Purple and Green Cabbages

Winter is a subject I usually prefer to ignore, and in California this is pretty easy to do.

Although temperatures approach freezing at night, rarely do things actually freeze. We have our farmers market here in San Francisco year round, and overall I realize I am utterly spoiled.

But that doesn’t make it any easier to get excited about winter.

It’s still cold. It’s still gray. It gets dark early and the nights are long. Everything and everyone seems to want to hibernate, especially me.

But this weekend I decided to embrace winter and all its glorious produce. I think I was inspired by all the delicious recipes around the blogosphere. Who knows. But today I was excited about parsnips, braising greens, mushrooms and citrus, and barely even noticed that my pomegranates and peppers are out for the count.

White Carrots

Winter greens and root vegetables are especially exciting to me right now. I know this sounds weird, but until you’ve tasted them at the height of season (as we are now in), it is hard to know what I mean.

The difference is that during a lot of the year hearty greens and root vegetables like turnips and kohlrabi can be very bitter and spicy. They are edible in this state, but require a lot more work to be delicious. Right now all these vegetables are sweet, almost like candy.

Cabbages and Kale

Watermelon Radish

If you don’t believe me, head down to the market and try some of the samples. People’s ooos and ahhs from their surprise at the delicious flavor of daikon and kohlrabi is audible throughout the market. Nobody expects vegetables to be this sweet.

The same is true for the brassica, things like cabbage, kale and collards. All these vegetables can be bitter and pungent when eaten out of season, but now they are as sweet and delicious as fruit.

Trumpet Mushrooms

Yukon Gold Potatoes

Another thing you don’t want to miss this season is the mushrooms. Truffles are expensive, but a small domestic white truffle can be purchased for around $10 or less and can make a spectacular treat for a weekend brunch. The chantarelle mushrooms are also big and flavorful this time of year. Personally I am loving the flavor and texture of trumpet mushrooms cooked up in a little olive oil and parsley.

Citrus fruit are the stars of the fruit scene, though you can still find some lingering pears and persimmons. I love the size and flavor of the clementines this time of year, but am looking forward to the grapefruits, pomelos and navel oranges sweetening up.

Citron

And it is hard to complain too much if there are Meyer lemons around.

Now is also a great time to get heirloom beans, dried chilies, sustainable meats, dried spices, tropical fruits, walnut oil, dried fruit and artisan cheeses.

Asian Pears

Limes

Today’s Purchases:

• Braising greens (Marin Roots Farm)
• Parsnips (Tierra Vegetables)
• Carrots (Tierra Vegetables)
• Kohlrabi (Heirloom Organic Gardens)
• Fingerling potatoes (Zuckerman’s farm)
• Shallots (Dirty Girl Produce)
• Bosc pear (Frog Hollow Farm)
• Warren pear (Frog Hollow Farm)
• Clementines (Olsen Organic Farm)
• Kale (Capay Organics)
• Rosemary (Eatwell Farm)
• Pink lady apples (K & J Orchards)
• Walnut oil (Glashoff Farms)

Have you embraced winter?

Brussels Sprouts Stalk

Holiday spending making you wish you didn’t have to buy food the rest of the month?

You’re in luck, the farmers market in January is full of healthy, delicious and very affordable produce. This weekend I spent about half of what I do during a normal week in any other season.

Shanghai Bok Choy $2

Napa Cabbage $1

My guess is winter produce is cheaper than spring and summer produce because it is more sturdy. During the summer, stone fruit (peaches, plums, etc.), berries and delicate greens are extremely perishable. They are also sweeter, so probably more labor intensive to grow (I’m just speculating here, farmers please feel free to chime in).

Sweet Potatoes and Acorn Squash

Winter Produce

Whatever the reason, the food is cheap now at the farmers market. But don’t let that fool you into thinking it isn’t tasty. Hearty greens, root vegetables and squash are perfect soul-warming food for this frigid weather.

It’s win-win!

Fennel Bottoms

The star of the season is brassica, also known as cruciferous vegetables. These are generally what we think of when we say “leafy greens.” Examples of brassica are broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, turnips, kale, etc.

Purple Kohlrabi and Kale

Organic Broccoli

It’s pretty common to not like these vegetables, so I won’t hold it against you if you just grimaced a little. But if you have only had them frozen or from the regular grocery store I urge you to try brassica again at your local farmers market.

When brassica are grown with care they are sweet and not bitter, tender and not tough. They are really delicious, probably my favorite. But I hated them as a kid. I urge you to give them another chance if you don’t love them already.

Audrey II

It’s also a great time to get onions, leeks, shallots and garlic. Not surprisingly, these make your brassica taste even better.

Dirty Girl Shallots

Twisted Leeks

But life isn’t all about Brussels sprouts and broccoli this time of year. Citrus fruit is taking the market by storm, bringing a splash of warm color to cool weather.

Citron

Blood Oranges

I grew up in Southern California so I’m a little picky when it comes to citrus, but I had my socks knocked off today by the clementines at Olsen Organic Farm. You can’t go wrong with any of the clementines in San Francisco right now, but these were truly special. The flavor was so rich and concentrated. In my hypnosis I bought a huge bag of them.

Olsen Organic Clementines

Tropical fruits are also popping up at the farmers market. Today alone I spotted mango, kiwi, Malaysian white guava and white cherimoya. Too bad there wasn’t any bikini weather to pair with them.

Malaysian White Guavas

Kiwis

And of course this time of year there are always persimmons, apples, pears, and pomegranates, though the seasons are winding down.

I didn’t get a picture, but the chanterelle mushrooms were also particularly spectacular.

Can you still find fresh veggies in your city? What’s your favorite?

Today’s Purchases:

• Clementines (Olsen Organic Farm)
• Red Russian kale (Paredez Farms)
• Organic broccoli (Paradez Farms)
• Baby bok choy (Chue’s Farm)
• Fennel (Chue’s Farm)
• Shiitake mushrooms (Far West Fungi)
• Kiwi (Four Sisters Farm)
• Tofu (Hodo Soy Beanery)
• Three Africans (Blue Bottle Coffee)

citrus

Winter fruits are different from summer fruits and the undisputed king of winter is the citrus genus. Here in San Francisco we should feel thankful to have such a great bounty to start the New Year. Don’t forget the freeze that killed California’s citrus crop back in January 2007.

This week the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market had all the basics–oranges, grapefruits, clementines, lemons, limes–but half the fun is trying all the unusual varieties available.

Pomelos look like giant grapefruits with super thick skin. They come in several different varietals, each with a unique flavor and juiciness level. Interestingly, I find the less juicy pomelos to be the sweetest. You can eat them without making a complete mess of your hands and each individual pulp is like a little balloon filled with liquid candy.

At the farmers market you can find yellow, white, pink and green pomelos, and the skin color does not necessarily correspond with the color of the flesh inside. I think the green pomelos with pink flesh are my favorite, but they are all great. Eat them plain or add them to a refreshing winter salad, just be sure to remove the thick membranes that separate the sections.

Even oranges become deceptively interesting when you get them from local farmers. On the outside Cara cara oranges are virtually indistinguishable from navel oranges, but inside the flesh is pink like a ruby grapefruit. Blood oranges–great for juicing–are prized for their deep red flesh and richer taste.

For me one of the most surprising things I have discovered about citrus fruit is that lemons and limes are not always as pucker-inducing as you might guess. Meyer lemons taste like they have already been sugared and baked into a meringue pie. The juice is a little tart (though still drinkable) but the skin is so sweet and flavorful you have to try it to believe it. I zest it into everything this time of year.

One of the truly bizarre fruits of winter is the Fingered citron. Also known as Buddha’s hand, these large, tentacle-covered citrus fruits are primarily ornamental but can be used for their zest. Wikipedia claims that in Chinese and Japanese cultures they are sometimes used as air fresheners. Their white pith is not bitter as in most citrus fruits, so the “fingers” can be cut off and used in cooking. You might want to pick one of these up if you are entertaining or decorating your dining room or kitchen. They would make an interesting and unique centerpiece for a table.


Winter cruciferous vegetables are also abundant right now at the market. The cruciferous (Brassica) family is extremely diverse.

The term cruciferous means “cross-bearing” since the four petals of their leaves resemble a cross. Popular cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, cabbage and kale, but also root vegetables such as turnips and rutabaga. Cruciferous vegetables are usually what we are talking about when we say “green leafy vegetables,” and they are thought to have anti-cancer properties.

One of the best things about going to the farmers market is discovering new things. At McEvoy Ranch today I stumbled upon something called a Tamarillo, or Tree tomato. Tamarillos are native to South America, but are also common in New Zealand and a few other countries. I have not yet busted open the one I bought, but I was told it can be eaten raw with either salt or sugar (similar to a tomato). The skin is thick, tart and not usually consumed.
And in case you have forgotten, it is still crab season!

This winter do not be afraid to stare cold weather in the face and make your way to the farmers market whenever you get the chance. You will certainly not regret your trip, particularly if you are adventurous. If you see something you are unfamiliar with ask the vendor what it is like and what you can do with it. You just might find yourself a new favorite food!


Today’s purchases:

• Green pomelo
  
• Cara cara oranges
• Sweet lime
• Satsuma mandarins
• Meyer lemons
• Kiwi fruit
• Shinko Asian pear
• Kohlrabi
• Sunchokes
• Baby bok choy
• Romanesco
• Brussels sprouts
• Treviso (radicchio)
• Shallot
• Assorted small potatoes
• Scharffen Berger chocolate (Tomé-Açu)

UPDATE: This article is also available at Synapse.