Laura Avery

Mirror Contributing Writer

   Fresh lima beans are a wonderful addition to a fresh summer salad, as Suzanne Goin of Lucques demonstrated at last Wednesday’s Market. Fresh Limas are available in or out of the shell, with shelled beans selling for $2.75 per half pound. Steam or simmer lightly, then cool and add to any salad. They are delicious, large, tender beans and they soak up the dressing very nicely.
   Also demonstrated was a grilled zucchini blossom quesadilla by Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger of Border Grill -- delicate yellow blossoms are quickly sauteed and added to cheese and peppers. Evan Kleiman of Angeli Caffe made a simply delicious grilled peach dusted with sugar that caramelized while grilling and needed only a dollop of ice cream to make a super easy summer taste treat. 
   Orange and yellow flesh watermelons are now in season. They contain black seeds which are actually very attractive against the pastel flesh, which is sweet and virtually identical in flavor to the red flesh. 
   A nice surprise is an early winter called “hearts of gold.” It is shaped like an acorn squash with deep ridges, but it is a beautiful green and yellow striped color. It can be bought now and stored for up to six months in a cool, dry place, and baked, stuffed, roasted or mashed. Its pretty shell makes for a beautiful presentation. 
   Jojoba oil, while not edible, is a valuable asset to the Market. It is pressed from jojoba seeds in a pure, extra virgin cold first press, just like the very finest olive oil. Jojoba oil is actually an ester, which has a different molecular structure that oils and penetrates more deeply, hence its excellent lubricating and moisturizing qualities. As a skin cleanser and moisturizer, once it disappears down into all three layers of the dermis, it leaves skin wonderfully smooth, and it is the best makeup remover ever. Penny and Gary Tremper harvest, press and sell jojoba at several markets, and they refer to themselves as “jojoba’s witnesses.” Jojoba seeds are there to be chewed on, and they have a pleasant taste. Some cultures roast them for coffee style drinks. 
   Where are the figs, you ask? And the besieged farmers answer, “coming soon.” They will be in in about two weeks, and there should be plenty. Maybe this will be the year that California’s wonderful figs receive the respect they deserve. Fresh or dried, baked or preserved, figs are scrumptious. 
   California grown Valencia peanuts are tender, tasty small nuts that grow up four in a shell with sweet red skins. David Avila sells them in three different roasts: light, medium and dark. They are very fresh and will go stale in less than a week, so eat them up soon. David has been known to bring in boiled raw peanuts which have been a huge favorite; but boiled peanuts are messy and time-consuming, a rare old-fashioned treat.