Mix it up with Mani

Spring at the Farmers Market

Spring onions, green garlic, strawberries, frosty asparagus tips, crisp snap peas, scarlet-hued rhubarb, small batch “artisan” apricot preserves, even raw milk and cream from Claravale Farm in Watsonville.…these are just a few of the things I picked up on a recent Saturday at my local farmers market in Northern California. Like a kid in a candy store, eyes bigger than my stomach, I always buy too much and occasionally end up with produce leftover from the previous week when I set off for the market each Saturday! For May, I set out to create a few simple recipes that capture the essence of spring.

Spring Onion Chicken w/ White Wine Cream Sauce
Spring onions and spring or “green” garlic, are the baby versions of full grown onions and garlic. Both are mild and flavorful, easy to prepare since the garlic has not yet separated into cloves and there are no tough skins to peel. I prefer chicken thighs for this dish, although breasts will work just as well. For the green vegetable, snap peas, shelled peas and asparagus are all good choices.

Strawberry Cream Scones
Strawberries have the annoying habit of dissipating when they bake. Most of the juice bakes away, leaving a blip of strawberry inside muffins and scones. This recipe allows you to crown each scone with a mound of strawberries, glazed with opaque apricot preserves for a shiny, patisserie-like appearance and for extra flavor.

Rhubarb Strawberry Squares