Farmers' Market: Melons, Figs and Heirloom Tomatoes

The melon that Americans call cantaloupe is truly a muskmelon. True cantaloupes are mainly grown in Europe and have a rough, warty surface quite different from the melons grown in the U.S.

The cantaloupe is the featured fruit at this Sunday's  farmers' market. Growers advise shoppers to look for a shallow indent where the stem was attached, a yellow color underneath the thick network of veins, and a strong fragrance.

Shoppers will also find figs in five varieties, and a multitude of recipes on the farmers market website. Considered a fruit, the fig is actually a flower that is inverted into itself.

Acoustic folk-pop duo Emith will perform Sunday. The weather is expected to be a partly cloudy 76 degrees.

Growers will be selling fruits, vegetables, prepared foods and more, including:

• Grapes: green, (sometimes called white), red, and blue-black
• Peppers, from sweet to hot
• Heirloom tomatoes
• Unfiltered honey, honeycomb and bee pollen from the San Mateo Beekeepers Co-Op
• Stone fruits (apricots, peaches, plums and nectarines)
• Strawberries
• Blackberries
• Artichokes
• Orchids
• Dried almonds

The enter-to-win drawing for Giants tickets continues (Visit the Info Booth for form).

“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