English Peas, Spring Onions and Roasted Almonds

Just cooked English peas, sautéd spring onions and roasted, salted almonds are a delicious combination of tender sweet, sweet pungent, and crunchy just salty. You can set this side dish next to grilled fish or chicken or mashed potatoes and a roast. It's...

Never miss a recipe!

Enter your email address to subscribe to Harvest to Table free via email:

Fresh This Week Category Archive

< previous | 1 2 | next >

Fresh Harvest November's End

The sky might be darkening, but there is still plenty to enjoy from the harvest.

The first Mandarin oranges of the season are coming to market now. There are several varieties of Mandarin--some are sweet and some are tart.

Members of the Mandarin orange family include clementine, dancy, satsuma and tangerine.

Most of the Mandarins that come to market are satsumas. But try and find the clementine. It is tiny with a very thin skin. It is seedless with red-orange flesh. Pop it in your mouth for a tangy-sweet treat!

As you head out to the farm market this week, here’s an update on the fresh vegetables and fruits your growers will likely have on hand:

Continue reading "Fresh Harvest November's End" »

End of October Harvest

As October comes to a close, the final harvest of the hardier vine crops is underway and the fresh fall pickings of greens and root crops have begun. Kale is approaching full maturity and cabbages are starting to slow down in their growth.

Now is the time to enjoy your final fresh pickings of tender squash. The first killing frost of the season is not far away.

At the farm market this week, look for the following fresh picked crops:

First-of-season: Chestnuts, kale, kiwi, persimmons, pomegranates, new walnuts.

Peak-of-season: Apples, apple cider, apple cider vinegars, arugula, beets, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, chard, chilies, chipotles, cilantro, collards, dried fruit, green onions, guava (pineapple and strawberry), heirloom tomatoes, herb starts, leaf lettuce, leeks, lima beans, mushrooms, new potatoes, olive oil, onions, radishes, raisins, raspberries, red onions, rutabagas, salad mix, scallions, spinach, strawberries, sweet yellow onions, sweet potatoes, vegetable plant starts, fresh herbs including chives, dill, French tarragon, garlic chives, marjoram, parsley, rosemary, Russian tarragon, sage, oregano and culinary bay leaves.

End-of-season: Asian pears, basil, bell peppers, pickling and salad cucumbers, lemon cucumbers, eggplants, garlic, grapefruit, grapes, green beans, lemons, melons, nectarines, nopalitos, oranges, peaches, plums, raspberries, Romano beans, scallions, shelling peas, snow peas, strawberries, summer squash (Delicata, butternut, Kabocha and acorn),table grapes, tomatillos, tomatoes, turnips, yellow waxed beans, winter vegetable starts, zucchini

Early October Fresh Harvest

Clear October days are great for taking walks and picking up bright fall leaves. If you are headed to the farm market this week, keep in mind that in many regions of the the northern hemisphere the first true frost of autumn is just around the corner.

Eggplant and peppers will soon be making their last appearnces of the year. So now is the time to savor just a little more of the fresh summer harvest.

The final pickings of beans, broccoli, and squash are not far off, and while tomatoes often survive a light frost, you should enjoy them now as well.

Fried green tomatoes should be one of the rituals of the first frost.Slice hard greentomatoes, dip them in salted flour, andd fry them crisp and brown in butter. Serve them with baked corned beef hash.

Continue reading "Early October Fresh Harvest" »

The End of September Harvest

It really does feel like the end of summer here in the Sonoma Valley this week. The weather has turned breezy and slightly cooler. At the farm market in the Sonoma town plaza this past Tuesday evening a sweater was in order once the sun dipped below the valley edge.

Our growers still have a lot to choose from, but it seems the tables are shrinking ever so slightly.

There were plenty of heirloom tomatoes to choose from also eggplants and squash, but I'm seeing more apples which means the fall harvest is around the corner.

The end of summer is a time to savor the end of summer’s crops and to anticipate the first crisp fall frosts.

At the farm market this week, here is a list of what your growers are likely to have on hand:

Continue reading "The End of September Harvest" »

Early September Fresh Harvest

Bean Scarlet Runner

The heat lovers come into their own this time of year: melons, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, lima beans and corn. And the potato and sweetpotato crops will be coming on storng in the next weeks.

Enjoy your visit to the farm market this week. Here’s a list of some of the crops that you will find:

First-of-season: Apples, Asian pears, chilies, gobo, table grapes, kale, potatoes, winter vegetable starts.

Peak-of-season: Apples, apple cider, apple cider vinegars, apricots, arugula, avocados, Bartlett pears, basil, beets, bell peppers, broccoli, cabbages, cantaloupes, carrots, chard, chipotles, cilantro, collards, corn, pickling and salad cucumbers, dried fruit, eggplants, figs, garlic, green beans, green onions, heirloom tomatoes, herb starts, hot and sweet peppers, leaf lettuce, leeks, lemon cucumbers, melons, mushrooms, nectarines, new potatoes, nopalitos, olive oil, olives, onions, peaches, plums, radishes, raisins, raspberries, red onions, Romano beans, salad mix, spinach, squash blossoms, strawberries, summer squash, sweet yellow onions, tomatoes, tomatillos, vegetable plant starts, yellow waxed beans, zucchini; fresh herbs including chives, dill, French, tarragon, garlic chives, marjoram, parsley, rosemary, Russian tarragon, sage, oregano and culinary bay leaves.

End-of-season: Blueberries, lavender, lemons, scallions, oranges, grapefruit, shelling peas, snow peas, turnips.

Early August Fresh at the Farm Market

August is truly the month of plenty. All of the vegetable and fruit gardeners’ and farmers’ hard work seems to come to fruition in August.

This is the month that we had in the back of our minds back in April, May and June. Time to get out the garden harvest basket and enjoy the season.

August is always a hot month in the Northern Hemisphere, but around the corner and under the leaves you will find a couple of cool cucumbers to make it all worthwhile.

Because there is so much to be had from the garden and farm market in August, this is the time to enjoy the plenty with simple meals.

Continue reading "Early August Fresh at the Farm Market" »

Early July Fresh at the Farm Market

How hot is it where you live?

It’s been toasty hot here in the Sonoma Valley this week, approaching the high 90’s everyday this past week.

Of course, that is good news if you are a tomato or zucchini. They seem to be doing just fine!

And the first local watermelon should be making an appearance soon.

Here is a list of the crops that you will find at the farm markets in Sonoma and San Francisco and many other farm markets around the country this week:

Continue reading "Early July Fresh at the Farm Market" »

Mid-June Fresh at the Farm Market

Spring ends and summer begins next week in the Northern Hemisphere.

There are more flowers in June than in any other month. Bees are at work now: “A swarm of bees in June is worth a silver spoon,” says an old rhyme.

The flower of June is the rose.

This month, fruit blossoms are starting to disappear and green fruit is beginning to form. In the next two months, field crops, trees, and other plants will reach their fullest maturity.

Continue reading "Mid-June Fresh at the Farm Market" »

Late May Fresh at the Farm Market

Here is a list of the crops that you will find at the farm markets in Sonoma and San Francisco and many other farm markets around the country this week:

First of season: Apricots, cherimoyas, cherries, cilantro, cucumbers, fava beans, garlic chives, green garlic, goat cheese, herb and vegetable starts, nectarines, green onions, marjoram, new potatoes, parsley, radishes, raspberries, peaches, snow peas, olives, strawberries, string beans, and summer squash.

Peak of season: Artichokes, asparagus, avocadoes, beets, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, chard, dates, dried fruit, eggs, green garlic, honey, hydroponic tomatoes, leaf lettuce, leeks, local fresh and smoked seafood, mushrooms, spring onions, raisins, spring salad mix, spinach, strawberries, wine and apple cider vinegars, and fresh herbs including chives, dill, garlic chives, oregano, parsley, rosemary, Russian tarragon, and culinary bay leaves.

End of season: Blood oranges, grapefruit, lemons, limes, kale, navel oranges, potatoes, and sweet potatoes.

Early May Farm Market

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 oranges, baby zucchini squash.

Peak of season: Asparagus, avocadoes, beets, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, chard, dates, dried fruit, eggs, green garlic, honey, hydroponic tomatoes, leaf lettuce, leeks, local fresh and smoked seafood, mushrooms, spring onions, raisins, spring salad mix, spinach, strawberries, wine and apple cider vinegars, and fresh herbs including chives, dill, garlic chives, oregano, parsley, rosemary, Russian tarragon, and culinary bay leaves.

End of season: Blood oranges, garlic, grapefruit, lemons, limes, kale, navel oranges, potatoes, sweet potatoes.

< previous | 1 2 | next >

Never Miss a Garden Tip!

Just enter your email address and you will subscribe to "Harvest To Table" Web site updates via email for free. Make sure you confirm your subscription from the confirmation message you'll receive in your mailbox right away.