Meet at the market: Santa Ynez sourdough pizza maker shops for toppings

This week at the Santa Barbara farmer’s market, our new market host Katie Hershfelt from Cultivate Events met up with a local pizza maker, Rachel Greenspan, as she shopped for this week’s toppings. When Rachel and her boyfriend, Brendan, moved to the Santa Barbara area from Brooklyn they brought with them a craving for pizza, and the willingness to share. They started Autostrada last year, with a mission to source from nearby farmers as much as possible. While they have several signature pies that don’t change, many are seasonally dependent. That’s where the market comes in. “I just do a walk through and come up with ideas. That’s the fun of it,” she says. We talked with Rachel while she hunted the market for ingredients to top pies for this weekend’s Lucidity Festival.

On her shopping list this week? Vegetables to pickle for her sausage pizza (protein compliments of Valley Piggery) and herbs from Earthtrine Farm like mint for her housemade pesto. She’s also preparing for Earth Day, April 18-19th, where they’ll be cooking up pizza all weekend long.

Some of the most important produce? Citrus, to help get her employees through these two busy weekends. “I want to keep them healthy and strong,” she says.

Keep up with Autostrada through social media here and here.

To check out all our past farmers’ market guests, click here.