UPDATE: Peas Now

Updated with what's fresh and available in the market on Sunday, April 3, as it opened.

Enjoy the local citrus fruits at the market while you can because this month the commercial citrus season starts to tail off.  But on the upside we should start to see early summer vegetables like squash, cucumbers and peppers coming in, though in some areas the rain has caused delays in planting.

Wet weather also has caused uncertainty about the Central Valley's apricot crop, says the California Ag Network. So we may see fewer of those in May, when the first harvest is expected.

Continuing at their peak, though, at Sunday's Harbor Area Farmers Market are locally grown peas--snow peas, sugar-snap peas and English peas--which have been selling in the range of $3 to $4 a pound. The snow and sugar-snaps have edible pods, so are a little more economical--not to mention easier to prepare.

I've seen some vendors sell freshly shelled English peas and I've also seen snow pea shoots for sale. For the best flavor, though, you should shell them yourself just before cooking.

Check these market booths in particular: Smith, R.S., Rivas and Gonzaga (see the accompanying map), though others may have them as well.

Look for the youngest, tenderest snow and sugar snap peas. Usually the ones on the small side are best. The English peas, on the other hand, should have some size on them -- they should be well filled out -- otherwise you may not find much inside when you've gone to the trouble of snapping open the shell.

English peas are the same as the kind you've had frozen or canned, but like fresh corn, they are incredibly good when just picked. If you can resist eating them right out of the pod, they're great in salads or lightly steamed or sauteed.

A pound of English pea pods yields about a cup of shelled peas, so you may want to stretch them by sauteing them with mushrooms and onions, or using them in a pasta dish like this one:

Creamy Fettuccine With Sweet Peas and Prosciutto

In abundance and looking very good at the Sunday market at the Marina, as as it opened this morning:

• mandarins
• lemons
• oranges
• tangerines
• grapefruit
• pomelos
• carrots
• broccoli, Broccolini and Chinese broccoli
• peas (snow, snap and English)
• spinach (including Savoy)
• lettuce (romaine, red leaf, butter) and mixed greens
• green cabbage
• cilantro
• beets (red and orange)
• Brussels sprouts
• artichokes
• potatoes (several varieties and sizes)
• yams
• sweet potatoes (including Japanes)
• garlic (including Chinese and young garlic)
• onions
• avocados (including Fuerte and Hass)

Also available:

• eggs
• tomatoes (including on-the-vine)
• green beans
• blackberries
• red raspberries
• blueberries
• parsnips
• turnips
• mushrooms (shiitake, wood ear and oyster)
• Savoy spinach
• bok choy
• artichokes
• shallots
• leeks
• Jerusalem artichokes
• kale
• kohlrabi
• radishes
• parsley
• cherimoya

Harbor Area Farmers Market (Long Beach Southeast). Alamitos Bay Marina, on East Marina Drive, one-quarter mile south of East Second Street, just west of Pacific Coast Highway. Most Sundays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (though some vendors are ready to sell at 7 a.m.). www.goodveg.org.