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).

Lamb’s Quarters *L*S*

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure…in this case, one gardener’s weed is another chef’s herb. LAMB’S QUARTERS (Pigweed, goose Foot, Wild Spinach) is a common garden weed that grows wild throughout much of the United States. A European immigrant first introduced to the United States as a pot-herb, LAMB’S QUARTERS have a long history…

Land Cress *L*S*

Also known as Cresson, LAND CRESS has the bright green feathery leaves of Chervil. But then you innocently pop a sprig into your mouth and…that ain’t no Chervil, baby! Don’t let the lovely, delicate appearance fool you…LAND CRESS has the spicy, peppery, assertive flavor common to the entire cress family. Add LAND CRESS to salads…

Lemon Verbena

Lemon Verbena leaves are used to add a Lemon flavor to fish and poultry dishes, vegetable marinades, salad dressings, jams, puddings, Greek yogurt and beverages. It also is used to make herbal teas, or added to standard tea in place of actual lemon (as is common with Moroccan tea). It will beautifully infuse any liquid…

Micro Fenugreek

The leaf and herb varieties available as micro green just keeps expanding. MICRO FENUGREEK is one of the latest additions. While some people eschew baby vegetables claiming lack of flavor, no one’s claiming that about micro greens. All the micro greens pack quite a wallop. They’re like little concentrated bursts of whatever flavor they would…

Petite Haricot Leaves *L*

These little gems are the small leaves of the Haricot Vert plant. They are 100% edible, and each heart-shaped leaf is less than 1″ in diameter. Petite Haricot Leaves taste exactly like a fresh Haricot Vert! Lots of fresh bean flavor in a lovely package! (Note to chefs: if your Petite Haricot Leaves become a…

Petite Minutina *L*

One of our favorite cookbooks, not just for the inspirational recipes but also for sheer reading pleasure, is Judy Rodgers’ “The Zuni Cafe Cookbook”. Chef Rodgers starts her recipe for Minutina Salad with Vegetable Confetti & Coriander Vinaigrette with “I fell for minutina the first time I mistook it for lawn clippings–this at Eastertime in…

Purslane

Purslane is a fast-growing herbaceous annual with thick, fleshy oval leaves. The nutty, tangy leaves can be prepared like spinach or used raw as a condiment. Esteemed in ancient Egypt and cultivated in Europe as far back as the Middle Ages, it fell victim to neglect over the course of the centuries. Now it is…