The market was hopping last week due to the warm weather, long days and – apparently – big appetites for all the new produce.

I scored a large bag of goodies – all of it organic – for what I thought was a great bargain. This week, my acquisitions included:

• 2 bunches of asparagus (both the thick and think versions were available – I chose thick, which are better for grilling).
• 1 bunch of carrots (tops on –the greens go into my compost bin)
• 3 cucumbers
• 3 zucchini
• 3 small eggplant
• 1 bunch of celery
• 3 Gala apples (Fuji were also available)
• 1 gorgeous Asian pear
• 1 plump pink grapefruit

All of the above were organic and all of it cost me a grand total of $15. As of today, we’ve eaten about half of it (there are 2 adults in my house, no kids). The asparagus and eggplant went on the grill (to go on a bed of cous cous from Trader Joes for a quick dinner ready in about 10 minutes). The zucchini was grated and mixed into pasta sauce. The celery was chopped up to add crunch to egg salad and tuna salad. I have some leftover to put into soup, along with some of the carrots. The apples, pear and grapefruit have been great just for snacking throughout the day, when my sweet tooth hits.

This is only the beginning of what promises to be a great year for locally grown fruits and veggies! All of the rains we endured over the winter will really begin to pay off now.

The market is found every Tuesday from 3- 8 p.m. on Avenue 58 and Marmion Way, between the Gold Line station and Figueroa Blvd. There is FREE PARKING after 4 p.m. in the lot adjacent to the market.

See you there. ML