Saturday's Farmers Market: Cucumbers, Peaches and Corn

Now is a great time to shop at the farmers market in Pleasant Hill, which happens each Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the area between the parking lot and the movie theater. Vendors representing regional and local farms are offering the season's best produce, with crafts and live music rounding out the offerings. 

Right now, cucumbers are at their peak, according to the Pacific Coast Farmers Market web site. Use these in salads, and to make Tzatziki (Cucumber Yogurt Sauce). Here are some cucumber facts from the PCFM blog you may not know:

• Have you heard the term, “cool as a cucumber?” The reason is that the inside of a cucumber can be up to 20°F cooler than the outside temperature!
• The cucumber is an edible fruit which belongs to the gourd family Cucurbitaceae.
• All of these products can be made directly from California fresh cucumbers: Eye soothers, Facial astringent, facial masks, soaps.
• Cucumbers are native to India and have been cultivated for over 3,000 years.

Also in season now are peaches, lettuce, corn and summer squash. A trip to the Pleasant Hill Farmers Market is a chance to meet and talk with the people who grow the food, and to say hello to your neighbors and friends.