Asparagus and Radishes

I made a San Francisco rookie mistake today at the farmers market.

Yesterday was so incredibly beautiful I didn’t think it was possible we could have rain today. I was wrong and should have known better.

Completely unprepared, I found myself at the farmers market in the rain with no umbrella, a light hoodless jacket and tiny little non-waterproof shoes. Consequently, I didn’t feel much like lingering and did most of my purchases at just a few farms.

But despite my quickness to depart, I did notice the arrival of fava beans this week. Exciting!

First Fava Beans

Another rookie mistake I made was not showing up early enough to get the good strawberries. Anyone who visits the market regularly knows that the most special items tend to be gone by 9am. This morning I was told my strawberries were gone by 8:30. When the weather gets warmer there will be strawberries by the truck load, but until then the early bird catches the worm.

But I didn’t miss out completely. The artichokes I bought last week were so mind blowing that I had to get them again. I also noticed that collard greens are looking particularly tasty.

Collard Greens

Small Artichokes

And though radishes have been around for a few weeks, they are just now starting to look really beautiful.

Carrots have also been impressing me the past few weeks. Every time I eat one I think with pity about all the kids growing up thinking that those flavorless bagged “baby carrots” are what vegetables really taste like. The real thing is as sweet as candy.

Adorable Carrots

This week I finally broke down and bought an heirloom tomato. I’ve been putting this moment off knowing they wouldn’t be quite good yet. But these are starting to look pretty awesome, so I took the plunge. It was good, but not great.

Heirloom Tomatoes

Fresh eggs are not to be missed this time of year. Even if you cannot afford to eat them regularly, I recommend heading to the farmers market and picking some up at least once. You’ll be amazed. Use them to make a special brunch. (Pro tip: Try them with a sprinkle of smoked paprika)

Meyer Lemons

Eatwell Eggs

You should also stock up on Meyer lemons while you have the chance.

And though these are things I didn’t actually buy, they are great examples of why I love my farmers market so much. Purple potatoes and low sugar jam FTW!

Very Low Sugar Jam

Purple Potatoes

Today’s Purchases:

• Heirloom tomato (Bruins Farms)
• Swiss chard (Iacopi Farm)
• Baby artichokes (Iacopi Farm)
• Leeks (Iacopi Farm)
• Broccolini (Iacopi Farm)
• Collards (Everything Under The Sun)
• Shallots (Dirty Girl Produce)
• Carrots (Dirty Girl Produce)
• Meyer lemons (Hamada Farms)
• Black quinoa (Boulette’s Larder)

Is it spring for you yet?

Tags: artichokes, asparagus, carrots, collard greens, Eatwell eggs, fava beans, Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, Meyer lemons, potatoes, San Francisco, tomatoes

Fava Beans

If you have been meaning to go to the farmers market but still haven’t gotten around to it, I strongly suggest you make it happen next week. Some of these Spring treats are only available a few weeks out of the year, and they are peaking right now.

This week I bought young fava beans from Iacopi Farm. Normally fava beans require a substantial amount of work to prepare, including shelling, blanching and removing the tough skin of each bean with a pairing knife. When young however, fava beans can be roasted and eaten whole. Last night I put mine in the oven with tomatoes, green olives, chili flakes and anchovies, then sprinkled on capers, parsley and lemon juice when I pulled them out. It was amazing.

Baby Artichokes

Thumbalina Carrots

Strawberries are also particularly special right now. At Dirty Girl Produce I found strawberries from both first year plants and second year plants, and I was astounded by the difference. Apparently as strawberry plants get older they produce smaller, sweeter, more concentrated fruit. These made for the most intesely flavored berries I found at the market. The young berries were also wonderful though, big sweet and more juicy than the second years. I bought both. Can you tell which is which?

Shell Peas

1st & 2nd Year Strawberries

The flowering kale rabe was gone this week, but asparagus is available in all sizes and colors. The variety of onions right now is remarkable.

Finally, since I have been interested in Moroccan cooking lately I have been reading a lot about an ingredient called preserved lemons. I bought one this week from Boulette’s Larder and used it to make the best hummus I have ever had in my life.

Preserved Lemons

Yellow Onions

Purchases:

• Baby artichokes (Iacopi Farm)
• Young fava beans (Iacopi Farm)
• 1st year strawberries (Dirty Girl Produce)
• 2nd year strawberries (Dirty Girl Produce)
• Tangelos (Hamada Farms)
• Meyer lemons (Hamada Farms)
• Rainbow chard (Capay Organics)
• Sugar snap peas (Capay Organics)
• Endive (Madison Growers)
• Mediterranean cucumbers (Madison Growers)
• Leek (Marin Root Farms)
• Spring onion (Marin Root Farms)
• Yellow onion (Marin Root Farms)
• Carrots (Star Route Farm)
• Tatsoi (Star Route Farm)
• Arugula (Star Route Farm)
• Asparagus (Zuckerman’s Farm)
• Tangelo (Peredez Farms)
• Italian parsley (Chue’s Farm)
• Baby bok choy (Chue’s Farm)
• Garlic (Chue’s Farm)
• Firm tofu (Hodo Soy)
• Preserved lemon (Boulette’s Larder)
• Red pepper anchovies (Boulette’s Larder)

What did you find at the market this week?

Tags: arugula, baby artichokes, fava beans, Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, preserved lemons, San Francisco, shell peas, strawberries, tatsoi, Thumbalina carrots

Spring Garlic

I haven’t seen crowds like this at the San Francisco Ferry Plaza farmers market since summertime. The Easter crowds were in full throttle gathering goods for tomorrow’s festivities. Luckily for market goers, the spring vegetables were certainly worth fighting over.

The signs of spring today were particularly apparent at Far West Fungi where wild miner’s lettuce, ramps and fiddleheads were all available. Miner’s lettuce (as I learned last week on KCRW’s Good Food podcast) is a delicate green ideal for spring salads. It’s leaves are shaped like a tiny lily pad with a cone of small flowers growing from the center. Ramps are tiny wild leeks that could very well be my favorite egg addition of all time. Fiddleheads are the tender curls of baby ferns. They can be sauteed and served much like asparagus.

Fiddlehead Ferns

Miner's Lettuce

Heirloom tomatoes are starting to appear, though they still didn’t look good enough to buy. But I could tell that one day soon there will be rejoicing at Summer Tomato.

Other notable findings include fava beans, lilacs, asparagus, rainbow chard, sugar snap peas, morel mushrooms, strawberries, artichokes, kale flowers, sorrel and arugula.

Note: The How To Get Started Eating Healthy series will continue on Monday with the next addition, Seasonal Shopping. Consider this post a warm up

Lilacs

Rainbow Chard

Today’s purchases:

• Miner’s lettuce (Far West Fungi)
  

  Leeks

• Ramps (Far West Fungi)
• Baby fennel (Heirloom Organic Gardens)
• Baby lettuces and arugula (Star Route Farms)
• Baby leeks (Dirty Girl Produce)
• Rainbow chard (Capay Organics)
• Carrots (Capay Organics)
• Red kale (Marin Roots Farm)
• Mediterranean cucumbers (Madison Growers)
• Chinese broccoli (Chue’s Farm)
• Garlic (Chue’s Farm)
  

  Ramps

• Kiwi (Four Sisters Farm)
• Collard greens (Everything Under the Sun)
• Navel oranges (Hamada Farms)
• Raisins (Hamada Farms)
• Eggs (Boulette’s Larder)
• Ono (San Francisco Fish Co.)
• Coffee (Blue Bottle Coffee)
• Pain epi and soup baguette (Acme Bread)

Tags: asparagus, fava beans, Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, fiddleheads, miner's lettuce, rainbow chard lilacs, ramps, San Francisco