This past week finally saw some beautiful spring weather, and market hopping was a lesson in patience and perseverance as the spring crops are only just beginning to roll in. At Penn Quarter last Thursday, morels had sold out within an hour, so I settled for black trumpet mushrooms. Another customer snatched the last two bundles of baby beets at Sunnyside, so it was Harukei turnips for me. The turnips and their greens found themselves sautéed with garlic, salt pork (from Cibola Farms) and the mushrooms.

A beautiful Saturday morning drew a huge crowd to the Del Ray market, a drastic improvement from the rainy washout the week before. Three Way Farm of Warsaw, Va., was back with spring onions, greens and a limited stock of asparagus that sold out early. They assured us there will be plenty more asparagus the next couple weeks, and mentioned that strawberries are just two weeks away. The herbs and seedlings folks were doing a brisk business as people snatched up tomato, chard and other plants for their own gardens. St. Elmo’s was back serving coffee to accompany the plethora of baked goods from Bonaparte, Marcela’s and Vera’s. The most popular items – asparagus, Tom’s cave-aged cheddar, Smith Meadow’s fresh pastas – sold out before 11am. Clearly demand for fresh, local produce continues despite the economy.

The quest for asparagus drove me to Dupont Circle’s FreshFarm market on Sunday, but I was too late once again. (Didn’t score any ramps, either.) There I consoled myself with one final pint of Buster’s Chesapeake oysters, the last until fall. Those were pan-fried and served atop chives and arugula (for me), on their own as “oyster nuggets” for the toddler. I tend to prefer oysters from further north, as I like a strong briny flavor, but I was pleasantly surprised the first time I tasted Buster’s local oysters. They are large, sweet and meaty, with a more subtle saltiness, a blend of flavors that transports you to a dockside perch on a warm summer day. (And you know, they help clean up the Bay.)

Recipe: Chesapeake Bay Oysters on Arugula

Ingredients:

• 1 dozen raw oysters, drained
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/3 cup corn meal
• 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 bunch arugula, rinsed
• several sprigs chives, chopped
• raspberry vinaigrette
• lemon wedges

Instructions:

Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat. Combine flour, corn meal and Old Bay in a small bowl. Gently roll oysters in mixture to coat, place in pan and fry until golden brain. Drain on paper towels. Toss arugula and chives with vinaigrette and place on plate. Top with oysters and serve with lemon wedges. Enjoy!

PEACHES: Peaches have been fantastic this season. I’ve now sampled varieties from all three local states (Harris/D&S, Md.; Papa’s/Toigo/Reid’s, Pa., and some Northern Neck, Va., ones) and I have to say Harris’ supersweets were, in fact, the sweetest. Reid’s donut peaches are a close second. Anyone else have a different favorite?

• Sylvie @ Rappahannock Cook and Kitchen Gardener lives in the midst of the farms providing our market bounty, and shares a Mediterranean inspired Peach Salsa seasoned with coriander and cumin.
• Ribs with Peach BBQ Sauce from Tiffany of The Garden Apartment also featured local Babes in the Wood pork.
• I’m a big fan of basil-infused cocktails, and this Peach-Opal Basil Lemonade from Capital Spice is sure to hit the spot … featuring self-picked Stribling peaches to boot!
• I have another peach recipe to post soon, but am still savoring the Peach Berry Sherbet in our freezer.

TOMATOES: Our CSA has had a less than perfect tomato season this year, with our wacky cold weather, but they are coming in strong now. Heirloom varieties are hitting their peak, and Mt. Olympus Berry Farm had some of my favorite, deep red heirloom cherry tomatoes last Friday at the McLean market.

• Cookography’s light and easy twist on Eggplant Parmesan makes use of another plentiful veggie along with fresh tomatoes.
• April of The Food Scribe also pairs tomatoes and eggplants in a flavorful Sicilian Caponata.
• Food Rockz Man made Heirloom Tomatoes Stuffed with Sage Sausage and Baby Leeks with some particularly photogenic Mr. Stripey tomatoes.
• The Arugula Files made a Grilled Tomato Salsa in an attempt to recreate Baja Fresh’s recipe.
• And for pointers on handling your tomatoes, see these helpful tips from The Humble Gourmand and roasting instructions from The District Domestic.
• The Bitten Word picked and canned their own to enjoy fresh, local tomatoes throughout the winter — something I’ll be attempting this weekend.
• While we’re on the subject of tomatoes, The Houndstooth Gourmet is hosting a “You Say Tomato, I Say Tomahto” contest – head on over to check it out!

CORN: Someone commented on my Flickr photo (above) that they’d never seen sour corn advertised, but after sampling some west coast corn, I can say that’s one thing that truly is sweeter here in the mid-Atlantic.

• Ramona @ The Houndstooth Gourmet made Corn and Cheddar Chowder that is perfect for the impending cooler weather.
• I also used all three of these late-summer ingredients together in my Chesapeake Corn & Peach Crepes.

LAST CALL FOR PEACHES: I got to the Upper King St. market too late Wednesday to snag some of D&S’s peaches. Bigg Riggs’ are gone for the season, but D&S’s Dan said he’ll be bringing some for one, maybe two more weeks. Supplies are definitely dwindling so get to your market early for the best chances of acquiring them. Dan also reports that Jonathan apples will be in soon, though we enjoyed the small, sweet galas this week.

September Round-Up: Stay tuned for details, but I’m thinking of hosting an apple recipe challenge for the September installment of FarmFreshDC.

• The Food Scribe shares a summery Sugar Plum, Salad and Sorrel Salad, with Licking Bend Creek Farms’ produce from the Historic Brookland Farmers Market (Tuesdays, 4-7pm).
• The Garden Apartment dishes up a fresh and colorful Summer Salad with Herb Vinaigrette, featuring beans, potatoes and tomatoes from the Foggy Bottom FreshFarm Market (Wednesdays, 2.30-7pm).
• Knitting 40 Shades of Green scored some early blackberries for her Salad with Fennel and Blackberries, with fennel from her Food Matters CSA (VA).
• Delicious served hot or cold, don’t miss the hot pink Summer Borscht by The Houndstooth Gourmet, featuring beets from the Kingstowne Market (Fridays, 4-7pm).
• With lots of fresh eggplant at market lately, ratatouille is also popping up on the local blogs. The Arugula Files tops this one with a pesto vinaigrette and local favorite FireFly Farms chevre.
• For those wondering how to cook okra at home (like me), The Slow Cook shares a Smothered Okra recipe with okra from the Chevy Chase Market (Saturdays 9am-1pm).
• There’s so much more than just cherries out there. Check out the Wineberry Tart by FoodRockz, with berries from the Dupont Circle FreshFarm Market (Sundays, 9am-1pm).
• And my recent Peachy Pork Quinoa Salad featured D&S Farm’s first peaches from the Del Ray Farmers Market (Saturdays, 8am-noon).

You’ll be amazed at the things these cooks have been doing with cherries and berries, so go check them out! (P.S. Some of you might want to check out the Sugar High Friday Berries round-up over at FoodBlogga; enter by Aug. 3 to be included.)

Join in for August! I’ve decided to make this a monthly feature. If you’re in the DC area and want to share what you’re cooking, leave a comment or email me at foodietots AT gmail DOT com. (Blog not necessary, but photos are encouraged!) Deadline for the August round-up will be Wednesday, August 13.

Looking for a farmers market near you? Check LocalHarvest.org. And to see what’s on the table in your area, check out the One Local Summer regional round-ups at FarmtoPhilly.

Like food? Help farmers! – Last week to comment and enter to win a free cookbook!