David Karp is a pomologist and a contributor to the Los Angeles Times. At one point in his career, he wrote for Chile Pepper magazine. On the Market Report, he describes the Bhut Jolokia, which until recently was considered the hottest chile in the world. Farmer Phil McGrath will have the pepper at his farmers market stand for the next couple of weeks. The Bhut Jolokia was the hottest pepper in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. As of March, 2010, That title belongs to the Infinity chile, grown in England. On the Scoville scale, which measures the "heat" of a chile, a jalapeño is about 2,500. The Bhut Jolokia is over a million. Serious Eats has some ideas for how to eat the Bhut Jolokia here.
Josiah Citrin of Melisse restaurant (1104 Wilshire Blvd. in Santa Monica) is buying cardoons from Coleman Farms. Cardoons are long, thistle-like plants in the artichoke family. Josiah removes the strings and then cooks it in acidulated water (either vinegar, wine or lemon juice).