"farmersmarkets" news and stories

• A recipe for soupe à l'oignon gratinée, or French onion soup, done restaurant Comme Ça-style.
• David Mas Masumoto writes about his 80-acre organic peach, nectarine and raisin farm, and shares his lyrical thoughts on peach farming.
• Talk about local -- restaurants are starting their own gardens to help supply their diverse menus.
• The wine of the week, a 2007 Willi Schaefer Riseling Mosel Qualitätswein, is a prime summer bottle.
• Though their city may be warm year round, Los Angelenos also have farmers market fever. The Times checks out notable pre-prepared foods at the markets, provides tips for to creating a meal from a bounty of titillating ingredients, shares a list of current ripe-for-the-pickin' fruits and details the move to bring the markets to hospitals.

• Talk about dedication: here's a 3 1/2-hour recipe for caramelized onions.
  
• Thirteen tips to make you a killer farmers market shopper, plus Chicago-area market listings and more.
  
• CSAs (that's Community Supported Agriculture) are on the rise, supplying members with fresh summer produce in exchange for an initial winter investment.
• A dietitian offers some advice on how to read those confusing food labels.
• The Fountain Jet, our favorite kitchen appliance, is the best choice for home soda making.
• If you dined like Frank Lloyd Wright, would the food look like his architecture?
• One maker, one vintage, one grape, one region, one price, and four different pinot noirs from Merry Edwards, plus a mix of Edwards and Ravenswood Winery.
• Recipes: Coconut Cardamom Rice Pudding, Baked Eggplant Parmesan

We are now at the point in the summer when I traditionally start to feel a little anxious. You see, while the bounty of the summer growing season is still going strong and the piles of heirloom tomatoes at the farmers markets make it hard for anyone to image a time when such abundance isn't be available, I can feel the end approaching. We've already said good-bye to the asparagus, strawberries, cherries, raspberries and tender greens for the year (although some greens will re-appear in September, when the weather cools down again). I can tell that the apricots are waning and the plums, peaches and nectarines won't be far behind.

I shopped for produce yesterday and today, filling my fridge with vibrant bunches of swiss chard and large bags of local string beans. I've been buying cucumbers, bags of the round lemon cukes, quarts of kirbys and handfuls the prickly gherkins with the intention to make pickles. Instead I just slice them them for snacks or make a quick salad with halved cherry tomatoes and slivered red onion.

Today, when I arrived home from the market, I unloaded my bursting shopping bags and gazed as the stacks of produce in my kitchen. As I put everything away, I mentally mapped out how I'd use it over the coming week. Braised greens with provolone and some leftover brisket for dinner sandwiches. Lightly blanched green beans tossed with goat cheese and a lemon vinaigrette. Chilled canteloupe for breakfast.

How are the rest of you feeling about the summer produce? What have you loved this summer and what foods have already passed out of season? Most importantly, does anyone share this end of season anxiety with me?

Last weekend, one of the stands at the farmers market still had a couple containers of fresh, vividly colored squash blossoms. I didn't discover them until I had done nearly all my shopping (and spend all my money), so I had to pass. They are such a delicious treat and have such a fleeting season, I kept thinking about them for the rest of the day, kicking myself that I hadn't been able to get any.

This picture, by Flickr user About Photos in the Sunset, captures the beauty of the squash blossom perfect. I love how the orange transitions into green. Thanks for adding this picture to the Slashfood pool!

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I know that some of you out there hate it when I feature pictures of vegetables in this column for you to feast your eyes on. However, you can't tell me that you don't think that the colors in this image aren't gorgeous. I'm always impressed at the vibrant colors that can be found so easily in nature. This picture comes to us from Slashfood Flickr pool member clayirving. Thanks Clay, for adding your pic to the pool!

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