisy, has been a fixture in Maginhawa decades before the Teacher’s Village area became hip, the produce served there and available at GFS coming from their own farm in Isabela. The have upland rice, brown rice, black rice, and dried ashitaba, as well as a probiotic concoction made from carrot, cucumber, and celery that's been fermented. “They offer shots for people to try. Daisy swears by its benefits,” Char says.

Quench your thrist with either hot or iced tea from Herbal Tea Spa. They have an impressive selection of loose-leaf teas that range from rooibos to chai to oolong that you can enjoy then and there or take home to brew for yourself.

Like GFC, Kalsada Coffee aims to connect coffee producers and consumers. With operations in Mania and Seattle, they hope to expand their coffee base from Kalinga to beyond. You can buy a cup and get your morning's worth of caffeine at the market, and take beans home to consume the rest of the week.

Sambali Organic Farms offers organic pork and chicken. If you're really interested in how your livestock is raised, they, like many of the GFS vendors, offer field trips to their farm as well.

Tara Farms is a family-owned farm that grows tomatoes and herbs, among others. They sun-dry their own tomatoes, which they pack with herbs and olive oil. Placed on top of bread, it makes for a tasty snack or appetizer.

Liven up your pantry with offerings from The Wandering Chew. Onion jam, calamansi curd, and kimchi are just some of the things they have on hand. They also make a mean grilled chicken salad, which you can have there as brunch, or take out for dinner or baon.

"Artisanal baking, local flavor" is how Manila Bake describes itself. Load up on fresh bread and pastries, all made with quality ingredients. Their Honey Cake is especially addictive.

Pamora Farms offers organic free range eggs, chickens, and chicken pate. They sometimes arrange field trips to their farm in Abra so comsumers can see for themselves how the poultry is raised.

Now a household name, Ritual offers organic and/or sustainably sourced items that range from food and condiments to household cleaning items. Good Food Sundays offers the former, along with select butters and cheeses from Malagos Farms in Davao and the Goatery in Dumaguete. — BM, GMA News

The next Good Food Sundays weekend market in Uno Morato’s compound on E. Rodriguez and T. Morato, Quezon City will be on June 7.