Though shopping at the farmers market ain’t quite what it used to be, it’s still an activity I’m taking on to stay connected to the seasons here in Southern California. This is, inarguably, the best time of year for produce, and I want to take full advantage of it. Instead of aimlessly sauntering through the streets, however, now I’m armed with extra tote bags and a list of fruits and vegetables I know I can find.You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
I know there will be plenty of summer squashes and zucchini now, which I never get bored of grilling, watching the fire blister them into submission and concentrate their flavor. Heirloom tomatoes, thickly sliced and seasoned with nothing else but flaky salt and cracked black pepper, make up basically every lunch right now, sandwiched between two slices of sourdough slathered with homemade mayonnaise; it’s the sandwich of my Southern upbringing I’ll never shake.
Continuing with that theme, I’ll grab all the corn I can carry in my bags to sauté up plain and eat out of bowls with a drizzle of hot sauce or herby homemade ranch dressing. I’ll grill/sauté/roast okra as much as possible to eat as a weeknight side dish in place of the usual broccoli or green beans; any that I can’t get around to eating soon enough will get pickled.And then there’s the peppers.
Of course, during my market shopping sprees, I leave a little space for an unexpected ingredient or two. Even if the shopping experience is more rushed and fraught than it used to be, there still needs to be an element of surprise to make it worth the trip out of the house.