Farmers Market Watch: March 13th

Buongiorno -- my favorite farmers' market discovery this week had to be the aromatic (think shiso leaf) and overly spicy red mustard greens from Miramonte Farms. One side of each leaf is a deep maroon color, as you can see here against those screaming orange clementines. These could hold their own in a meat dish without fading into the background. The rest of the market is still ripe with winter citrus and dark, leafy vegetables -- enjoy them while they're this good.

What I liked this week at the San Francisco farmers markets:

Organic red and orange beets, just sweet enough to offset those dark-leaf vegetables. Try them roasted them in the oven, dabbed with pungent goat cheese, drizzled with balsamic vinegar syrup and sprinkled with chunky Pacific sea salt on top. Here are some other recipe ideas from Allrecipes or Epicurious.

Pasture-raised fresh eggs from Tomatero Farms for $6/dozen. These beauties are sustainably raised and collected one to three days before market, for a freshness you can actually taste in omelettes, soufflés or dishes where eggs are prominently featured. For bakers like me, the egg white has the proper viscous consistency to leaven dough properly and the yolk is a deep orange hue, adding a lovely gold tone to your crumb.

Fresh pecans have been available since last week. Think beyond desserts with these, because they're excellent in meat recipes such as this Pecan crusted chicken recipe.

The first guavas of the season are here, with a delicate, slightly sweet lemony flavor ideal in desserts or cool sauces for fiery meat dishes. Here are some recipes from Cooks.com.

California avocados are at their best right now. I enjoy them most in dishes with salty, tangy cheeses that cut through their buttery flavor -- try this recipe for a salsa with feta cheese.

Now's the time to enjoy citrus at its best: Lisbon lemons, clementines, tangerines, pomelos, valencia and blood oranges. Just look at them!

 

 

And don't forget flowers for your dinner table: Ranunculus are in full bloom.

Enjoy!
Marco Flavio

Comments

[Mini Kahlon]

Some of my most favorite of your photographs in this post. The lead photograph - too cruel, putting those two together. And then the avocados.