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Arts & Entertainment

Squash Season at the Market

Suddenly yellow summer squash in all shapes and sizes seems to be jumping off the tables at the Manhattan Beach Certified Farmers Market.

It was a quiet but lovely afternoon at the market last week, the last Tuesday in April. The warm sunshine wasn’t quite enough to drag the crowds out of their post-Easter lull, and leftovers probably kept folks fed all week.

Still, force of habit is a power to contend with, and the regulars were there, as always, sampling salsa and scoping the seasonal pleasures of the market.

We’re finally approaching the end of the season for Murcott tangerines at Arnett. The fruit, also known as the honey tangerine, lingers long after other tangerines have disappeared with the winter gloom. Alas, its January through April season must eventually end, so be sure to snag a few of the sweet, tangy treats while you still can.

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On the other end of the market at J.R. Organics I discovered the promised cucumbers—a mixed grab-bag of Persian, pickling, and slicing cucumbers that sang of summer—along with their usual army of salad greens and yellow eight-ball squash. 

Yellow squash, in fact, seems to be the produce of the week: suddenly they are everywhere! Round eight-ball squash, long, hooked crookneck, simple straightneck and, my favorite and this week’s featured ingredient in Farmers’ Formula: Recipes from the Market, patty pan squash. From J.R. Organics to Smith Farms and Jaime Farms, yellow summer squash in all shapes and sizes seem to be jumping off the tables—and I for one could not be more thrilled about it.

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Also at Jaime Farms last week were bagged bundles of sweet, young baby carrots in a rainbow of shades from a pale yellow-green to bright orange. Perfect for slicing up and tossing in salads or lightly steaming whole as a garnish for a simple white fish, these tender carrots are a rare delight.

Another rare delight last week was catching MB Farm’s vendor Dom during an enthusiastic purchase of dandelion greens from Lily at ABC.

“What do you do with those?” a fellow shopper asked him.

“They’re for my reptiles,” he said with a smile. “Bearded dragons. They love 'em.”

I guess we have more in common with the scaly beasts than I thought.  

See you today at the market!

Editor's Note: The MB Certified Farmers Market happens weekly on Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 13th Street and Morningside Drive in downtown Manhattan Beach, near the civic center and Shade Hotel.

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