Inspiration by the bushel

One of the joys of shopping at the farmers market is free-associating your way to a fabulous market dinner menu. Strolling along from stall to stall, checking out the heaps of gorgeous Lolla Rossa lettuce here, the purple-tipped bunches of white asparagus there, who can resist the temptation to start imagining what will happen when that spring garlic and those fat Roma beans meet in a saute pan? Catch a whiff of basil or accept a taste of apricot, and your mental menu-planning wheels start whirling. And look over at the next stall: There’s the chef of your favorite restaurant doing the same thing.

A market dinner calls for simple cooking -- quick sauteing, steaming, rustic baking -- because the produce itself is at its peak and so full of flavor. In fact, much of the cook’s creativity is in selecting felicitous combinations of flavors and textures to make dishes that are like snapshots of the season.

If your farmers market is a busy one, arrive early, even before it opens, so you can scan the stalls before the crowds form, seeing what’s available. If you don’t know the farm stands well, you might want to check everything out before you buy.

Talk to the farmers. If you see an unusual vegetable or an unfamiliar fruit, they’ll be happy to tell you about it. Often they’ll know a great way to prepare it. And don’t hesitate to ask for a taste.

Then start buying. Choose what you love, what intrigues you or what speaks to you. Probably you’ll buy too much -- which isn’t the end of the world. Since this stuff is so fresh, much of it will last longer than its supermarket counterparts. As you shop, think about what you’d like to eat tonight.

Like to begin with a salad? Buy some beautiful, tender greens. Imagine them with some of those gorgeous radishes sliced on top, or some lightly marinated string beans. Or a little potato salad, embellished with shallots. This is when you’ll want to pull out your best olive oil. Soup? How about simmering those dreamy-looking carrots in chicken stock, adding some chervil, maybe a little creme fraiche on top?

Side dishes write themselves. In fact, if there’s a danger, it’s that you’ll have nothing but side dishes. But would that be so terrible? It would just mean you wouldn’t have to make that last stop for fish or meat on the way home.

Last week, at the Santa Monica farmers market, bright yellow wax beans and green beans caught my eye. I picked up some of each to steam and marinate -- how beautiful they would be, their colors still vivid, arranged together on a platter. All they’d need was a good vinaigrette spooned over. Beans in hand, I also picked up fresh tarragon.

Over on Arizona Avenue I spotted the tiniest fingerling potatoes, with skin so thin they wouldn’t need peeling. Immediately I imagined their freshly dug flavor, contrasting with the tangy crunch of the marinated bean salad. I’d steam them gently, add a little sauteed spring garlic, spoon them hot onto a serving platter and break them up with a fork. Just a drizzle of great olive oil and a sprinkle of fleur de sel and cracked pepper -- I could already taste them.

Strawberries still looked great (I picked up some Seascapes at Harry’s Berries), and another stall had some beautiful blackberries and raspberries. These would make a terrific fruit crisp. Tossed with a little sugar, lemon juice and tapioca, and finished with a cinnamon-and-nutmeg-spiced topping, it would be simple enough to let the beautiful berry flavor come through -- big time.

I couldn’t wait to start cooking.

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Steamed fingerling potatoes with spring garlic

Total time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

1 pound fingerling potatoes

2 cloves spring garlic, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons best quality olive oil

Freshly cracked black pepper

2 Fleur de sel

1. Rinse the potatoes under cold running water. Place them in the top of a steamer over simmering water.

2. Cover and steam until the potatoes are fork tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

3. While the potatoes are steaming, saute the garlic in olive oil until just tender but not browned, about 1 minute. Remove the garlic from the heat but leave it in the pan with the oil and keep warm.

4. When the potatoes are tender remove them to a serving platter and, using a fork, break each potato into 3 or 4 pieces. Sprinkle the potatoes with fleur de sel and cracked black pepper to taste, then drizzle with the the sauteed garlic and oil.

Each serving: 162 calories; 2 grams protein; 24 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 7 grams fat; 1 grams saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 8 mg. sodium.

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Three-berry crisp

Total time: 60 minutes

Servings: 4

1 pint strawberries

1/2 pint blackberries

1/2 pint raspberries

1/3cup sugar

2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8teaspoon nutmeg

1/3cup cold butter, cut up

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut small strawberries in half, large ones into quarters or even 8 pieces.

2. Combine the strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, sugar, tapioca and lemon juice in a large bowl. Stir with a rubber spatula until the ingredients are evenly mixed. Let the mixture stand 15 minutes so the tapioca softens.

3. While the fruit is standing, combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and butter in a bowl. Use a pastry blender or work the butter into the dry ingredients with your hands until you have a coarse, crumbly mixture. There will still be clumps. Do not over-mix.

4. Divide the fruit mixture into 4 well-buttered 1-cup ramekins. Spoon the brown sugar crumble topping over the top of each, dividing it evenly.

5. Place the filled ramekins on a shallow baking pan (to catch any drips) and bake until the topping is lightly browned and the fruit is bubbly, about 35 to 40 minutes.

6. Use a spatula to lift the ramekins onto a wire rack. Allow the berry crisps to cool somewhat before serving. Serve warm.

Each serving: 435 calories; 3 grams protein; 74 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams fiber; 16 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 41 mg. cholesterol; 14 mg. sodium.

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Green and yellow beans in lemon mustard vinaigrette

Total time: 15 minutes

Servings: 4

1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and rinsed

1/2pound yellow beans, trimmed and rinsed

1/4cup olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2teaspoon Dijon-style mustard

2 teaspoons minced red onion

1 clove spring garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped tarragon

1/4 teaspoon sugar

3/4teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black

pepper

1. Using a steamer, or a saucepan or wok with a steamer insert, steam the beans until they are tender but still crunchy, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and pat dry.

2. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, onion, garlic, tarragon, sugar and salt. Pour the vinaigrette over the beans and toss to coat.

3. Spoon the beans onto a serving platter. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Each serving: 161 calories; 2 grams protein; 10 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 14 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 455 mg. sodium.