limes

Tahitian or Bearss limes from Paradise Valley Ranch at the Pacific Beach Tuesday Farmers’ Market add a spicy, fragrant flavor along with a splash of bright acidity to guacamole, salsas, or margaritas (for the over 21 set!).

Find more fresh limes at R&L Farms, Ranchito Rainbow and Gilbert Quintos Farm. Pick up wild caught halibut from the Salmon Slinger and cilantro from Suzies Farm for this simply delicious cilantro-lime halibut, or kick it up a notch by garnishing the dish with these spicy Indian lime pickles. Use fresh chevre from Nicolau Goat Farm and pastured eggs from Descanso Valley Ranch to make these amazing goat cheese and lime cheesecake cookies; garnish them with candied lime peels.

Isn’t it time you cooked with limes?

Buying citrus at the Little Italy Mercato means oranges at Lone Oak Ranch and Meyer lemons from Polito Farms, but are limes also in your picture? This versatile fruit is more than a garnish for gin and tonics or fish tacos. Add it to your food and drink arsenal for a nice one-two punch of savory flavor and bright citrus tones. Gilbert Quintos has them, and Paradise Valley Ranch offers limes along with their stunning avocado selection for a head start on guacamole.

Using a little pressure, roll limes around in your hands or on your cutting board before you cut into them, and the juice will be released with ease.

Lime and poultry makes a winning combination. Marinate your Spur Valley Ranch chicken in lime juice, a glug of Marion’s Olive Oil, some onions and heirloom garlic from Sage Mountain Farms, and salt and pepper to taste. While it's roasting, whip up a batch of Brazil’s national drink, the Caipirinha. Cut a lime into eighths and mash it up with a tablespoon of sugar in a tall glass. Top with white rum, add ice and be whisked away to a beach in Rio. Once you get the hang of how varied this little green fruit can be, you’ll be lime-ing up to buy more.

ORANGE YOU GLAD?

Though they grow pretty much year round in San Diego, oranges light up the night at farm stalls at the North Park Farmers' Market during the winter months. Versatile, sweet, and terribly healthy, organic oranges should be at the top of your shopping (and cooking) list this season.

Paradise Valley Ranch, John Gilruth's Rainbow Ranchito and R&L Farms sell their locally grown Navel and Valencia oranges, as well as juicy, easy- to-peel tangerines, and tart and sweet limes and lemons.

Orange wedges with shaved fennel and boiled or grilled chunks of Chiogga beets from Suzie's Farm make a delightfully refreshing salad. Chill the beets, and toss with tender winter lettuce or vibrant leafy greens from Maciel Family Farms and an easy vinaigrette made with orange juice and California Olive oil and vinegar.

Saute onions, garlic and ginger together and then deglaze the pan with just-pressed orange juice from Paradise Valley Ranch. Reduce the liquid to glaze pork chops and roasts from Da Le Ranch, or start with the same combo and add crushed chilis from Valdivia Farms and stir fry a batch of Kawano Farm green beans with a taste of Thailand.

Cooking with oranges makes everyone feel like a fuzzy navel, doesn't it?

SANGUINE SANGRIA

Doesn't the saying go, "when the universe gives you lemons (and limes, oranges, apples and grapes too), make sangria"? FInd all the best ingredients at the Little Italy Mercato to blend together a personalized, refreshing wine punch. Sangria (from the word sanguine, meaning blood), is a light, sweet drink native to South America and enjoyed worldwide. By using dry, inexpensive wine and fresh slices of citrus flavored fruits, you can set the mood for your next picnic or party or lazy summer afternoon with any variation of this recipe.

Go ahead and buy a few pounds of juicy oranges, grapefruit, and limes from Polito Farms. Pick up a few tart gravenstein apples from Smit Orchards, a box of tender, just plucked raspberries from Pudwill Farms, and two or three extra ripe nectarines from Lone Oak Ranch. Slice all the fruit thinly and mix with one or two bottles of red or white wine, nothing too sweet or too expensive. Head on over to Mona Lisa after the market to find a good selection. Allow the fruit to soak in the wine for at least a few hours, or overnight if possible. This allows the fruit to infuse the wine with all its sweet, complex flavors, creating the most sumptuous sangria. Add ice and seltzer if you prefer when ready to serve, and enjoy in the company of close friends and even better sunsets.  

COOL AS A CUCUMBER

Have you been seeing those sneaky snake-like fruits popping up at the markets? Ta-daa! They're cucumbers! The cucumber, or Cucumis Sativus, is one of the most direct relatives to muskmelons and gourds, and as most people know, there's nothing quite as a cool as a cucumber- cucumber peels can be used to treat skin irritation or sunburns, and the fruit contains nearly 95% water and loads of potassium to keep you hydrated during the summer months.

Here's a refreshing tonic that will bring you back to life, especially if you've enjoying it too much! Sea salt delivers a healthy form of sodium with important trace minerals and elements like magnesium and calcium that replenish your supply of electrolytes. Try using one of the Natural Sea Salt blends from Salt Farm, and while you're at it grab a bunch of fresh mint from Maciel farms or JR Organics. Or, if you're hankering for a little exotic flavor, Paradise Valley Ranch has some tasty limes to twist into your drink.

Cucumber Cooler:
In a blender, mix together until completely pureed:
2 medium sized cucumbers
Juice from 2 limes
5-6 mint leaves
1 pinch of sea salt
1 cup water
2-3 ice cubes