Few foods test our patience quite like an avocado. One day it’s rock hard. The next it feels almost ready. Wait another day and you’ve either struck culinary gold—or missed the moment entirely. A few weeks ago, I picked up several beautiful Hass avocados from Kirk Williams booth for our Build a Better Smoothie demonstration...Read More

If you’ve never eaten a perfectly ripe California Mission fig, you’re in for a treat. With their deep purple skin, soft ruby-colored flesh, and rich honey-like sweetness, Mission figs are one of summer’s most anticipated fruits. Right now, you’ll find beautiful fresh figs at Minazzoli Farms at the farmers market, with Borba Family Farms bringing...Read More

With most children falling short of recommended vegetable intake, these nutrient-packed tiny greens may offer parents and grandparents a simple way to close the gap. If you’ve ever tried to convince a child to eat more vegetables, you know the struggle is real. Despite decades of nutrition education, most children still aren’t eating enough vegetables....Read More

Healthy Nut Truffles (Energy Balls): A Naturally Sweetened Snack with No Refined Sugar! Made with dates and packed with nuts, seeds, and superfoods, these healthy energy balls make the perfect grab-and-go snack, dessert, or hiking treat.Read More

Discover how to build a better smoothie using seasonal farmers market produce, nourishing whole-food ingredients, and simple nutrition-building formulas for delicious everyday breakfasts.Read More

Glossy, dramatic, and endlessly versatile, eggplant may be one of the most misunderstood treasures of the summer farmers market. Known in Europe as aubergine, this member of the nightshade family shares its botanical roots with tomatoes and potatoes — though technically, it’s a fruit rather than a vegetable. Eggplant also carries a surprisingly colorful history....Read More

Honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, stevia — are any of them truly healthier? Here’s what nutrition experts say about sugar, artificial sweeteners, and learning to use less overall.Read More

Almonds are one of the most nutrient-dense foods at the farmers market. Learn how these California-grown nuts support heart health, provide protein, and add nutrition to everyday meals.Read More

There may be no vegetable more refreshing than a cucumber on a warm California day. Crisp, cooling, and incredibly versatile, cucumbers have been cultivated for thousands of years and remain one of the most beloved staples of summer kitchens and farmers markets alike. Though often treated like a vegetable, cucumbers are technically a fruit —...Read More

There’s something almost magical about apricot season. Brief and intensely anticipated, apricots arrive at the farmers market like little bursts of summer sunshine — fragrant, delicate, and impossibly juicy when perfectly ripe. California has long been famous for its apricots, with orchards once stretching across much of the Santa Clara Valley and Central Coast. Today,...Read More