Aprium, Green Plum, Loquat
Nectarine, White Peach

Apricots are a week or two away but apriums have arrived. Apriums? They're "mostly plum with a little bit of plum." They're not particularly tasty, but the earliest stone fruit rarely is.

Price: $4/lb. for apriums
$3/lb. for green plums and loquates
$2.50/lb. for nectarines and peaches

Fava Beans

The basketball playoffs are in full swing which means it must be fava bean season. What's the connection? Fava beans are labor intensive, since they first must be extracted from their husks and then slipped out of the tough skins that enclose each bean. It's a task that goes easier if you've got something else to do at the same time, such as watching TV. Since fava beans are in season for a month or two in late spring, just in time for the basketball playoffs, I find myself each year shelling them while watching a basketball game. I've just posted a bunch of new fava bean recipes, and I'm trying out some of them with this batch of beans. The Catalan bean stew  is worth the effort, and will be a once-a-year fava bean season special in my house from now on. 

Price: $1/lb.

Caption

These flame raisin grapes were $3 a pound while raisins made from crimson grapes were a dollar more. Plump farmers market raisins fresh off the farm are much better than the store-bought variety.

Price: $3/l lb. bag

Spinach

In my house, Japanese sesame spinach, which is included in this list of nine spinach recipes, has become a favorite dish. So I rarely return from a visit to a farmers market without a pound or two.

Price: $1/bag

Beets, Radishes

Price: $1.25/bunch of beets
$.65/bunch of radishes

Thai Basil, Baby Bok Choy, Gai Lon, Green Onions

Price: $1/bunch

Summer Squash, Purple Cauliflower, Kirby Cucumbers

Price: $1/lb. for cucumbers
$1/ small head of cauliflower
$2/lb. for summer squash