Asparagus
I picked up the first bunch of fresh asparagus that I had enjoyed for many months this past week from the Mendoza Family Farm of Lompoc.
Fresh asparagus is excellent when grilled, steamed, sautéed, roasted or even raw, and it’s excellent as a nice side or when incorporated into a number of dishes.
Asparagus is packed with antioxidants, essential vitamins and minerals, and is a good source of dietary fiber and protein. This week I prepared a very healthy seasonal salad utilizing fresh asparagus, beets, spinach and blood orange sections, the Fix of the Week, below.
You can currently find fresh asparagus at all weekly Saturday Santa Barbara certified farmers’ markets. Price averages $6 per bunch.
Green kohlrabi
This green, round bulbous winter vegetable with attached stems and leaves draws quite a bit of intrigue this time of year.
Once it’s peeled and the cream-colored flesh is exposed, there are aromatic notes of fresh cabbage. Delivering the flavor of sweet broccoli stem, kohlrabi often has underlying peppery notes.
Delicious in both raw and cooked preparations, kohlrabi can be enjoyed grated and raw in slaws and salads, or roasted, sauteed, fried or steamed. Rich in Vitamin C, potassium and dietary fiber, it is a member of the nutrient-dense Brassica vegetable family.
Most readily available from certified organic grower John Givens of Goleta, kohlrabi can be found at the weekly Saturday Santa Barbara, Sunday Camino Real, Tuesday Santa Barbara, and Thursday Carpinteria farmers’ markets. Price averages $3 per bunch.
Glacier artisan goat cheese
For those that enjoy charcuterie, I highly recommend adding this delicious goat cheese to the assortment. As described by the Drake Family Farm, who raises the goats that produce the milk which is turned into its high-quality cheese, the Glacier cheese is a mild bloomy rind of soft goat milk cheese reminiscent of the finest French bucheron. But it’s more dry to reflect our Southern California desert terroir. When ripe, it becomes creamier beneath the rind with an increasingly robust flavor. It’s named after “Glacier,” the goat who was Dr. Dan’s very first goat.
And it’s available at the Saturday Santa Barbara farmers’ market. Price averages $11 per round.
