Good Food’s Weekly Farmers’ Market Digest

Written by
Matt Biancaniello and Laura Avery stop and smell the herbs. Photo: Camellia Tse
Matt Biancaniello and Laura Avery stop and smell the herbs. Photo: Camellia Tse (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

This week market manager Laura Avery talks with farmer Mike Cirone of See Canyon Orchards. This year’s drought has been especially harsh on his farm and he is experiencing record low volumes for all his crops. This season’s apples, pears and avocados will only be available at the Wednesday market.

Plus, cocktail chef Matt Biancaniello shares ideas for late summer cocktails, like a gin based cocktail with muddled tomato and lovage and this cocktail featuring passion fruit and Cappelletti Aperitvo.

What You Should Buy This Weekend At the Farmers’ Market:

Orinoco bananas from Golden State Papayas. These bananas combine an extra creamy texture with a unique tangy flavor. And their ultra thick bodies seem to want to burst right out of the peel.

Pineapple guavas from Friend’s Ranches in Ojai. I’m usually not a fan of guavas, but these have a complex flavor profile worth trying. They have a familiar guava taste, but with a hint of sweet pineapple and a clean spearmint-like finish. Fun fact: India grows more guavas than any other country in the world by a wide margin.

Apples and Hass avocados from See Canyon Orchard. Listen to farmer Mike Cirone talk about his apples, pears and avocados on this week’s market report.

Yams and sweet potatoes from Her Produce. Their sweet potatoes’ color ranges from a muted red to a vibrant purple — the darker the color, the sweeter the flavor. So choose accordingly or try some of each. Not quite sure what’s the difference between a yam and sweet potato? The Kitchn can clear it up for you here.

– Grab some Doyenne du Comice pears from Penryn Orchard if you enjoy soft and juicy pears. Grab their 20th Century pears if you prefer crunchy ones. Both are sweet and flavorful, so you cannot go wrong either way.

– Softball-sized watermelons from Valdivia Farms in Carlsbad.

Recipes for your Market Haul:

Banana Cream Pie

Apple Dumplings

Ivana’s Avocado Pie

The Slanted Door’s Sticky Rice with Sweet Potato

Sweet Potato & Quinoa Salad

Evan’s Perfect Pear Tatin