Living on the central coast of California for the past four and a half years I am still in awe of the outstanding variety of produce available to us year round.
Our local Saturday morning market is made up of an amazing number of stands selling everything from the freshest produce to flowers, plants, olive oils, honey, jams and jellies, baked goods, fresh seafood, chicken, and meat, eggs and cheese, and much more.
It is one stop shopping if one wants it to be, or simply replenishing from the week before.
It is a great way to begin your Saturday, strolling through the aisles on a sunny, cool and crisp morning which is our status quo here in San Luis Obispo, with few exceptions.
And more often than not you will be bumping into friends you know.
In the above photo from left to right, here is what we brought home yesterday…
organic tsoi ( a cross between spinach and bok choy), which I am anxious to try sautéed lightly with olive oil and garlic, or added to a salad…
a bag of navel oranges, which are fantastic at this time, and my husband’s favorite, (samples are plentiful at the market)…
golden beets ( the beet greens are so beautiful I put them in a vase), but I will roast the beets, and toss with a bit of olive oil, a squeeze of juice from those navel oranges, and a sprinkling of Maldon salt…(or maybe simply eat them roasted which brings out their sweetness) warm or cold they are delicious…
beautiful, plump, sweet ruby red strawberries (hmmm… with Valentine’s Day this Wednesday, certain I will be using some of those for a sweet treat)…
and finally, the most delicious, crisp, organic cucumbers (we eat them skin and all, and sealed tightly they will keep perfectly a week in the fridge provided we don’t eat them all before).
It’s Sunday morning, and I have promised 100 cookies for an upcoming homeless dinner so I will begin making them today…my ingredients on the kitchen counter are waiting for me!
Happy cooking this week!