It will be business as usual at the Santa Rosa Original Certified Farmers Market on July 4. The market will open at 8:30 a.m. and conclude at noon in the southeast parking lot of the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts, located at 50 Mark West Springs Rd. in Santa Rosa.

Last Saturday, the market hosted a festive and well-attended grand opening celebration so I wouldn’t expect holiday festivities on Wednesday, just fresh local produce, eggs, meat, poultry and yummy things to sip and nibble while you shop.

SAVOR'S bike-powered blender

A highlight of the  celebration was SAVOR’s bicycle-powered blender, which you really have to see to fully comprehend. Chef Suzanne Waxman created the bike for SAVOR, the Sonoma Alliance for Veggie Outreach Revolution. The bike remains stationary and as you peddle, the blender operates. On Saturday, Chef Thomas Schmidt of John Ash & Co. was overseeing the aerobic blender, using it to make a nectarine and tomato gazpacho. It took about 3 minutes of rapid pedaling by a friend to achieve the proper puree, which he then poured into paper cups and topped with a drizzle of oil and a few cilantro leaves. It was remarkably good, with the nectarines and tomatoes merging beautiful instead of fighting with each other.

Chef Schmidt, pours his gazpacho into a tasting cup.

The Santa Rosa Original Certified Farmers Market, founded in 1978 and currently managed by Paula Downing, takes place from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays and 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays year round, rain or shine. It is located in the southeast parking lot of the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts, 50 Mark West Spring Rd.