Fresh peanuts
These are quite different than those in-the-shell peanuts that are tossed your way at a baseball game.
Possessing a cream colored skin and white nut (technically a seed) and encased in a pink skin, these peanuts have been freshly dug from the ground.
Delivering a tender crunch, a mild peanut flavor and underlying sweetness, they are a nice protein-packed treat. They’re njoyed both raw out of the shell or over a salad, but they’re also nice when warmed.
This week I added my fresh peanuts to an Asian inspired stir-fry, the Fix of the Week, which is also on newspress.com. Something you will likely not encounter anywhere else, these fresh peanuts are available from both the Her Family Farm and Moua Family Farm and the Saturday Santa Barbara and Sunday Goleta markets respectively.
The peanuts are out of the ground, cleaned and brought straight to the farmers market. The price is $5 per pound.
Autumn royal grapes
Possessing such a deep purple pigment they almost appear black in color, this variety of table grape delivers a richly sweet muscat flavor. Very juicy, they have a somewhat oval physique.
Brimming with antioxidants due to the dark pigment, this variety is a great general eating grape, and it is also nice in a fruit salad. Larger than most of its counterparts, this seedless variety is a California native.
The grapes are currently available from several of our local growers at all weekly Santa Barbara certified farmers’ markets. The price averages $3 per pound.
Organic Cipollini onions
Popular in Italy, as well as with many local chefs and food enthusiasts, this onion is recognized by its saucer-like appearance. Delivering a very devolved flavor, the onions tend to be sweeter than many other onion varieties.
They are a common choice for balsamic glazed onions and are also excellent when roasted whole until creamy and tender. You can add them to a soup or drizzle them with olive oil and grill.
Grown locally by John Givens Farm, these onions are available at the weekly Saturday Santa Barbara, Sunday Goleta, Tuesday Santa Barbara and Thursday Carpinteria farmers’ markets. Certified organic, the onions are sold at $4 per pound.
