Some people take home fruits and vegetables and make salsa on the kitchen counter.  This weekend  I took home fruits and vegetables that I think are secretly dancing the Salsa on my kitchen counter.  Sunday I went to the Lincoln Road Farmers’ Market in South Beach, a town so hot that even the produce seems to dance to a sexy Latin rhythm. 

March is a perfect time to visit South Beach.  This Sunday the temperature hit 80 degrees, and with a gentle breeze off the Atlantic it was  a perfect beach day.  Still, not everyone was at the beach.  The Lincoln Road Farmers’ Market was in full swing, and vendors had planted themselves all along the pedestrian only boulevard, to sell exotic fruits and vegetables, flowers, honey, and even a few local crafts. 

This time of year the market is brimming with winter vegetables from Florida farms.  Temple oranges and honey tangerines from the Indian River are at their peak right now, and so are the lusciously rich strawberries grown in and around Plant City.   Fresh cut herbs are always available at the Market.  In summer I often find locally grown lychees, pink guava, avocado, dragon fruit and mangoes.

By the way, if you have never tried dragon fruit, it’s a real treat.  The skin is bright pink and green and looks great on the kitchen counter or the dining room table.  To eat it, cut it in half and spoon the fruit out of the center like ice cream.  It’s just slightly sweet and outrageously juicy.  

Morning is the best time to go to the Lincoln Road Farmers’ Market, before the temperature starts to climb and the beach beckons.  After brunch at one of the many fine restaurants in the area, a stroll through the Farmers’ Market is the perfect opportunity to plan the evening’s meal. 

 

The Lincoln Road Farmers’ Market takes place every Sunday from 9 am to 7 pm.

 Bon Appetite,

Rob Lubin