It was 40 degrees when I woke up this morning. I am sure some of you consider that warm, but to me it may as well have been below zero. Cold, any cold, makes me extremely uncomfortable. The last thing I wanted to do was get out of my warm comfy bed, but the farmers market was calling.

For two weeks now I have been longing for a refrigerator full of vegetables and today I finally got one.

Despite the frigid temperature it was a beautiful day in San Francisco. The sun was shining and the Ferry Building was bustling. One nice thing about the winter time is that the crowds are not as cumbersome as they are in the summer, so it is easier to linger and savor the quaint beauty of locals seeking fresh market goods.

As expected, citrus fruits are starting to reach their peak. Grapefruits, oranges, pomelos and lemons have traded in their sour acidity for tangy sweetness, and today I bought my first Mandarin oranges.

The most exciting find though was the elusive chocolate persimmon. Orange on the outside and brown on the inside, these sweet pulpy treats are nothing short of wonderful. I was told there are only a couple weeks left in the season, so get them while you can!

As for vegetables, someone at Star Route (Marin Organics) finally talked me into buying those stinging nettles we discussed a few months ago. I will let you know how it goes.

Still on a mission to perfect the roasted root vegetable lunch, I also stocked up on rhizoid goodies.

• Chocolate persimmons
• Hachiya persimmons
• Pomegranate
• Mandarin oranges
• Meyer lemon
• Pink lady apple
• Fuji apple
• Leeks
• Romanesco broccoli
• Golden beets
• Rutabaga
• 1 giant carrot
• 1 giant parsnip
• Stinging nettles
• Yellow eye beans
• Dinosaur kale
• Soul Food eggs
• Acme epi loaf
• Nossa Senhora de Fatima (Blue Bottle) coffee