Tulips

There’s no denying it, springtime has hit SF! I know it’s February, we’re all confused. But whaddaya gonna do?

Fava Greens

Not only do we now have tulip and fava greens, today I spotted the first tomatoes!

Love Apples

Granted they weren’t particularly impressive. There were just a few and they were probably grown in a greenhouse. But crappy tomatoes are the first step toward real, legit summer tomatoes. They’re right around the corner.

Green Garlic

Tomatoes weren’t the only sign of spring this weekend. Green garlic and spring onions are making their first appearances. It’s all very exciting. (BTW, here’s some info on how to tell the difference between green garlic and green onions).

Satsuma Mandarins

Of course none of these announcements should overshadow the real stars of the farmers market this week. The oranges, grapefruit, clementines and kiwi are ridiculously good. Seriously ridiculous.

Pile Of Blood Orange Slices

The last few weeks I’ve been focusing on clementines and mandarins, but this week the grapefruit and oranges were the sweetest option. I also brought home a huge pomelo. Yum.

Leeks

Another thing I noticed this week was that leeks are becoming more common, another sign of spring. Leeks are generally unappreciated. Their flavor is amazing and I sometimes eat them alone sauteed in olive oil with a sprinkle of sea salt.

Romanesco

I also spied some beautiful romanesco at the market today. Who could resist buying nature’s fractal? Their flavor is like a mixture of cauliflower and broccoli, only more delicate. I like to roast it in florets so they keep their beautiful shape. This roasted cauliflower recipe works well.

Carrots and Kale

And of course we still have the late winter carrots and kale, that I’ve been subsisting on for the past few months.

Cardoons

A few other notable, more exotic items I found this week include cardoons (an artichoke relative that resembles celery and tastes a bit bitter), walnuts (also walnut oil, which is amazing) and fresh bay leaves.

Walnuts

Fresh Bay Leaves

What did you find at the market this week?

Today’s purchases (~$20):

• Romanesco (Eatwell Farm)
• Collard greens (Eatwell Farm)
• Parsley (Eatwell Farm)
• Cilantro (Star Route Farms)
• Kale (Dirty Girl Produce)
• Pomelo (Paredez Farms)
• Navel oranges (Hamada Farms)
• Cara cara oranges (Hamada Farms)