Brooks cherries
The cherry season is ramping up, with freshly harvested fruit available from several California cherry growers at most of our weekly Santa Barbara certified farmers’ markets.
The early season Brooks cherries are typically my favorite, yielding a crisp snappy texture and sweet flavor. The Brooks cherry is a hybrid of the Burlat and Rainier cherries. The yellow variety is available later in the season.
Cherries are a good source of the antioxidant anthocyanin, as well as vitamins A and C, calcium and iron. Enjoy them as they come, mix them into your morning yogurt, or combine them with greens in a salad.
This week I prepared a cherry-based barbecue sauce as the Fix of the Week, which is on the next page. Cherry price averages $6 per basket.
Quiche Lorraine
Here’s another great farmers’ market find from Roan Mills, which is converting farm-raised products into a wonderful prepared food item.
This egg based “pie” is filled with onions, bacon and Gruyere cheese, making for a savory way to start the day.
While it can be enjoyed chilled out of the refrigerator, I find it best when warmed up in the oven. It’s an easy item to serve the entire family.
Quiche Lorraine is currently available at the weekly Saturday Santa Barbara and Sunday Camino Real Marketplace farmers’ markets. Price is $25 each.
Goldbar squash
Tender, flavorful goldbar summer squash can be found from several local farmers at all weekly Santa Barbara certified farmers’ markets. Similar to that of its green zucchini counterpart, it can be enjoyed both raw or cooked, but more commonly cooked.
This week I used an abundance of this Golden-yellow skinned squash in a homemade lasagna. It is also commonly grilled at my house.
Gold Bar squash is a decent source of vitamin C and B, and it’s a good source of fiber. It also has a higher carotenoid content than that of green varieties.
Certified organic squash is available. Price averages $2.50 per pound.
