What’s Fresh at the Farmers Market

Laura Avery is the market manager for the Santa Monica Farmers Market. She hosts the market report each week on Good Food.

Passion Fruit comes in many varieties; these are Frederick and Black Prince. Inside are crunchy seeds and orange membranes with delicious sweet-tart tropical citrus flavor. Cut open and eat with a spoon, or put in ice cream, juice, cocktails. Mud Creek Ranch, Coleman Farm; Wednesday Santa Monica

Raw peanuts are actually peas, a legume. They have a pleasant taste and crunch when raw, or can be boiled or roasted with salt. Fresno Evergreen, Wednesday, Pico (Saturday) Santa Monica

Wild strawberries from Jaime Farm. So sweet and delicate, with a creamy texture and highly flavored. At many markets

Popping corn on the cob from James Birch at Flora Bella Farm. Best to take it off the ear and put it in a covered pot with a little oil. If you want to microwave it on the cob, you must devise a way to stand it on end or else the down side burns. Wednesday, Saturday Santa Monica; Sunday Hollywood.

Organic wine grapes from Mud Creek Ranch are delicious to eat – the birds and the bees know it too! L to R: Sauvignon – Mudech, Pinot Noir. Farmer Steve Smith and his neighbors know how to make wine and they sometimes do. Wednesday Santa Monica

An “Herban Garden” from Cheryl Gaines “It Began in the Garden.” Lovely to see and eat! Wednesday, Saturday Santa Monica; Sunday Pacific Palisades