Here is a list of the crops that you will find fresh this week at the farm markets in San Francisco and Sonoma and many other farm markets around the country this week: First of season: Artichokes, cauliflower, cherries, chives, fava beans, garlic chives, goat cheese, herbs and vegetable starts, marjoram, olives, snow peas, Valencia
Brussels sprouts have a nutty, cabbage-like flavor that makes a delicious hot side dish dressed with butter or meat-roasting juices. Lightly steamed Brussels sprouts are perfect with a lemon-butter sauce, or you can simmer them with chopped celery until tender and then fold them into a cheese sauce. Cooked and cooled Brussels sprouts can be
The perfect thing about cauliflower is that the size of the head is no indicator of quality. Big heads or small snack-sized heads–as long as they are fresh–will be equally tasty. Cauliflower is best harvested in late spring or fall when temperatures are moderate to cool. How to Choose Cauliflower Select heads of cauliflower that
Potatoes are not fattening. Potatoes are high in fiber content and contain quality complex carbohydrates that will fill you up but not fill you out. A medium-sized baked potato contains around 90 calories, about the same as an apple. However, potatoes drenched in butter or smothered in gravy or the fat in the steak you
Potato varieties: choose from low starch, medium starch, and high starch. When it comes to cooking potatoes, choose your potato for the style of cooking you have in mind. These are round reds. Which potato? When it comes to cooking potatoes, choose your potato for the style of cooking you have in mind. Use high
Fresh bamboo shoots Bamboo shoots slowly simmered have a delicate, bitter flavor and earthy aroma. Fresh bamboo shoots can be sliced and boiled, sautéed or braised and served as an accompaniment to meat and fish. They can be slow-cooked with other vegetables or stir-fried. The crunchy texture of young, tender bamboo shoots makes them a
Young and tender chayote can be served finely sliced raw in salads, or it can be served puréed, or diced in soups or stews, or sautéed, steamed, boiled, stir-fried, deep-fried, and baked. Chayote has a mild cucumber- to apple-like flavor and crunch and can be prepared just as you would a summer squash. The mild
Romaine Caesar salad Lettuce is the main ingredient of the simple green salad and it’s the most popular of the leafy salad vegetables. There are hundreds of varieties of lettuce, and each may peak at a different time of the year. The key to a delicious lettuce salad is freshly harvested lettuce. While lettuces such as
There are five general types or classifications of lettuce: Butterhead, Crisphead, Looseleaf, Romaine, and Celtuce. There are five general types or classifications of lettuce: Butterhead, Crisphead, Looseleaf, Romaine, and Celtuce. Butterhead and Crisphead types have crisp leaves that form compact hearts. Looseleaf and Romaine types grow best in cool weather and do not form significant
Parsley root with leaves Parsley root can be steamed, boiled, puréed, or creamed. Use parsley root in braises, soups, stews, and vegetable mixes to add depth and aroma. The flavor of parsley roots is somewhere between celeriac and carrot with hints of celery, turnip, and parsley leaf. Parsley root works particularly well in combination with
