Jicama
I scored some nice, freshly harvested jicama from Her Family Farm at the Saturday Santa Barbara farmers’ market this week, an item that is rarely encountered throughout the year.
A root vegetable that is related to legumes, jicama is a high protein, low fat food source that is an ideal addition to Keto based diets.
When enjoyed raw, jicama delivers a nice underlying sweet flavor with a watery crunch. You can also enjoy it cooked. As it cooks, jicama softens and the flavor concentrates slightly.
This week I prepared some jicama fries as the Fix of the Week, which is elsewhere on this page.
Price is $2.50 per pound.
Black kat pluot
This seasonal variety of pluot is recognized by its dark purple, almost black skin. Inside, the flesh is a light-yellow color, and it’s sweet, firm and juicy. Available from early August, into September, this fruit is available from Burkdoll Farm at all six-week Santa Barbara Certified farmers’’ markets. This fruit is a nice addition to summer salads, with slices added to the kid’s lunch boxes, or enjoyed out of hand.
I find they pair very well with nuts, cheese and meats on a charcuterie platter.
You can also use them in preserves or incorporate them into a host of desserts. Price is $4 per pound, with discounts on bulk purchases.
Salt and pepper cucumbers
I’ve been picking up these tasty cucumbers for the past few years from Jacob Grants Roots Farm, primarily for pickling, but also to enjoy in salads, on sandwiches and or cut into rounds and use as a vessel for my hummus dip.
Instead of being the standard green color, these cucumbers have a nice yellow coloration with white spots topped with a small black spike (hence the salt and pepper name). They are shaped like a pickling cucumber with a small, squat, cylindrical shape.
The flesh within is a pale green color, with a noticeable seed pocket. The longer the salt and pepper cucumber is left on the vine, the more vivid the yellow color will be across the skin.
Certified organic, they can be found at the weekly Saturday Santa Barbara, Tuesday Santa Barbara and Wednesday Solvang farmers’ markets. Price is $3 per pound.
