The harbingers of summer
Peak season
Zucchini flowers: So bright yellow they look nearly orange, zucchini flowers are almost irresistible to farmers market shoppers. Yet it seems many people don’t know what to do with them once they’ve bought them. Three times one morning I was asked how to prepare them. My favorite way is to deep-fry them in a very light, almost tempura-like batter. Whisk enough ice water into flour that it thickens to the consistency of unwhipped cream. Dip the flowers into the batter, give them a twirl to get rid of any excess batter, and fry them in hot oil until they’re crunchy -- just two or three minutes. That’s just one idea. There are all sorts of other ways to prepare them -- cutting them in shreds and stirring them into risotto or using them as a filling for quesadillas, for example.
If you have a choice, select flowers that have been picked early in the morning and are just slightly opened. Rinse them gently under cold water and tease them open with your finger just to check for any bugs that might be hitching a ride. Also, I prefer male flowers (just blossoms, no squash attached) because by the time the squash is cooked through, the flowers are usually overdone.
Valdivia Farms, Fairview Gardens, $2.50 per bunch
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Green beans: How special can a simple green bean be? If you have to ask, you’ve never had the Blue Lakes from Harry’s Berries. I have no idea how they do it, but Camarillo’s Iwamoto-Gean family (best known for their splendid strawberries), raises the humble bean to new heights. These beans are always snapping crisp with a bright, sweet green flavor. They’re my summertime secret weapon -- cook some meat on the grill and serve it with quickly blanched beans simply dressed with olive oil and lemon. People will think you’re a genius.
Harry’s Berries, $4 per pound
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Corn: We’ve been seeing fresh corn trickling in from the desert for about a month, but now the flood begins. Always one of the most popular farmers market items, it is now being harvested in Orange County and the Valley and should be around for the rest of the summer. Most of the corn you’ll find is white (that’s just a regional preference; it’s not necessarily sweeter than yellow) and is from one of the newer varieties that hold onto their sugar longer than the ears of yore. Although those tended to go starchy in a matter of hours, these will taste sweet for a couple of days. Choose ears that are well filled out (check the tips of the ears to make sure there are kernels), and make sure the silk is still soft, not dried out. Don’t shuck the whole ear before buying, though; it makes the farmers really cranky.
Various vendors, 75 cents an ear
