About Karen Beverlin, The Produce Hunter

Karen Beverlin is the Vice President of Specialty Sales for The Produce Hunter. The Produce Hunter curates the Farmers’ Markets, and works with small, local family farmers committed to sustainable agriculture, responsible production, and propagation and promotion of fruit and vegetables with exceptional flavor. Follow her as she finds the best of the Santa Monica Farmers Market every week with on Instagram (@fpproducehunter).

Baby Zucchini with Flowers

Baby Zucchini with Flowers are one of the most impressive and readily available specialty items. These female blossoms are larger than the male blossoms, which do not have the 8 attached. The male flowers are usually pan-fried or deep-fried, while these are best suited to stuffing and they create a lovely splash of color in…

Bottle Gourd

Also known as Po Qwa, Pul Qua and Wee Lo Swa, Bottle Gourds are used as a vegetable while still immature. Treat them as a winter squash. If very fresh, they will keep as long as a month. To use, peel and scoop out the seeds, and cut as desired or cut in half, remove…

Buttercup Squash *L*S*

Buttercup looks similar to Kabocha but with a light colored button on the blossom end of the squash. It has a very thin shell, and dark orange, sweet, smooth flesh that tastes of honey, roasted chestnuts and sweet potato. And if you’re looking for a sweet winter squash with a dry texture, this is it!…

Calabaza Squash

Calabaza (abobora, ahuyama, crapaudback, Cuban squash, giraumon, toadback, West Indian pumpkin, zapallo) is a very large, spherical or slightly pear-shaped squash with a fine-grained orange-colored flesh and a flavor similar to that of a pumpkin but moister and sweeter. Calabaza is popular throughout the Caribbean as well as Central and South America. This sweet hard…

FM Tahitian Squash *L*S*O*

Tahitian Squash is a big, beautiful Hard Squash variety with a long, thick neck and small seed cavity in its base it basically looks like a giant Butternut Squash with a stretched neck. Tahitian Squash is very dense and each piece weighs around 10 pounds. It boasts gorgeous orange flesh, rich, sweet flavor, and very…

Chayote Squash

This plump, sweet vegetable has many monikers. In most of the U.S. it is called chayote, but the Aztecs who first cultivated it called it chayotl. It is christophene or brionne in the West Indies, chochoute in Madagascar, xuxu in Brazil and pepinella, mirliton or vegetable pear in other parts of the world. And as…

FM Squash Mix *L*S*

We buy wonderful, sweet summer squashes from three different growers and create this beautiful mix. The current mix includes Zephyr, Ronde de Nice, Scallopini, petite Green and Gold Zucchini and three colors of Pattypan squash. Varieties will change but the mix will always includes multiple shapes and colors.

FM Ronde de Nice Zucchini *L*S*O*

Ronde de Nice Zucchini has graced tables in France for generations. These perfect globe-shaped Zucchinis are also known as Fruit-Ball Squash and Globe Zucchini. Harvested in this case at about 3-inches in diameter, this squash is perfect for stuffing and baking. The also lend themselves to being sliced into wedges and served raw for crudite…

Trombocino Heirloom Squash

The Tromboncino Squash, also known as Zucchetta Rampicante, the climbing squash, is generally only found in backyard gardens. This heirloom variety originates from the Northern Coast of Italy and continues to be popular amongst Northern Italians and Europeans. The Tromboncino has a long, seedless neck, with a bell shaped head. Most summer squash have a…

Japanese Jolly Tomato *L*

Jolly Tomatoes are a low-acid Japanese variety. Their color is light red, both inside and out…typical of Japanese tomatoes. They have good flavor and every golf ball size Jolly has a little point at the blossom end of the 8. They are lovely, and their color and size contrasts nicely with other small tomatoes. Jollys…

FM Jewel Box Cherry Tomato *L*S*

Our farmer grows several varieties of fabulous Cherry Tomatoes. They’ re red, orange, orange and yellow striped, purple, yellow, green round, oblong walnut sized and smaller. Each variety is packed in a different one-pint basket and there at least four different varieties in every 12/pint flat. While every variety is amazingly sweet, each variety has…

Marvel Stripe Tomato

Juicy and meaty, Marvel Stripes are large and hearty heirloom tomatoes which are making a comeback all across the United States due to their rich flavor. The Marvel Stripe is no exception. Grown in Oaxaco, Mexico since the 1800s, this 8 is heart-shaped, sweet and 8y. Its skin is yellow-orange streaked with ruby red making…

Medley Tomato

Over the past couple of years, heirloom tomatoes have experienced a real surge in popularity, but there are very few heirlooms with small size. Maybe that’s because there are plenty of small tomatoes that have great flavor, even though they’re not heirlooms. This mixed pack of small tomatoes includes red and yellow tears, red and…