We often share tips for choosing the freshest, most flavorful produce at the farmers market. But caring for that beautiful food once you bring it home is just as important. With apples abundant in fall, a little storage know-how can help preserve their crunch and flavor—and give you more time to enjoy the harvest. Even...Read More

There is something unmistakably autumnal about persimmons. Their glowing orange color begins appearing at farmers markets just as the days grow shorter, bringing a welcome brightness to the late-fall table. But persimmons can also be a little mysterious. Should they be crisp or soft? Why can one be eaten like an apple while another needs...Read More

When the weather begins to cool, there are certain vegetables that simply seem to belong in the fall kitchen — and cabbage is one of the best. Sturdy, economical, and wonderfully versatile, cabbage is the kind of ingredient worth keeping on hand all season long. A fresh head will wait patiently in the refrigerator until...Read More

Just when apples, pears, winter squash, and pumpkins begin taking over the farmers market, there’s one last taste of summer tucked among the fall produce: fresh California-grown blackberries. Along the Central Coast, our mild climate allows local growers to stretch blackberry season well beyond the height of summer. Some varieties naturally ripen later, while newer...Read More

If you’ve ever walked past a basket of fresh guavas at the farmers market and wondered exactly what to do with them, you’re not alone. Their heady, tropical fragrance may be familiar, but fresh guavas are still something of a mystery to many home cooks. That’s a good reason to take some home. Fresh guavas...Read More

Fresh chestnuts are one of fall’s fleeting pleasures—and they’ve arrived at the farmers market. Find locally grown chestnuts now at Minazzoli Farms, but don’t wait too long. Their season is short! There is something wonderfully old-fashioned about a basket of glossy brown chestnuts. Long before they became immortalized in holiday songs, chestnuts were an important...Read More

Sweet, floral, earthy, sometimes almost spicy—honey is far more interesting than a spoonful stirred into tea. In the kitchen, honey is one of those wonderfully useful ingredients that can move easily from sweet to savory. A little honey can soften the sharp edge of vinegar in a vinaigrette, balance mustard or chile in a sauce,...Read More

Here on the Central Coast, the gardening season doesn’t necessarily end when summer does. Fall may be one of the best times to begin. We are extraordinarily fortunate to live in one of the most abundant agricultural regions in the country. Week after week, our local farmers bring us beautiful lettuces and greens, apples and...Read More

Finding peanuts at a California farmers market is a bit unexpected—which is exactly what makes the fresh peanuts from KT Farms such a treat. California agriculture seems capable of growing almost anything, but peanuts remain a relatively small specialty crop here rather than one of the state’s major commodities. They thrive in a long, warm...Read More

This elegant early fall salad is built around one of the season’s sweetest treasures: fresh figs. Warm lavender-roasted figs pair beautifully with peppery arugula, creamy Gorgonzola dolce, and toasted walnuts, while a bright shallot vinaigrette keeps the salad balanced and savory. Serve it as a first course, alongside roast chicken or pork, or with a...Read More