This month, I was able to escape to California for a little vacation. There, I encountered a lovely farmers market where the gorgeous farm-fresh ingredients awoke my senses and got me ready for the change of season back home.  

Other than it having the opposite climate to Chicago, La Quinta Farmers Market offers a weary,winter-stuck person like myself the opportunity to taste the fruits of California’s lack of seasons.  Where, you ask?  Why at the La Quinta Farmers Market, of course.  I’m always a little root vegetable — out by this time of year, so a trip to a market like this was really something amazing.  When I arrived, I was overcome with feeling of excitement, confusion, guilt and excitement again.  

Berries?  In March?  It’s OK, I’m in California.

Once I got over my conflicting emotions, I dove right in and got a nice variety of vegetables, fruits and eggs (including a delicious turkey egg that the farmer gave us for free). I was overcome with culinary invigoration.

This is what I get to look forward to in the next couple of months back home, I thought. This incredible feeling of renewal is why the seasons and eating seasonally are so great.

The meals that followed were pretty spectacular. I kept everything really simple because there was little needed to mess up the ingredients. There were some interesting finds that helped assuage my seasonal guilt that I will share with you. While I found the blackberries and white raspberries to be juicy and delicious, the others weren’t anything like a Michigan or Indiana berry in July.  

Also, the heirloom tomatoes were huge and juicy but the flavor wasn’t close to as intense and pronounced as an August tomato.  So don’t worry, ...