Something you might find at your Farmer's Market herb seller's tables this spring is sorrel, a perennial pot herb sharing the texture of spinach, the size of young chard, and having a tart, sour lemon flavor. more ›

This year, vegan sandwiches made a great showing in the typically-dairycentric Grilled Cheese Invitational, and one pro entry took home a trophy. Compassion Over Killing's Gwendoly Mathers shared with us her recipe for her trophy-winning vegan dessert grilled cheese. more ›

Rutabagas are actually related to turnips, originally created by crossing turnips with cabbages. As a hearty root vegetable, rutabagas are often used alongside potatoes, turnips and other roasting vegetables. They have a sweetness similar to sweet potatoes, and are a nice treat to slice up and eat raw, with a flavor close to raw sweet potato. more ›

One young vegetable you won't see at the supermarkets is purple sprouting broccoli, a variety of broccoli with purple florets and many thin stems, as opposed to the tree-like shape of Italica broccoli. They are delicate and do well with a light steam or sauté, sometimes with the florets blooming into flowers. more ›

This week we'll take a look at pea shoots, which are the soft, young stems and leaves of pea vines and plants. They're entirely edible with a nice toothy crunch, tasting lightly of peas. If you don't have room for the full vine, pea shoots make great container plants you can graze for salad instead. more ›

Brussels sprouts are a cool weather cultivar of cabbage, though shaped quite differently: a thick, main stalk covered with helical patterns of buds that resemble tiny cabbage heads. They grow in cooler climates, which make them ideal for the winter season in Southern California. more ›

For the 20th year, the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) will be host to a star-studded and delicious evening of Academy Awards gold at their Oscar viewing party in West Hollywood. This five-course catered dinner and celebration is the most highly visible and successful fund-raising event in Hollywood on Oscar night, and has raised millions of dollars to support the work of the EJAF. more ›

You won't find them commercially, but stinging nettles are starting to appear in farmer's markets and can be foraged locally in early Southern California springtime. They earned their name for tiny, hollow stinging hairs on their leaves and stems, which inject a mix of histamine and chemicals that produces a stinging sensation when you brush them against their tips. more ›

Lambs quarters (sometimes seen as one word, lambsquarters) is a wild edible leafy green that usually appears in farmers' markets in early spring, but with the exceptionally temperate winter we've had in Southern California, many spring greens are arriving early. more ›

Spinach isn't necessarily a winter green, but in temperate winter areas like southern California, we get to enjoy it now. The spinach above is an heirloom variety that is quite toothy and probably best steamed or sautéed, but we also have sellers at the Hollywood Farmer's Market who specialize in young leafy varieties that are great for salads. more ›

Butternut squash are right in the middle of their Southern California season, which starts at the end of September and runs until the beginning of March. As one of the more popular winter squash, butternut has a sweet and nutty taste similar to pumpkin, with deep orange fleshy pulp. more ›

There's cheese dip...and then there's Charles Phoenix's "Frosty the Cheeseball Man." From the twisted genius behind the perennial favorite "Cherpumple" comes this party-hearty food performance art involving a "Cheseball Man" made of three Velveeta balls slathered in winter-white cream cheese and studded with veggies. more ›

Pomegranate is a fruit rich in history, having ancient origins in modern day Iran and the Caucasus. It is cultivated all over north Africa, the Mediterranean, the Middle East and Asia. In many cultures, the juice of the individual arils is separated from the seeds and processed into grenadine and pomegranate molasses as intense flavoring agents. more ›

For the first time in awhile, I've seen Meyer lemons back at the farmer's market. Meyer lemons are native to China and thought to be a cross between a true lemon and a mandarin or orange. Brought back from a trip to China by Frank Meyer about 100 years ago, they grow well in warm climates in orchards or garden pots as ornamental trees with a winter seasonality in the California climate. more ›

With Halloween, we usher in a huge annual harvest of pumpkins that grace holiday tables winter-long. Though they are often carved into jack-o-lanterns, historically believed to ward off demons at Halloween, many varieties are thicker, juicier and more flavorful than typical Halloween pumpkins and make delicious, hearty meals. more ›

Root vegetables are a fall favorite, and yams are no exception. Let's get one thing straight though, we often refer to sweet potatoes as yams, but true yams are a different family than sweet potatoes, and are most often confused here in the States (I found almost as many articles talking about this difference as I found recipes). While many of the recipes in this article will call for sweet potatoes, try them out with true yams and see what you think! more ›

Fall is in full swing, and so is apple season! Here in Southern California, we're lucky enough to have apple orchards in some of the higher elevation mountains surrounding the city, one of which is Oak Glen, above Yucaipa. During apple season, the orchards are open 7 days a week, though self-picking is only available on the weekends and tapers down as the season wanes. more ›

Admit it, you dipped your hand into the Halloween candy bowl more times last night than you're proud of. You enjoyed the immediate gratification that comes from processed sugary food-stuff, but if you're anything like me, now you crave a wholesome treat. Thankfully, National Fig Week is here to remind you that mother nature can satisfy that sweet tooth with this often overlooked fruit. more ›

It's Halloween, and even though you've been nibbling on candy corn and slurping back pumpkin ales for days, there's still some party left in you. Fine, maybe you've limited your Halloween eats to the half-off candy bins at Target on November 1. Here are a few terrifyingly tasty morsels to chew on when it comes to Halloween food and drink. more ›

Today, they grow in many temperate areas of the United States as both a shrub or a tree. In a climate such as we have here in Los Angeles, feijoas are often grown as backyard fruit, similar to loquats, and anyone who has lived with this fragrant tree has grown to love them. When I saw these for sale at the Hollywood Farmer's Market, I excitedly bought a bag to enjoy this week. more ›

Just in time for Halloween, what makes more sense than sucking back a bottled beverage made in the spirit of HBO's biting drama, "True Blood"? Tru Blood Beverage, which debuted for sale two years ago via HBO's online shop, is now available in the flesh in plastic bottles at your neighborhood BevMo! more ›

Despite the seasonal changes, the warmth of southern California means we still have some summer fruits around, one of which are raspberries! Get them fresh at the farmer's markets around town, or choose a pick-your-own farm to visit and pick yourself a flat of fresh fruit! more ›

Late summer is a great time for capsicum peppers of all types, from mild bell peppers to hot chili peppers like jalapeños and habañeros. Since peppers are such a large family with so many different uses, today we'll look at hot peppers and how you can use them seasonally, and put them up for use year-round. more ›

LAist is taking a look at some of the great reasons to be lured to the Nevada desert for some sun and fun in Sin City. Here we recap our trip to check out BBQ & Beer at the Bellagio, and look ahead to the hotel's next "Epicurean Epicenter" event. more ›

After recently reading about all the superhero qualities of purslane, I knew I'd want to profile it and encourage everyone to eat this succulent annual that comes around every summer. Purslane is a leafy vegetable mostly sold in farmer's markets, though it is often considered a weed when found in gardens, due to its hardy qualities—but it's a beneficial weed, since it helps out neighboring plants. It's a great food to forage, since it's easily identifiable and rather prolific in the southern california landscape. more ›