Tag archives: recipe
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, […]
What is more quintessential than the California avocado? Creamy, decadent, savory, sweet – the avocado is so versatile and nutritious! My favorite avocado farmer is Vista Del Mundo and wow does he have an incredible harvest right now. There is some confusion as to whether the avocado is a fruit or a vegetable, but it’s […]
Nasturtium, the beautiful red, yellow, and orange flower that we get to witness bloom wild every April and May here on the Central Coast, is an herbaceous plant that has been used in traditional medicinal practices since the early 1500s. Ojai Microgreens has some featured at the farmers market right now and they make a […]
Fava beans are one of my favorite things to find in the farmers market and Ebby’s Organics has some absolutely gorgeous ones right now! They are a little time consuming but are truly worth the effort. Fava beans, also known as broad beans, are a legume. They are a rich source of plant protein, folate, […]
Turmeric root has a short season and Her Produce has some beautiful turmeric showcased at the farmers market right now! Run don’t walk to get some of the most effective nutritional supplement in existence. The main component or active ingredient in turmeric that has medicinal benefits is curcumin, and it has had its time in […]
This week I am showcasing the insanely delicious dried dates at Flying Disc Farms. These things taste like candy and yet they have so many health benefits! This fruit from the date palm tree is awesome both fresh and dried. These sweet fruits are high in fiber, providing 7 grams in a 3.5 ounce serving. […]
To me there are a few vegetables that I will wait all year for, and some of them happen to be arriving in the market right now! Walking through the market this week I spotted artichokes at Mendoza Family Farms. Artichokes are by far my favorite and have been since I was a little girl. […]
Radicchio Rosso di Treviso – or Tardivo – is an Italian heirloom belonging to the Asteraceae family. The name translates to ‘late’ or ‘tardy’ and is a type of Treviso grown as a late harvest crop. This vegetable has tightly clustered bunches of long and slender leaves and is part of the radicchio family. Treviso […]
Blood orange season! This breathtaking citrus fruit – first cultivated in Italy – has circled the world, and today comes in three main varietals: the Moro, the Sanguinelli, and the Tarocco. Rancho Vista Del Mundo at the farmers market has some gorgeous and super tasty ones right now. The natural color mutation comes from the […]
Garlic, part of the Allium family and closely related to the onion, chive, leek, shallot, and scallion, has been used in daily cooking in all parts of the world throughout history. It has not only been used as a flavor enhancer, but also to prevent and treat a variety of diseases and conditions. I know […]
Is there a more exquisite vegetable than the Romanesco? Its geometric patterns are whimsical and, dare I say, too pretty to eat? Milliken Family Farms has this cauliflower-broccoli hybrid, and it is not only beautiful, but it is tasty and full of vitamins and nutrients. This Roman cauliflower hails from Northern Italy and has a […]
The apple is a food synonymous with health: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away!” There are so many varietals now that I have truly lost count, but what I do know is that the apple in all its many forms and varieties is delicious. Crisp, tart, sweet, sour, juicy, red, green, yellow, pink, […]
The Brussels sprout, such a unique vegetable that many have a love/hate relationship with, even appearing on the ‘most hated vegetable list’ year after year. Brussels sprouts are a bitter vegetable in the cruciferous family. Named after Brussels, Belgium, where they were first thought to be cultivated in the 16th century. The very thing that […]
The sweet potato is one of my favorite fall finds. I adore all varieties, but right now in the farmers market, there is a particularly sweet one called ‘Bonita Sweet’ and Chavez Family Farms has them! This varietal of the Japanese sweet potato is so sweet – like its name suggests – and oh so […]
This nutty little tuber may be small, but she makes up for it in personality and flavor! I found some gorgeous sunchokes this week at Mt. Olive Farm. The sunchoke or Jerusalem artichoke is nothing like the globe artichoke and is in fact a member of the sunflower family. The root is the edible part […]
