Miner's Lettuce

Sometimes I’m less excited to go to the farmers market in the rain, but after spending last week in Austin consuming nothing but meat and alcohol I was ecstatic to get back to the market today, even if it meant getting a little wet.

Rainbow Umbrella

Luckily my efforts did not go unrewarded. To my astonishment I found stunningly beautiful, deep red heirloom tomatoes today. Tomatoes! I was floored and can’t wait to find out if they taste as good as they look.

First Heirloom Tomatoes

Also remarkable was the appearance of strawberries. Granted they weren’t as pretty as I know they will be next month, but it’s always wonderful to see a splash of color on an otherwise gray and gloomy day.

First Strawberries

I had a blast at the farmers market this weekend, stocking up on asparagus, kale, collards, spring onions, and adorable little carrots.

Thumbalina Carrots

Green Garlic Bunches

I also found some more rare spring delicacies, like miner’s lettuce and fiddlehead ferns.

Fiddlehead Ferns

And don’t forget to get the best of this amazing citrus season while you have the chance.

Whole Blood Oranges

Happy spring everyone!

Today’s purchases ($38):

• Lacinato kale (Capay Organics)
• Collard greens (Capay Organics)
• Fennel bulbs (Capay Organics)
• Broccolini (Allstar Organics)
• Thumbalina carrots (Allstar Organics)
• Asparagus (Zuckerman’s Farm)
• Heirloom tomatoes (Bruins Farms)
• Meyer lemon (Hamada Farms)
• Navel oranges (Hamada Farms)
• Tangelo (Hamada Farms)
• Green shallots (Dirty Girl Produce)
• Italian parsley (Chue’s Farm)
• Cilantro (Chue’s Farm)
• Scallions (Chue’s Farm)
• Avocados (Brokaw Nursery)

First Asparagus

I guess spring is here for real. Behold: asparagus!

And it didn’t come alone.

Every week I’m seeing more spring produce popping up as if it were, um, springtime.

Cardoons

Fiddleheads

Fiddleheads are baby fern shoots that show up at Far West Fungi for a few weeks or so every spring. Cardoons–a unique and unwieldy vegetable–are also a rare seasonal find. Neither of these make my top 5 vegetables list, but they are fun to play around with if you are feeling adventurous.

I admit I’m a little more excited about the artichokes that are appearing everywhere. The past few years I’ve fallen in love with the baby ones, but I enjoy artichokes of all sizes. And it looks like I’m not the only one.

Artichoke Slug

Cauliflower is peaking in season right now and trust me, you don’t want to miss it. Try roasting cauliflower florets at about 450 degrees with a little olive oil, sea salt, curry powder and coriander. Cover it with foil for the first 15 minutes, then remove the foil and let it brown until tender. Stir every 10 minutes or so. So easy and ridiculously tasty.

You can also find cauliflower’s prettier and more delicate cousin, romanesco.

Romanesco

Cauliflowers

Eggs are also easier to find at the farmers market this time of year. Right now I am smitten with the ones at Marin Sun Farms. They aren’t cheap, but they will blow you away. And you won’t get Salmonella.

Blood Oranges

Marin Sun Farms Eggs

The citrus season is also booming. Blood oranges and navels are wonderful right now, while the cute little clementines are almost gone. Also be sure to grab some Meyer lemons to squeeze on your asparagus and artichokes.

And root vegetables are still awesome.

Beautiful Turnips

Is it becoming springtime at your market?

Today’s purchases:

• Broccoli shoots (Chue’s Farm)
• Garlic (Chue’s Farm)
• Tuscan kale (Capay Organics)
• Red Russian kale (Dirty Girl Produce)
• Cauliflowers (Dirty Girl Produce)
• Navel oranges (Hamada Farms)
• Walnuts (Glashoff Farms)
• Eggs  (Marin Sun Farms)

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)