Get intimate with your produce!
In Season
Farmers’ Market Bag 3-31-10 #spFMB
So, here we are! It’s spring again & there are many lovely things in store for you… have you been keeping up with the Farmers’ Market Report? It’s very informative and has loads of information about what is in season in California. These are the fruits and veggies that are going to taste the best, since they have to travel the shortest distance to get to you!
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Italian Sorrento Lemons – Rancho Del Sol
Pencil Asparagus – Life’s a Choke
Easter Egg Radish – Jaime Farms
Baby Bunch Carrots & Baby Leeks – Coastal Organics
Grumolo Radicchio, Tarragon & Pirat Lettuce – Coleman Farms
Dill – Gloria Tamai Farms
Kara Kara Tangerines – Beck Groves
Sugar Snap Peas – Tutti Frutti Farms
Thanks again for all the support. We’d like to remind you that we’ve had to raise the price of the fish from Catalina Offshore by $2 to a total of $12/2# because of market conditions due to the Tsunami! We are one world 
Hopefully this doesn’t discourage anyone, because it’s still a really great price! If you haven’t joined yet, you can order a bag for next week on our FMB page!
FARMERS MARKET REPORT: WEEK OF MARCH 28, 2010
Grower:
Seasons/Availability
California Artichokes are available year-round with peak season being Spring.
Current Facts
Artichokes are members of the Compositae, the huge daisy family. In fact, when you eat an artichoke, you are eating in essence a flower bud.
Description/Taste
Weighing in it at about 1.5 pounds each, this artichoke is the artichoke of all artichokes. Unlike other artichokes, the Lyon comes with a 7″ stem that when cooked is also quite edible. The Lyon is round and robust, boasting more heart than any other artichoke. The heart is sweet, dense and unequivocally delicious!
Nutritional Value
Artichokes are a good source of fiber, vitamin A and vitamin C, potassium, iron, magnesium, calcium and zinc.
Applications
There are so many things you can utilize the Lyon artichoke for: steaming, roasting, braising, poaching. Once cooked, you can use the heart for a puree, top a pizza or just eat it with some lemon juice and sea salt. Just don’t let any of this premier artichoke go to waste, You will never have tasted any artichoke like it prior or since.
Geography/History
From 1530, artichoke gardens were to be found around Lyon and Cavaillon, but the buds produced were small and decidedly not plentiful, rendering the artichoke of the period a true luxury item. The 19th century saw the peak of production of the artichoke in France.
