Of course I went to the market thinking all I was going to buy was sunchokes (Jerusalem Artichokes) but I was foolish enough to bring 24 dollars with me. Silly girl. When I am near fresh produce money just flies out of my hands. No sunchokes to be behold but I found squash blossoms (look for stuffed blossoms soon) and lots of gorgeous radishes, multi-colored as well as Tokoyo turnips (the white ones, also known as salad turnips because you eat them raw similar to radishes).
Since it is Southern California, the tomatoes are out along with the last of the citrus. The lemons are actually sweet lemons, or Persian limes and they are sweet! Can't wait to make Kombucha with them. The knobby dirty looking root to the left is celery root and that will replenish my jar of marinated Sicilian carrots and celery root.
The greens in the picture were a real find - Rapini and Lamb's Quarters. Rapini, aka broccoli rape, cime de rabe or rabe, is related to both the broccoli and the turnip (!) families and has little broccoli like florets and edible yellow flowers. It is best braised or sauteed and I fell in love with it when I grew a bunch on my farm in Minnesota.
Speaking of the farm, these greens are lambs' quarters, which most gardeners would recognize as the weeds trying to take over. I was constantly pulling them out of my vegetable beds. I didn't know then that they're great eating, full of calcium and vitamin C and have a wonderful green taste that has just a hint of sour flavor like sorrel. I was thrilled to find them at the market since they are not commonly found at markets although they are rampant in fields of Minnesota. I put them along with a bunch of other greens into a Phyllo pie coming soon.
Let's end with this lovely bouquet of flowers to welcome Spring!
Hugs!
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