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In Season: Figs

Figs are now in season—so hurry up and grab some because this small window of opportunity is closing a little everyday. How can you resist? Their soft, chewy skin gives way to their beautiful pink innards of microscopic seeds and sweet juicy pulp. But handle with care, because these little beauties are just as delicate as they sound. Keep them refrigerated and safe from possible bruising, and make sure to eat them within a few days of buying them.

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5 Comments | Posted by Paige Brocious, September 24, 2011 at 1:00 PM
Tagged: figs, In Season

In Season: Figs

Certainly an international fruit, figs are cultivated in many parts of the world, from Iran and India, to some of the warmer areas over here in the United States. And as diverse as their growing areas are the ways to eat them. They can be prepared in a ton of different ways: cut them up and eat them fresh, or dried for a healthy snack; you can't go wrong with turning them into a jam or jelly, either. Besides being gorged on by humans, figs were also used to fatten geese back in Roman days, for the production of a precursor to foie gras. However, at this point they're probably sitting in your kitchen—waiting to be used in one of these figgy recipes.

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16 Comments | Posted by Tom Sullivan, September 25, 2010 at 11:00 AM
Tagged: figs, In Season

Market Scene: Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market, San Francisco

It's a bit of a surreal experience to be a regular market shopper at the Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market in San Francisco. The market is a tourist and foodie destination in addition to a weekly routine for many San Francisco shoppers. Saturday, when I was trying to shop for my weekly haul, Food Network personality Aida Mollenkamp was walking through the market with a camera crew, tourists were snapping photos, and celebrity chefs shopped right next to me. I imagine it's something like going to church regularly at the Vatican, among all the sightseers. This time of year, I have to be careful to not overbuy at the market. There are so many wonderful things in season.

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5 Comments | Posted by Jen Maiser, July 19, 2010 at 2:15 PM
Tagged: Bay Area, farmers' markets, Ferry Plaza, figs, garlic, Market Scene, potatoes, San Francisco, zucchini

In Season: Figs

There are more to figs than the Newton cookies. One of the most luscious fruits, fresh figs can be thrown onto sandwiches, used in pork dishes, made into preserves, and more.

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12 Comments | Posted by Claire Sellers, September 26, 2009 at 3:00 PM
Tagged: Figs, In season

Market Scene: Boysenberries, Figs, and Pluots the Cure to L.A.'s June Gloom

Ranier cherries. It's normal for a muted, Pacific Northwest–like grayness to blanket Los Angeles in the morning this time of year, but it usually burns off around noon, leaving the remainder of the day a lovely sunny 72 degrees. Over the last two weeks, however, the June gloom just wouldn't lift, creating a contagious case of sun-deprived crankiness that spread among Angelenos like swine flu. Fortunately, hints of blue sky cracked the cloud cover early yesterday morning that, combined with the early summer bounty at the Hollywood Farmers' Market (map), was therapeutic. Last month, Brooks cherries kicked off stone-fruit season with their tangy-crisp sweetness. Now the crimson-hued Bing and Ranier cherries (above), with their Fuji-apple-like shadings, dominate the market...

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3 Comments | Posted by Leah Greenstein, June 15, 2009 at 11:00 AM
Tagged: boysenberries, California, farmers' markets, figs, fruit, Hollywood, Hollywood Farmers' Market, Los Angeles, Market Scene, pluots, vegetables

Market Scene: Early Summer, San Francisco and Portland

Sometimes, it takes being away from my hometown farmers market for a week or two to really appreciate the turn in season. I spent last week in Portland and visited the PSU Farmers Market, one of my favorite markets in the country. The PSU market was full of piles of porcini mushrooms, rhubarb and berries. The market vibe in Portland is like no other—a combination of completely relaxed mixed with a serious foodie vibe. I browsed through the market eating a Sol Pops paleta: cucumber, chile and lime-flavored. Returning to San Francisco this week, I noticed that our market had switched from spring into early summer. Gone are most signs of spring, replaced with an abundance of early summer...

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2 Comments | Posted by Jen Maiser, June 23, 2008 at 5:30 PM
Tagged: farmers' markets, Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, figs, greens, Market Scene, Oregon, Portland, Portland PUS Farmers' Market, SF, summer