Fresh fruit alert - local food news

To my Bay Area readers: nectarines in the farmers' markets are outstanding right now, and the price is good. We bought both white and yellow, and they are fantastic. Last two weeks for apricots. Be selective. We are talking Fresno and San Joaquin County produce here. Brentwood still has good stone fruit, as does Amador (good luck finding Amador County stuff in the Bay Area, though).

Also (drum roll, please), tomato season has officially begun. I finally had a tomato that was so good it almost made me cry. So far the Cherokee purples and green zebra grape tomatoes have been the best. I have a couple of brandywines that look promising, too. Tomorrow they will be used in an ensalata caprese, so I will be able to give a rating to them afterwards. Hint: Look for Napa Valley tomatoes. So far they have been the earliest good ones. Vacaville is not quite there yet, and it is way too early for Molina Creek.

Garlic: excellent right now. Probably at its peak. Now is a great time to make aioli or pesto (and do yourself a favor and buy a mortar and pestle, and do it right. It is much better than stuff that is whirred through a machine). Vacaville is blowing Gilroy out of the water for garlic this season.

Spotted: black figs, at $1.50 a basket. Still way too expensive for me (although since I generally get flats of figs for free, that sets what I am willing to pay at the market really low), but they looked good, and it is good to know that one has options if one absolutely has to have figs stuffed with chevre, wrapped in pancetta and grilled over a hardwood fire.

Greens: Have been enjoying some good Napa Valley greens, but went back to our Salinas family's European mix. Lots of bright radicchio, green butter lettuce, purple oak leaf, not too much spicy stuff, which is fine, since I have been overdoing that.

Corn: The first crop is good, but suffers from poor breeding. Too much sugar, not enough corn flavor. BORING. The trick is to pick, cook and eat it right away. Then you can have good, sweet corn. If you want shelf-life, then forget it. Corn is not the right vegetable. Try potatoes. Just kindly stop pushing the farmers towards these dull over-sweet varieties.

Fish: fresh wild salmon has been great. Grill simply. Eat. Yum. Drink Bonny Doon's Big House Pink (or Mactarnahan's honey ale) with it. Extra yum.