Midweek

The market report from the Santa Monica Farmer's Market:

I had only enough pocket change for 30 minutes on the meter, so it was a mad dash to find Blenheims. I did and got 5 pounds, as well as 5 pounds of tiny green wild plums about the size marbles. Then I swooped in to take the last couple pounds of Santa Rosa plums from the stone fruit lady, only to find a whole table full of them further down the lane. I'll buy more next week. Elsewhere there were lots of great French filet beans for making Dilly Beans, and I cast my eye on yellow beets, which I'd like to pickle in cider vinegar with fresh ginger —but I didn't have time to bother today. Pickling cucumbers are also rampant. But all that stuff will be around. I've got Blenheims to put up.

Incidentally, I ran into Akasha, a terrific chef with the eponymous resto in Culver City, and we had a quick chat about Claire and Ben's wedding. She's doing the food and, knowing that I volunteered to make mini-pots of apricot jam as the party favor for guests, she offered me use of her kitchen. It's a very gracious offer and it would be kick for me to get in there for an afternoon of serious jamming. Whaddya say, Claire?

WHAT TO BUY NOW

BLENHEIM APRICOTS are in for the next two weeks. These are, in my opinion, the pinnacle of the annual fruit cycle. I put up 26 pounds last June (the first six pounds yielded 5 pints, just to give you an idea) and it wasn't enough. Use them for preserves, jam and fruit butter—all of which will be described in a future post./div>

Red-fleshed SANTA ROSA PLUMS are in for another week anyway. I can now conclusively say that the plum tree in my Mom's yard in South Carolina is a Santa Rosa. Last July I used the harvest (see photo of the at the top of the blog) to make Don's Favorite Plum Sauce and Wedding Jam. I'll give you those recipes soon.

COMING OR GOING

dates: going out fast.

cherries: going.

strawberries: going, but not too fast. They're almost year-round in Cali.

figs: coming in.

stone fruit: coming fast.

summer berries: here to stay for a good while.