Farmers' Market Features Melons, Stonefruit and the Eggplant

The seasonal star of this Sunday's is the eggplant – available in the large Italian and American varieties and the longer, thinner, purple Thai or Indian varieties

The eggplant, a fruit of the nightshade family, can be sautéed, baked, roasted, stir-fried, deep-fried, stuffed, steamed, grilled, or pureed into a dip or as a stuffing (hint: they're best used fresh, as the skins grow bitter with age).

And the market chefs have made recipes available for shoppers, including such dishes as jambalaya, ratatouille, aubergine bruschetta and more.

While perusing, examining, tapping, shaking and otherwise sizing up the goods, shoppers can enjoy the musical stylings of Damond Moodie.

The weather is expected to be a clear and sunny 79 degrees.

An abundance of fruits, vegetables, and flowers will be available at the market, which runs from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.:

• Unfiltered honey, honeycomb and bee pollen from the San Mateo Beekeepers Co-Op
• Stone fruits (apricots, peaches, plums and nectarines)
• Strawberries
• Blackberries
• Honeydew melons
• Cantaloupe
• Artichokes
• Avocados
• Tomatoes
• Spinach
• Orchids
• Dried almonds
• Homemade jams from Kitty's Kreations

There's plenty to eat on the spot, too: Vendors include Michell's Golden Brown Breads of Manteca, Gold Rush Kettle Korn of Benicia, Hummus Heaven of  San Leandro, Perfect Batch cookies, and Quick -N- Ezee Indian Foods of Hayward.

“Extra 5″ offers farmers’ market customers an extra $5 when they spend at least $10 on their CalFresh (food stamp) cards at selected farmers’ markets operated by partners at the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association. The goal of this project is to encourage CalFresh recipients to take advantage of fresh, locally-grown fruits and vegetables.

Related Topics: Downtown, Farmers Market, and Produce