Your Weekend Market Watch

I really need to get to bed, but here it is:

Farmers' Market Report for the Bay Area and southern Superior California:

1. Tomatoes are great looking. Saw some beautiful brandywines and German stiples, as well as plenty of lovely orange cherries. If you are dilligent, you should find good, organic heirlooms for $1 a pound. If you are less ambitious in your bargain seeking, then expect to pay $2, maybe $3 for really spectacular ones. If you pay more than $3 a pound, you are getting ripped off. For cooking, don't overlook the Romas, which are good right now (not quite peak, though), and dropping in price.

2. Stone fruit: still good nectarines and peaches. I bought our first batch of pluots this weekend ($1.50 a pound for organic, from Reedly in the central valley). Good flavor and balance between tartness and sweetness.

3. Zucchini: good and cheap. Keep your eyes open for zucchini blossoms. The best are grown in the Vacaville hills.

4. Table grapes: found some sweet, yet one dimensional red flames. Amalia liked them.

5. Eggplant and capsicum: these are finally getting to their season. Lovely eggplant, and the varieties of capsicum are beginning to come out. It is a little early for chocolates (my favorite), but the purple ones are ready, as well as the Hungarians and Italians.

6. Basil: yowza! Every winter I forget what a punch this herb packs. Good prices ($1 for huge, organic, roots-attached bunches), although I planted a good amount, so I am still harvesting my own.

7. Melons: one word in the melon department: ambrosia. Buy one and your call will smell of melon by the time you get home.

8. Corn: Still plagued by breeding problems (and will be for a long time). Corn is just too sweet and not corny enough. Stick with yellow corn from Brentwood. Price is still a bit high (3 ears for $1), but that should come down in a few weeks.

9. Apples: avoid like the plague. What are they doing trying to pass off stored winter apples at those prices? At this point they are only good for cooking. The farmers ought to be unloading them cheap. On a similar note, expect fresh apple juice to be fairly bitter and too earthy tasting.

10. Blackberries. There is no excuse besides convenience to pay for blackberries. Get off your lazy duff and pick your own. Sheesh.