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Farm Fresh Food Finds This Morning Edition series takes you to America's farmers' markets and roadside stands for a sample of what's growing on its farms, in its gardens and across the countryside. We invite you to share your recipes and ideas.
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Farm Fresh Food Finds

Rocky Ford Cantaloupes: As Sweet As Can Be

The small town of Rocky Ford, Colo., about 50 miles east of Pueblo, hails itself as the "Sweet Melon Capital of the World." That's because hot days, cool nights and a high elevation help farmers grow some of the sweetest cantaloupe on the planet.

Rocky Ford Cantaloupes: As Sweet As Can Be

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Washington Cherries: For Dinner And Dessert

Chef Garrett Brown shows a crowd at a Seattle farmers market how to make savory and sweet dishes with cherries — which Washington state grows more than any other place in the U.S. On the menu: cold cherry soup and pork tenderloin with cherry sauce.

Washington Cherries: For Dinner And Dessert

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Nopalitos: Taming The Prickly Pear Cactus

Some summer foods beg to be eaten: fresh tomatoes, sweet corn on the cob. But one virtually screams, "Leave me alone!" Nopalitos are the pads of the prickly pear cactus. In Mexico and the American Southwest, they're a staple at farmers' markets.

Nopalitos: Taming The Prickly Pear Cactus

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Ripe Figs: The Real Fruit Of Eden?

Farmer Rick Knoll says it wasn't an apple that got Adam and Eve kicked out of the garden; it was figs. They're the sexiest thing there is, says Knoll, who grows seven fig varieties on his California farm. Knoll figs are fat and come to market oozing nectar.

Ripe Figs: The Real Fruit Of Eden?

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A Peachy Rivalry Stews In Alabama

Like football, peaches down South are serious business; state bragging rights are on the line. So whose peaches are more delicious – Alabama's or Georgia's? One grower argues that the tree-ripened variety in Alabama's Chilton County is better.

A Peachy Rivalry Stews In Alabama

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Georgia Peaches: A Ripe Legacy

Some have tried to challenge Georgia as the "Peach State," to no avail. For Duke Lane Jr., who runs a 100-year-old peach orchard in Fort Valley, it's hard to beat the taste of a Georgia peach. People just know to look for Georgia peaches, Lane says.

Georgia Peaches: A Ripe Legacy

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Rhubarb: Reviving A Forgotten Crop

Years ago, Jim Crawford of New Morning Farm noticed that rhubarb had fallen out of favor. His Pennsylvania neighbors were letting the tart perennial languish in their gardens. But Crawford has seen a resurgence in demand for rhubarb, often fueled by nostalgia.

Rhubarb: Reviving A Forgotten Crop

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Zucchini Blossoms: Tastes Like Squash Perfume

The edible flower of a zucchini is a delicate and ephemeral treat. Blossom fans at a farmers market in Washington, D.C., recommend them stuffed with cheese and baked, fried in batter or eaten raw. But prepare them quickly — they won't last longer than a day!

Zucchini Blossoms: Tastes Like Squash Perfume

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New Hybrids Flavor Stone Fruit Grower's Stand

J. Fitzgerald Kelly grows 190 different kinds of stone fruit. At his Santa Monica fruit stand, you can find the Flavorella aprium and the Flavorosa pluot, both crosses of plums and apricots. He has also created a plum and white nectarine mix called Mr. McNulty.

New Hybrids Flavor Stone Fruit Grower's Stand

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N.C. Town Cooks Up Yellow Cabbage Collards

Benny and Vickie Cox run a roadside stand in Ayden, N.C., called The Collard Shack. You won't find the green collards here that are common throughout the South. Instead, the Coxes grow yellow cabbage collards, an heirloom variety that's rare outside eastern North Carolina.

N.C. Town Cooks Up Yellow Cabbage Collards

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Fiddlehead: This Fern Is For Eating

Just after the snow melts but long before the last frost, hardy New Englanders take to moist meadows and muddy riverbanks in search of the fiddlehead fern. It looks like the scrolled top of a violin and tastes a little like asparagus.

Fiddlehead: This Fern Is For Eating

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Urban Blackberry Pickers Score Big In Seattle
Martin Kaste/NPR

Urban Blackberry Pickers Score Big In Seattle

This is the time of year when Seattleites go foraging for their food. You see them in parks and along roadsides picking blackberries off the bushes that run rampant throughout the city. The state considers the bushes a "Class C noxious weed."

Urban Blackberry Pickers Score Big In Seattle

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Flavored Snacks From Pedrick's Keep A Family Happy

Some of the many varieties of pistachios available at Pedrick Produce in Dixon, Calif. Larry Abramson/NPR hide caption

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Larry Abramson/NPR

Flavored Snacks From Pedrick's Keep A Family Happy

Fresh fruits and vegetables may lure us to roadside stands, but it's hard to leave without stocking up on the weird regional snacks you can also find there. And if you're headed up to California's Sierra mountains, the best place to get your fix is at Pedrick Produce.

Flavored Snacks From Pedrick's Keep A Family Happy

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