Quail eggs
I picked up some of these beauties at the farmers’ market from Lily’s Eggs of Fillmore.
Primarily found at the Saturday Santa Barbara, Sunday Camino Real Marketplace, Tuesday Santa Barbara, and Thursday Carpinteria farmers’ markets during the spring to early summer, quail eggs are quite a fun find.
About the third of the size of chicken eggs, quail eggs are more nutritionally packed, with a slightly richer flavor than their counterpart. You can poach, soft-boil, hard-boil, or fry them, and this week I prepared an avocado toast topped with quail eggs and a quick-made bruschetta as the Fix of the Week (elsewhere on this page).
Price is $10 per 8-pack carton.
Flavorosa pluots
That’s right, the first freshly harvested pluots of the season have arrived, with this delicious flavorosa variety being one of the best.
Only in season for two or three weeks from Burkdoll Farms of Visalia, they can be found at all weekly Santa Barbara certified farmers’ markets.
They’re recognized by their purple skin. Once sliced open, the burgundy red flesh is exposed, yielding a wonderful balance of sweet and tart notes. Enjoy them out of hand as they come, in a fruit salad, or in a spinach or arugula salad topped with chèvre and walnuts.
Price is $4 per pint basket.
Organic harvest moon potato
The freshly dug new potatoes have arrived, with several local farmers bringing their spuds to market. This variety, in particular, is one of the tastiest I’ve ever experienced, grown by Jacob Grant or Roots Farm of Los Olivos.
Harvest Moon potatoes have a deep purple skin with a distinctly yellow flesh.
They’re nutty, a little sweet and full of flavor. There really is no need for salt or butter when you cook these potatoes, although feel to add if desired.
Roast and serve them with roasted chicken, pan fry them, or boil and mash them.
They’re available at the Saturday Santa Barbara, Tuesday Santa Barbara and Wednesday Solvang farmers markets. Price is $3 per pound.
Sam Edelman is general manager of the Santa Barbara Certified Farmers Market Association and host of “Farm to Table,” which airs live at 9 a.m. Thursdays on KZSB AM 1290, the News-Press radio station.
