On a recent trip to the farmer's market, sunflower sprouts from Claverach Vineyard and Organic Farm were one of the only local greens we could find . My husband and I had never had sunflower sprouts before, but we were determined to use them. We asked the grower for some advice on what to do with them. She suggested a salad with the sprouts, some avocado, and some lemon.

We followed her advice, plus we added some goat cheese, garlic, and truffle oil and had an incredible salad. This worked much better than our plan before talking to the grower (to cook the sprouts with some pasta). Apparently, you should eat sprouts raw. I know, I'm a food blogger, I should be aware of these things. However, I don't know it all. I'm constantly learning.

Moral of the story: Don't shy away from items you are not familiar with at your local markets. If you see something and you're not sure what to do with it, ask the grower. They are full of great ideas!

• Take her to a local Farmers' Market on Sunday morning. You can buy her a cup of coffee or tea and the two of you can wander around, fondle the fresh produce and taste jams and honeys. If you get there early enough, you may be able to grab a dozen local, free range eggs (those babies sell out fast). Poached and served on top of a bed of tender baby greens and you won't (even for a minute) miss the hassle of the restaurant.
  
• Pack a picnic and head for a local park. Who says a celebratory meal has to be eaten in a restaurant? Gather up an assortment of sliced meats, a couple of good cheese, bread or some good crackers and quickly blanch a pound of asparagus. Strawberries or grapes can take care of dessert.
  
• If your mom is a chocolate lover, put together a chocolate tasting for her. Hit the candy aisle at your favorite natural or gourmet foods store (I've found that they have the best assortment of chocolate) and buy four or five good varieties. The two of you can munch on chocolate to your heart's content and when she figures out which one she likes the best, promise her that you'll get her a few more bars of it next time you go to the store.
  
• Even an outing to a local bakery or coffee shop can be a good way to celebrate your mom. Often, the thing she wants most is time alone with her children. This doesn't even have to happen on Mother's Day, if you can't sneak away, schedule a time to get together over coffee and a scone or muffin for some quality mother/child time.

• Southern California farmers are nearing retirement age, so the next generation is taking over
• The full list of Farmers Markets by day
• Meals inspired by what's fresh at the market: Chicken Fricasee with Spring Vegetables, Tomato Herb Panzanella, and Cinnamon Tortilla Chips with Strawberry Avocado Salsa
• Farmstands are making a comeback
• What's fresh now: heirlooms and arugula

• Are you nostalgic for the days when women shelled peas into enameled colanders or their gathered apron? Well, the verdict is that when it comes to freshness and nutrition, frozen may be the way to go.
  
• When it comes to getting the most nutritional bang for your buck out of your fresh veggies, it is best to shop often or use frozen, as those leafy greens lose their vitamins during extended fridge storage.
• Re-think the humble banana and release it from the confines of lunchboxes and baked goods.
  
• For those lucky enough to live in the Portland area, rejoice, as your farmers markets are beginning to reopen (here in my area, we have to wait until the first weekend in May).
  
• In anticipation of all the fresh, local, organic produce, they've included a slew of recipes to utilize all this delicious freshness.
  
• The Pickle Sickle hits the desks of the Oregonian FoodDay editors and they give their perspective on the puckery treat.
  
• The FoodDay intern rethinks the classic quiche, making one that comes together quickly and is just as tasty and filling as the original.

We're not talking about the many farmers' markets that occur everyday all over southern California. The Farmers' Market in LA is a permanent fixture on Fairfax Avenue between Third and Beverly.

The beauty of the Farmers' Market is that though there are shops that sell produce, there are far more stalls in the marketplace that serve food, with everything from pizza to frozen yogurt to Korean barbecue to Cajun gumbo. It's somewhat like a mall food court, since it is in the same block as the Grove (in fact, the Farmers' Market was there long before the Grove was even a twinkle in a developer's eye), but so much better. I don't think there's a Hot Dog on a Stick within a mile of the place.

Lots of LA local foodbloggers have written up posts about many of the "restaurants" in the Farmers' Market:

1. Bob's Coffee and Doughnuts: la.foodblogging likes the "Kitty" doughnut
2. French Crepe Company: All Forces
3. The Gumbo Pot: Eating LA, Daily Gluttony
4. LA Korea: Eating LA
5. Loteria Grill: Eating LA and Franklin Avenue
6. Monsieur Marcel: Colleen Cuisine
7. Singapore's Banana Leaf: Santos on vacation from The Scent of Green Bananas, is at Meet Me at the Corner of Third and Fairfax, Eating LA's Pat Saperstein kicks off her occasional series on the Farmers Market here
8. Ulysses Voyage: (technically, might not be a part of the Farmers' Market, but close enough) LA Food Crazy