Walla Walla Sweets

Kew Gardens, outside of London, once hosted an installation of Chihuly's glass art. Some of it, like the giant blue blocks that looked like ice cubes plunked down among hedgerows, bemused us. Others, such as 'The Sun,' simply impressed by its size, color, and complexity. But the most amusing for me were the glass globes floating in the pond, which Chihuly called 'Walla Wallas.'

Looking at the originals, I can see how the onion's shape might have provided inspiration for the art. But I wonder if they float?

Chihuly Onions

Back in 2005, Dale Chihuly had an installation at Kew Gardens, outside of London.

Dale Chihuly's floating walla wallas at Kew Gardens

One of my favorite features was the floating glass he called Walla Wallas. Except for the gorgeous array of colors, the actual sweet onions from eastern Washington do look remarkably like the art pieces.

We wondered, in Britian, how many people would get the joke. And what types of sweet onions are indigenous to Europe? Would we have been among the select few if he had called them Vidalias, instead?

Almond Gazpacho

Almond gazpacho at Lolo, in Portland, OR

For those of us who think narrowly of gazpacho as a cold, tomato-based soup, the wide range of imaginative gazpachos can be startling. Also delicious.

The one we tried at Lolo was thick and creamy, with a drizzle of olive oil on top, and sweet, crunchy grapes for a garnish (offset nicely by the savory hints of cumin and cardamom).

Purple Cauliflower

purple cauliflower - Vancouver, WA farmers market

One of the many things I like about farmers markets is the interesting varieties of produce there. While grocery stores tend to carry just the most well-known, easily recognized fruits and vegetables, family farmers like to experiment, and bring the results to the market to share.  Where else would you find Armenian striped cucumbers, dry-farmed Early Girl tomatoes, corni di toro peppers, white eggplant, or even romanescu?  And, of course, someone who can tell you what that odd fruit or veggie is, and how to enjoy it at home.

Berry Seasons

Blueberries and marionberries in Vancouver, WA

Having lived in the northwest for so many years, the biggest shock for me at the farmers market has been the length of strawberry season in central California.  In Seattle, strawberries are glorious for a full month, in a good year. That month very rarely begins in late May, but more typically in mid-June. In the Bay Area,   I have found them beginning as early as February and as late as November. They tend to be a bit too firm and acidic at both ends of the season, but truly succulent at the peak, from June through August.

Blueberries start earlier here too, and seem to peter out a bit earlier than in the Northwest. Up there, marionberries, raspberries and blackberries arrive in late July and can last through early September. In fact, the invasive  species of Himalayan blackberry perfumes the air in August, along bike trails and within public parks. Why go to the farmers market for them when you can take a bucket to the rampant overgrowth within a few blocks of most people's houses?

For a locavore, California's longer seasons for many types of produce makes adhering to a target area (whether a home county, a 100-mile radius, or whatever metric one chooses) a bit easier. But at the same time, there is something about a very short season for a culinary treat that makes it that much more exquisite when it arrives.

Snack Defense

Last weekend, I spent way too many hours in a row indoors on the computer (reading submissions to the Global eBook Awards). The later it got on Friday night, the more I scavenged the cupboards for anything crunchy to nibble while I read. Everything I found came from a bag, in some form of a chip, with salt.

The next morning, I set aside my giant digital stack of books and headed to the farmer's market for some snack self defense.  Tiny seedless green organic grapes and giant Sweet Nantes carrots would see me through the weekend. The grapes were perfect for the mindless eating I tend to do while staring at a screen. And the carrots made excellent chips for dipping into a bowl of hummus. The only corn chips that passed my lips came with creamy guacamole, and went away again when that snack was finished, at the table.