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).

St. Georges Mushroom

Great chefs know the versatility and creative potential of mushrooms’ perfect with both contemporary and classic cuisine. And when cooking with the ST. GEORGE’S MUSHROOM you can’t go wrong. The ST. GEORGE’S grows in Bulgaria, France and Spain, and is flown to the United States during the month of May and the first two weeks…

Wild Mushrom Medley

Mushroom lovers wait patiently each year for enough rain to fall in fields and forests so they can grab their baskets and take off for their favorite hunting grounds. But this year, we’ve done the foraging for you and many of your favorites are featured in our Wild Mushroom Medley. The 8y flavor and meaty…

Yellow Oyster Mushroom

Yellow Oyster Mushrooms (Pleurotus Citrinopileatus) have a lovely golden color with a noticeable citrus flavor, but can sometimes be a bit bitter. The color is lost on cooking, a downside to all the brightly colored mushrooms of this genus. The taste of all oyster mushrooms is fairly mild compared to many of the wild species…

Mango Nectarine

A Mango Nectarine is one of those special fruits that is really best appreciated in person. We cannot effectively communicate the wonderful fragrance and outstanding flavor of this tender, short-season fruit. Sweet, exotic and perfumey, they are a wonderful summer fruit, grown exclusively in California. Suffice to say, they must be tasted to be believed….

FM Tree Ripe Yellow Nectarine *L*

The USDA’s standard for ‘tree ripe’ is very similar to their standard for ‘ vine ripe’ (i.e. the fruit is just starting to ripen when it is harvested). Our definition, driven by our chefs, is very, very different. We are talking fragrant, juice-running-down-your-chin, very sweet, lots of flavor ripe. Because our Tree Ripe Yellow Nectarines…

FM Tree Ripe White Nectarine *L*

Don’t let this pale face fool you. The White Nectarine has a sweeter, more luscious flavor than its yellow-fleshed brother. Why so sweet? The white fruit has lower acid levels than the yellow varieties. When ripe, a White Nectarine has practically no tartness to its juicy, creamy texture. The White Nectarine’s flesh is pinkish-white turning…

California Chestnut *L*

Chestnuts (ours are grown in California!) contain more starch and less oil than most other nuts and have had a special role as food for this reason. Rural uses of wild Chestnuts include the original Italian polenta, a porridge that was made with Chestnut meal before the introduction of maize from the New World and…

Green Almond *L*S*

The nuts of our Green Almonds are still in the jelly stage. Thinly sliced on a mandoline and tossed into or atop salads, laid out on a plate and sprinkled with Fleur de Sel or shaved onto a Spring Pea Risotto like truffle slices they have a wonderful, bright lemony flavor and a lot of…

FM Green Pistachio *L*S*O*

We thought the urban produce people might like to see how Pistachio grow. Here they are, still on the branch. Once the nuts are ready to harvest, commercial growers shake the trees with mechanical shakers. The shaker looks a little like a backhoe, but the arm is straight and ends in pinchers. The shaker also…

Cippolini Onion Shoot *L*S*O*

Some truly great specialty items have been developed as a direct result of growers thinning their rows and marketing the resulting product (e.g. Baby Parsnips, Baby Parsley Root, Young Green Chard). Here’s another: Cippolini Onion Shoots. They look like teeny green or red onions, but their flavor is much milder…similar to mild chives. Leave the…

Maui Onion

This legendary sweet onion hails from the island of Maui. Maui “Kula” sweet onions grow high up Haleakala’s fertile slopes. Mauis were first introduced to the mainland U.S. by tourists bringing them back by the bag. Like Vidalias, they are a Yellow Granex type hybrid and originated from varieties developed in Texas. Maui onions are…

Red Scallion (Red Onion Shoot)

Spring has spring, and as our growers enjoy warmer weather they are starting to harvest some of our favorite Spring delicacies. RED SCALLIONS have popped up. Actually the very early shoots of traditional globe or granex red onions, RED SCALLIONS are a milder version of their more mature relatives. Use them as you would green…

Spring Maui Onion

Sweetest of the sweet onions, the MAUI ONION is a culinary favorite for salads, sandwiches, and fusion salsas. SPRING MAUI ONIONS are even milder than their famous full-size version. Try quartering SPRING MAUI ONIONS length-wise, brushing with olive oil and grilling. Slice them diagonaly and toss into s Fresh Succotash Salad. Julienne and add to…

Spring Red Onion *L*S*

Usually, Onions are cured or dried before they are marketed. The curing process results in an Onion with intense flavor and a lower moisture content . Mild and sweet, Spring Red Onions are harvested before they reach their full size and are packed without being dried. Leave an inch of the top attached and grill…

Indian Corn

Corn is one of the most important crops in the world today. A traditional autumn decorative favorite, Indian corn, with dried kernels of deep blue, dried-pepper-red and brilliant yellow, is associated with Thanksgiving and an abundant harvest because of the sustenance it provided to the pilgrims and the early settlers. It was an important dietary…

Strawberry Corn

Strawberry corn is one of natures most beautiful works of art. Unlike common yellow or white corn, ears of this exotic variety are shaped much like a large ripe strawberry and the rich crimson kernels surrounded by sun bleached husks paint the perfect autumn picture. Like much of the produce avaliable during indian summer and…