Origin: California

Pack: 1 lb. increments

Availability: Limited - Pre-order required

Pimientos de Padrón are small green peppers named after a town in Galicia, Spain. That mildly sweet green chile from the Galicia region, fried in olive oil and served by the plate, also headlines a village festival in its honor. Unremarkable in appearance the chile curves and grooves a bit and is somewhat ruddy. They are usually fried in salt and served as a tapa. Pimento is the Portugese term for chile peppers.

Pimiento de Padrón is both a cultivated variety of chile and a recipe for that chile. The unique trait of the pimientos de Padrón is that most pods are mild, but about one in five is very hot. At their best, eating them is rather like playing Russian Roulette. Sometimes almost all of them are highly explosive; occasionally, an entire batch is sweet.

Origin: California

Pack: 35 lb

Availability: Good

The jujube originated in China where they have been cultivated for more than 4,000 years and where there are over 400 cultivars. The plants traveled beyond Asia centuries ago and today are grown to some extent in Russia, northern Africa, southern Europe, the Middle East and the southwestern United States. Jujube seedlings, inferior to the Chinese cultivars, were introduced into Europe at the beginning of the Christian era and carried to the U. S. in 1837. It wasn't until 1908 that improved Chinese selections were introduced by the USDA.

The immature fruit is smooth-green, and resembles the consistency and taste of an apple, but as it matures more, it darkens to red to purplish-black and becomes wrinkled, looking like a small date (hence the name Chinese Date). There is a single hard stone, similar to an olive stone. In Persian cuisine, the dried drupes are known as annab.

The fruits are used in Chinese and Korean traditional medicine. Ziziphin, a compound in the leaves of the jujube, suppresses the ability to perceive sweet taste in humans. The fruit, being mucilaginous, is also very soothing to the throat and decoctions of jujube have often been used in pharmacy to treat sore throats. In addition to their medicinal use, the candied dried fruits are often eaten as a snack, or with tea. They are available either red or black, the latter being smoked to enhance their flavour. In Korea, China, and Taiwan, a sweetened tea syrup containing jujube fruits is available in glass jars, and canned jujube tea or jujube tea in the form of teabags is also available. Although not widely available, jujube juice is also produced. In China and Taiwan, a wine made from jujubes called hong zao jiu is also produced.

In Japanese, the natsume has given its name to a style of tea caddy used in tea ceremony.

Most often enjoyed as candied fruit, it can be paired with rice, or other grains, or used in sweet or gingerbreads.

Origin: California

Pack: 4 doz.

Availability: Good

These eye-catching kernels are soft, sweet and tender just like yellow or white corn. Most people enjoy it on the cob but the kernels can also add great color and flavor to salsa, chutney, corn salad, and other dishes. Grilling Scarlet™ Sweet Red Corn best enhances its bright color and flavor making it the perfect side dish for summertime barbecues. Scarlet™ Sweet Red Corn is a traditionally bred sweet red corn that gets its deep red pigment from the naturally occurring antioxidant anthocyanin.

Origin: California

Pack: 10 lbs

Availability: Limited

Cranberry Beans are known for their creamy texture with a flavor similar to chestnuts. Cranberry beans are rounded with red specks, which disappear on cooking. These beans are a favorite in northern Italy and Spain. You can find them fresh in their pods in Autumn.

According to the USDA, the American 'cranberry bean' is the same bean as the Italian 'borlotti' and, as a matter of fact, a large percentage of the 'borlotti' beans sold in Italy are actually 'cranberry beans' imported from the U.S.

Another name for this bean in the U.S. is 'French horticultural bean'.

These beans are related to the Tongues of Fire Beans. Very popular for Spanish, Italian and Portuguese dishes.

Origin: California

Pack: Volume Fill 40 size

Availability: Good

The Kelsey is a Japanese variety plum. The Kelsey is one of the most valuable plums because its bright green skin is a beautiful contrast to the red and purple varieties on display. As it ripens, the skin turns from green to yellow splashed with red. The sweet, greenish yellow flesh is one of the least tart among the plums. The flesh is melting, very juicy, and of good quality. The Kelsey Plum is largely and successfully cultivated in California.

Origin: California

Pack: 9 ct.

Availability: Good

Asian Summer Melon Mixed Case - This phenomenal combination of delicious Asian melons provides great flavor in unusual melon options with a strong value. At least two of each variety provides an easy mix of summer fruit for a retail display or a bevy of fruit platters. Asian Summer melons provide great fruit and a mix of rinds to pickle for garnishes. This unique melon option is only available for five weeks during the summer and the grower let us know that they are available NOW!!

Japanese Graffiti Melon - A traditionally sweet Asian melon now cultivated in the Central Valley. This is a super sweet white fleshed summer melon with a brix of 18 has a beautiful white rind with green speckles of 'graffiti!

Taiwan Papaya Melon - A melon that grows the size of a papaya with a tested brix of 17. A Taiwanese classic grown from imported seeds, the flesh cuts light green and provides a flavor that delights most melon lovers! Encased in a green and yellow outer rind that is reminiscent of watermelon markings.

Korean Sweet Melon - Similar to the commonly seen white-ridged Korean melon that is harvested in much smaller size; this variety has a 15 brix count and a slightly crunchy green flesh. A smooth bright yellow outer rind would be beautiful pickled in a relish.

Origin: California

Pack: 10 lb

Availability: Good Preorder suggested

Lemon Cucumbers are an heirloom cucumber variety dating back to 1894. They are pale to bright yellow, shaped like lemons. When they are pale yellow they can be eaten skin on. As they mature and become a brighter shade of yellow and the skin must be peeled off.

This versatile cucumber is sweet and flavorful, and doesn't have much of the chemical that makes other cucumbers bitter and hard to digest. This sweet flavored variety is ideal to use in salads or relishes. Though it's often served raw, it's also a good pickling cucumber.

Origin: Product of Canada

Pack: 12 x 5.3 oz.

Availability: Good

Pomegranates are an excellent source of Vitamin C. In addition, the pomegranate is rich in polyphenols, some of the most powerful of the antioxidants. And there is more: each seed provides a satisfying crunch and a bit of fiber in every bite. They truly are wonderful to eat fresh. Packed in 5.3 ounce retail sized clamshells, these healthy gems can be eaten right out of the container or used for a number of culinary applications.

• Saute with a reduced juice and create a healthy topping for pancakes and waffles.
• Sprinkle over your favorite salad for color and flavor
• Roast with pork, chicken or fish.
• Marinate in your favorite liqueur or Vodka and create flavorful adult beverages.
• Liquefy and strain to make a delicious juice for children
• Add to desserts for color and texture.

Seeds can be refrigerated for up to ten days. If not used, the seeds can be frozen for up to six months and be juiced when thawed.

Origin: Mexico

Pack: 30 lb.

Availability: Limited

Black-Eyed Peas have a black "eye" and are also known as Cow Peas. They go great with greens and rice! A staple in the Southern diet for over 300 years, black-eyed peas have long been associated with good luck. A dish of peas is a New Year's tradition in most areas of the South, thought to bring luck and prosperity for the new year. Just take them out of their shells (kids are good to help do that) and rinse them, then bring the water to a boil and simmer until tender. Use warm with a little butter as a side, maybe add some bacon. Mix them with rice. Add them to soups and stews. Puree them into a mash. Make them into fritters. Sprout them! You can even fry them (like stove top pop corn) as a snack or added crunch to salad. Try them cold on a salad.

Origin: California

Pack: 1/2 pint Clamshell

Availability: Starting

It’s citrus caviar! Originated in Australia, these finger shaped tiny limes impart a huge flavor. The outside skin is mostly brown with green tinges on smooth skin. Inside, the juice vesicles are 3mm in size and light green in color; when removed from the skin, they look like caviar. Generally seedless but odd seeds do occur. This lime will certainly spark the creativity of any bartender or chef: add to sushi, cocktails, salads or other menu items that benefits from an unexpected burst of citrus flavor.

Origin: California

Pack: 2 Lyr 60 size

Availability: Good

Storage: 36° F.

Also known as a "Flat Nectarine" or "Saturn Nectarine", this is a recent mutation of flat peach with whom it shares the qualities. A new flavor worthy to discover.

A nectarine is a mutation of peach from fuzzy skinned to no fuzzy skinned, or glaucoused from pubescence.

There are a number of factors that go along with the glaucous skin of the nectarine. Nectarines generally have more red color in the skin, smaller size, more sugars, more acids, and higher density.

Origin: Oregon

Pack: 12 half pint

Availability: Started

The English had a passion for gooseberries and in colonial days gooseberry wines, pies and puddings were very popular. However, today many of those recipes have all but disappeared from cookbooks.

The popularity of gooseberries has been increasing over the past few years and fresh berries are becoming easier to find. The berries taste of a sweet tangy mixture of pineapple and strawberry. The fruits make an interesting addition to salads, cooked dishes, and as a garnish.

Origin: Chile

Pack: 14-16ct

Availability: Starting

If you bite into an unripe Hachiya persimmon, it is if you just drank six cups of extra strength tea. This astringent flavor is due to the high level of tannin in the fruit, and there is a good chance that you would never try a persimmon again because it tastes so bitter. This would be a shame because ripe persimmons have an exceptional flavor and provide us with important nutrients such as beta-carotene, Vitamin C and potassium.

We have a farmer who grows right near the ocean in Camarillo, the fields are filled with beautiful heirloom vegetables that are grown organically. This is where our Haricots Jaunes are harvested. Petite French beans that are colored yellow instead of the standard green, these pods will keep their color and their sweet flavor all the way to the table.

The French cultivated snap beans fervently and were able to refine them into the long slender bean culinarians call the French bean or Haricot. Available only when it’s warm enough to stimulate the pod growth – these are a delicious summer treat and a nice change from the traditional green variety.

Bon appetite!

This unusual culinary offering will be available most of the summer and requires a pre-order to allow time for harvest.

Availability: Strong through July

Pack: 5lb. or 10 lb.

Pre-Order required by noon on Monday for Wednesday pick-up.

Origin: Arizona

Pack: 16/1 lb clamshells

Availability: Starting

Storage: 36° F-42° F, store cold and dry.

The champagne grape, also known as Black Cornith or Zante Currant, is a variety of grape that is grown in clusters that produce very small diameter grapes. It is a seedless grape that provides a very sweet flavor for salads, appetizers or as a snack with cheese. The stem, which is also very tiny and tender, is often consumed with the grape rather than attempting to detatch the small connector from the main stem. This grape is very small, sweet and crisp. Wonderful as a garnish on cheese trays and a nice touch for fruit baskets. Champagne grapes that are dried are referred to as currants, a named derived from this variety also being called the Zante Currant grape. Although it may be confused with common black, red or white currants that grow on bushes, it is similar only in shape and size, but is not the same type of fruit. The dried grape that becomes a currant is often used like raisins as an ingredient when baking cookies and sweets.