White cauliflower
Now available in purple, orange, and green, the most common is this white variety. Yielding the best flavor during the winter, it is excellent when roasted, sautéed, added to soups and stews, or raw. I regularly pickle cauliflower florets as well.
This week I prepared a cauliflower blood orange rice as the Fix of the Week.
Cauliflower is an excellent source of fiber and vitamin C. The florets additionally contain vitamins K and B6, as well as potassium, magnesium and phosphorus. The leaves surrounding the cauliflower head are also edible, nice sautéed or in soups.
You can find heads of freshly harvested cauliflower at all weekly Santa Barbara Certified farmers’ markets from several local farmers. Certified organic is available. Price averages $3 per head.
Oro blanco grapefruit
This variety of grapefruit is a hybrid between an acid-less pummelo and a white grapefruit.
Sweet and seedless, the inner flesh of the oro blanco is very juicy and has a translucent yellow inner flesh. The outer rind is quite thick. The fruit has very aromatic, floral notes.
The name “oro blanco” translates to “white gold.” It is excellent in raw and cooked preparations.
You can slice this grapefruit in half and scoop segments out with a spoon, or use it to produce wonderful preserves or salad dressings. It’s grown, harvested and sold by Mud Creek Ranch and Buckhorn Canyon Ranch at the weekly Saturday Santa Barbara, Sunday Goleta, Tuesday Santa Barbara, Wednesday Solvang and Thursday Carpinteria farmers’ markets. Price averages $3 each.
Fresh chicken eggs
Free-range, pasture-raised, the eggs at the local farmers’ market are the absolute best. While egg production tends to slow down drastically during the cooler winter months, these egg layers are starting to ramp up production.
A complete source of protein, eggs are also a great source of B vitamins, vitamin D, iron, cobalamin and calcium. Scramble them with fried rice, serve them soft boiled over a noodle bowl, or use them to make a tasty omelet. Available in an array of colors, fresh chicken eggs are available at all weekly Santa Barbara certified farmers’ markets from several local producers. Price averages $7 per dozen.
