Tag archives: recipe
Chuy Berry Farms has the most delectable raspberries at the farmers market right now. A member of the rose family, raspberries come in red, black, yellow, and purple varieties and are easily recognized by their vibrant color and hollow center. Sweet, tart, and full of flavor, these berries are nutritional powerhouses packed with fiber, vitamin […]
Burkdoll Farm has an abundance of stone fruit right now, and the plums are divine. As much as I try not to favor one season, summer has always held a special place in my heart. Memories of Alabama summers – juicy stone fruit, fireflies, sprinkler runs, and slow childhood days – come rushing back with […]
Stone fruit season is here and the white nectarine, my absolute favorite, is featured this week at Burkdoll Farms. Originally from China, the fuzzless skin of this peach varietal is caused by a recessive gene, not a cross between a peach and plum as some believe. These little nutrition powerhouses are packed with fiber, vitamin […]
Dried dates are always available at our farmers market, but lately I have been adding them to almost everything from a sweet potato topper with olives and herbs, to a salad addition, to a perfect and healthy vehicle for a dessert, so I thought they deserved an article of their own. Flying Disc Farms has […]
I love winter greens and escarole is looking incredible at The Garden Of. This pleasantly bitter green is often found in Italian cuisine, yet originates in the East Indies and is a member of the chicory family. Its botanical relatives are the curly endive, radicchio, and frisee. This high fiber green contains copper, folate, vitamin […]
Chayote Squash, also known as mirliton, choko, christophine, and guisquil, is a member of the Cucurbitaceae gourd family. Daniel Moua Farm has some fine-looking ones right now and these beauties are smooth, light green, and mild in flavor. Most people don’t know what to do with these gourds. They can be eaten raw in salads, […]
Chiles are known for their heat, but do you know how nutritiously beneficial they are? Thai chiles are looking beautiful at Fred Ormand’s Farm. The chile is a part of the nightshade family, related to bell peppers and tomatoes. All chiles contain capsaicin, the compound responsible for their heat, and this compound is also what’s […]
Is there a fruit as aesthetically pleasing as the dragon fruit? Rancho Santa Cecilia has some of this gorgeous fruit right now. The dragon fruit, also known as pitaya, is a tropical fruit from the cactus plant. With a vibrant pink or yellow skin and white or purple speckled flesh, its flavor is a lot […]
Gai lan or Chinese broccoli belongs to the same family as broccoli and kale – the Brassica family. Gai lan originates in China, and is in season right now in all its gorgeousness at Chavez Family Farms. In traditional Chinese medicine, gai lan is thought to be a detoxification vegetable, aiding and supporting the fire […]
The Jerusalem artichoke – also known as the sunroot, sunchoke, wild sunflower, or earth apple – is the root of a wild sunflower native to central North America, and Mt. Olive Organic Farm has some for a short time. This knobby tuber looks vaguely like ginger root and is crisp and crunchy when eaten raw, […]
Her Produce has my favorite tuber in-house, and that is the purple sweet potato –also known as the Okinawan or Stokes Purple. These potatoes originated in South America, but have made a home in Okinawa, Japan. The rich color of the purple sweet potato makes it rich in antioxidants; anthocyanins to be exact. Anthocyanins have […]
Broccoli sprouts are something that I spot year-round at the farmers market, and the sprouts at Ojai Microgreens are so vibrant and spicy! These small sprouts pack a nutrition powerhouse of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Sulforaphane is one of the main components of broccoli sprouts and is a potent antioxidant that helps reduce inflammation and […]
Citrus season in California is always a time I look forward to, and the Cara Cara orange is hitting the farmers market right now at Somers Ranch. This tangy and oh so sweet citrus is a vibrant red orange color, has a berry/citrus like flavor, and boasts so many incredible health benefits. Most of us […]
The Garden Of is one of my favorite vendors at the farmers market and right now they have some lovely turnips. The turnip is a root vegetable in the cruciferous family, just like broccoli, kale, and Brussels sprouts. They come in different colors such as purple, red, and green. The bulb as well as the […]
Rainbow Swiss chard is so beautiful, with its gem-like colored stems and its rich nutrient density, and it’s available freshly picked from Roots Organic Farm right now. A part of the beet and spinach family, Swiss chard comes in white and rainbow varietals. High in magnesium, iron, potassium, and vitamins A, C, and K, this […]
Have you tried the fruit from Penryn Orchards Specialties? Wow! The Bosc pears they have in right now are absolutely delicious! There are so many varietals of pears ranging from Bartlett to Comice to Concorde to Durondeau to Anjou – and these come in reds, greens, and browns. A pear contains folate, Vitamin A, and […]
Another new one for me this week, the white sapote – or custard apple – just came into the market, and Rancho Santa Cecilia has some gorgeous ones. This fruit originally from central Mexico is a distant relative of citrus. The smooth textured pulp tastes like a mix between a banana and a peach, mixed […]
Chuy Berry Farms has some delectable blackberries right now, and the superfood is loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. We talk a lot about Vitamin C, so you know the importance of it in our diets, and blackberries are exceptionally high in it. Just 1 cup of raw blackberries has half the recommended daily […]
I have been on a spicy kick lately and when I saw these vibrant jalapeños at Tutti Frutti Farms, I knew I had to have them. The jalapeño and all of its varietals have been adding flavor and heat to cuisine for some 6,000 years. There is a compound in jalapeños called capsaicin. This compound […]
I feel like I say this about a lot of fruits and vegetables, but I seriously wait all year for that perfect summer tomato! Growing up in Alabama with an incredible farm in my backyard, tended by my dad, the summer tomato holds great nostalgia for me. Walking into my backyard, salt shaker in hand, […]
