Napa cabbage is in season and – as cabbage goes – is one of the most flavorful, nutrient-dense varieties out there. Something Good Organics has the first available, and I grabbed some for myself and my clients. This cabbage, also called Chinese cabbage, is traditionally used in kimchi, but is also an incredible vehicle for […]

I love discovering new finds at the farmers market and the Guatemalan blue squash is a new varietal for me. Roots Organic Farm has some of the first seasonal squashes and I am so excited to take this one back to the kitchen and create a recipe for you. This rare heirloom variety of winter […]

The first time I had a persimmon was seven years ago upon moving to Santa Barbara. There are two main types found here, the Fuyu and the Hachiyas. Avila and Sons Farms has some of the first Fuyus in the Farmers Market. The Fuyu is considered a non-astringent persimmon, one that can be eaten hard […]

Her Produce has some green and red okra at the farmers market right now and let me tell you, if you haven’t tried okra before go and grab some of this delicious fruit. That’s right – it’s technically a fruit as it is a flowering plant with edible seed pods. Grown mainly in warm climates, […]

Chuy Berry Farms has some delectable blackberries right now, and the superfood is loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. We talk a lot about Vitamin C, so you know the importance of it in our diets, and blackberries are exceptionally high in it. Just 1 cup of raw blackberries has half the recommended daily […]

I have been on a spicy kick lately and when I saw these vibrant jalapeños at Tutti Frutti Farms, I knew I had to have them. The jalapeño and all of its varietals have been adding flavor and heat to cuisine for some 6,000 years. There is a compound in jalapeños called capsaicin. This compound […]

I feel like I say this about a lot of fruits and vegetables, but I seriously wait all year for that perfect summer tomato! Growing up in Alabama with an incredible farm in my backyard, tended by my dad, the summer tomato holds great nostalgia for me. Walking into my backyard, salt shaker in hand, […]

What is more quintessential than the California avocado? Creamy, decadent, savory, sweet – the avocado is so versatile and nutritious! My favorite avocado farmer is Vista Del Mundo and wow does he have an incredible harvest right now. There is some confusion as to whether the avocado is a fruit or a vegetable, but it’s […]

The sun has been playing hide and seek with us lately. Even with the little we have had, however, the Farmers’ Market shows all the signs of Summer! Moua Family Farm has one of my daughters and my favorite snacks, the Kirby cucumber. This little crunchy fruit, yep not a vegetable, is full of beneficial […]

The sweet onion, part of the allium family and related to the leek, garlic, and shallots, is a nutritious and versatile vegetable that boasts an array of vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds. Something Good Organics has some lovely ones right now that look as if they were just pulled from the rich soil. The onion […]

I remember when I first moved to Santa Barbara and I saw the exquisite flower of the passion fruit vine, I was mesmerized. This tropical vine that thrives in our Central Coast climate can be found on a leisurely walk through your neighborhood, and at the delightful Frecker Farms stand in the farmers market. The thick-skinned, […]

Nasturtium, the beautiful red, yellow, and orange flower that we get to witness bloom wild every April and May here on the Central Coast, is an herbaceous plant that has been used in traditional medicinal practices since the early 1500s. Ojai Microgreens has some featured at the farmers market right now and they make a […]

Fava beans are one of my favorite things to find in the farmers market and Ebby’s Organics has some absolutely gorgeous ones right now! They are a little time consuming but are truly worth the effort. Fava beans, also known as broad beans, are a legume. They are a rich source of plant protein, folate, […]

Turmeric root has a short season and Her Produce has some beautiful turmeric showcased at the farmers market right now! Run don’t walk to get some of the most effective nutritional supplement in existence. The main component or active ingredient in turmeric that has medicinal benefits is curcumin, and it has had its time in […]

This week I am showcasing the insanely delicious dried dates at Flying Disc Farms. These things taste like candy and yet they have so many health benefits! This fruit from the date palm tree is awesome both fresh and dried. These sweet fruits are high in fiber, providing 7 grams in a 3.5 ounce serving. […]

To me there are a few vegetables that I will wait all year for, and some of them happen to be arriving in the market right now! Walking through the market this week I spotted artichokes at Mendoza Family Farms. Artichokes are by far my favorite and have been since I was a little girl. […]

Radicchio Rosso di Treviso – or Tardivo – is an Italian heirloom belonging to the Asteraceae family. The name translates to ‘late’ or ‘tardy’ and is a type of Treviso grown as a late harvest crop. This vegetable has tightly clustered bunches of long and slender leaves and is part of the radicchio family. Treviso […]

Blood orange season! This breathtaking citrus fruit – first cultivated in Italy – has circled the world, and today comes in three main varietals: the Moro, the Sanguinelli, and the Tarocco. Rancho Vista Del Mundo at the farmers market has some gorgeous and super tasty ones right now. The natural color mutation comes from the […]

The kabocha squash is one of my favorite squashes, creamy, nutty, and sweet – this squash has an edible thick green skin, a low glycemic index, is super low calorie, and contains a plethora of vitamins and minerals. I found some gorgeous ones at the market this week at Jimenez Family Farms.  The kabocha squash […]

Garlic, part of the Allium family and closely related to the onion, chive, leek, shallot, and scallion, has been used in daily cooking in all parts of the world throughout history. It has not only been used as a flavor enhancer, but also to prevent and treat a variety of diseases and conditions. I know […]

Is there a more exquisite vegetable than the Romanesco? Its geometric patterns are whimsical and, dare I say, too pretty to eat? Milliken Family Farms has this cauliflower-broccoli hybrid, and it is not only beautiful, but it is tasty and full of vitamins and nutrients. This Roman cauliflower hails from Northern Italy and has a […]

The apple is a food synonymous with health: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away!” There are so many varietals now that I have truly lost count, but what I do know is that the apple in all its many forms and varieties is delicious. Crisp, tart, sweet, sour, juicy, red, green, yellow, pink, […]

The Brussels sprout, such a unique vegetable that many have a love/hate relationship with, even appearing on the ‘most hated vegetable list’ year after year. Brussels sprouts are a bitter vegetable in the cruciferous family. Named after Brussels, Belgium, where they were first thought to be cultivated in the 16th century. The very thing that […]

The sweet potato is one of my favorite fall finds. I adore all varieties, but right now in the farmers market, there is a particularly sweet one called ‘Bonita Sweet’ and Chavez Family Farms has them! This varietal of the Japanese sweet potato is so sweet – like its name suggests – and oh so […]

This nutty little tuber may be small, but she makes up for it in personality and flavor! I found some gorgeous sunchokes this week at Mt. Olive Farm. The sunchoke or Jerusalem artichoke is nothing like the globe artichoke and is in fact a member of the sunflower family. The root is the edible part […]

The holidays are upon us and I for one am all for the sides, give me all the sides! I tend to make plant-based sides that everyone can enjoy and just not tell people that they are in fact eating vegan. It helps to serve incredibly delicious sides that surpass all your guests’ wildest dreams. […]

The mushroom is getting its due time in the spotlight right now and with just cause. This miraculous fungi, which is more of a fruit than a vegetable, is one of the coolest things we consume from nature. Not only is the mushroom incredibly nutritious, but it also plays a vital role in plant health […]

Meet the honeynut squash – the newer, cuter, more nutrient and vitamin packed cousin of the butternut squash. This squash was a creation of Chef Dan Barber of Blue Hill at Stone Barns and Michael Mazourek, a plant breeder at Cornell University. This honey-colored squash is easier to manage than the larger butternut, has more […]

The beet, such a unique vegetable in both flavor and its vibrant colors. I’ve noticed over the many years that I have been a chef, that you either love or hate beets, and there is not much in between. For the lovers, this week is for you. I originally created this recipe for Rosh Hashanah […]

“Wow!” is all I could say when walking through the farmers market this weekend. Summer is definitely my favorite season of produce and with all of the rain we had last season, the bounty at the market is just breathtaking. Eggplant is on my mind this week… although it was a hard decision to make! […]

I will wait all year for the perfect tomato, the not-flawless, stunning, smells-like-summer-and-tastes-like-heaven tomato. Sure you can find them year round in the grocery store, but the ones that look perfectly red and round and taste like water – why waste your time? Tomatoes, in all their summer glory, are in the farmers market as […]

The apricot tree in my neighbor’s yard is just busting with these beautiful blushing gems and I could not be more excited! My daughter and I went and harvested a bunch the other day and are so excited to take them back into the kitchen. I love using them in both sweet and savory ways […]

The Farmers Market colors are saving me during this rainy, overcast, gray June. Walking through and looking at all the bountiful produce, envisioning what I will make once I take them back to my kitchen, is saving me from a major case of June Gloom. This week my daughter and I were drawn to the […]

Broccolini – a gorgeous green hybrid blend of traditional Asian vegetable gai lan and broccoli – was created in Japan in 1993. What once was hard to come by is now a staple in the United States, and loved for its tender and sweet flavor. The long succulent stems of broccolini, along with its sweet […]

So many incredible things to taste, smell, and explore at the Farmers Market this week. I honestly had a hard time deciding what to write about, but I chose herbs because we often overlook the medicinal properties of these intriguing flavorful add-ons that tend to take a back seat to the main ingredients in recipes. […]

The English pea is popping up at the farmers market and I made the most divine soup out of them… I even tricked some clients by making it vegan and they were amazed! The English or garden pea is a shell pea, meaning the pod is too fibrous to eat. These gorgeous pods are not […]

Warm weather is trickling in slowly, Santa Barbara – and I am here for it! Spring in the farmers’ market is such a glorious time, crowded as it is with all the vegetables that begin popping up after our rainy months… artichokes, snap peas, fava beans, arugula, and asparagus… just to name a few. This […]

The Central Coast has some of the most amazing strawberries I have ever tasted. They are beginning to make an appearance again and I for one am so thrilled. At one of my favorite Farmers Market vendors, I asked about the crop this year and was told that many of the fields were flooded with […]