Michael Carroll Green's Blog (239)

Market to Run from 4pm to 8pm on First Wednesday of Every Month.

Starting February 4th, 2015 (and continuing the first Wednesday of every month), Palm Desert’s popular mid-week Certified Farmers’ Market will take place from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. “Many of our Palm Desert…

Mandarinquats are back at the Certified Farmers’ Markets, and are this week’s Fresh Pick of the Week!



Each year, Mandarinquats, a hybrid between the Mandarin Orange and the Kumquat, make a brief appearance at the markets, much to the delight of citrus aficionados. Why? Because these strangely named…

Dates are this week’s Fresh Pick of the Week from the Certified Farmers’ Markets. Dates are delicious any time of the year, but they are an especially popular addition to holiday recipes of all kinds. Ours are all locally-grown, fresh and delicious. The Coachella Valley grows about ninety five per cent of the Dates that are…

Finger Limes, this week’s Fresh Pick of the Week are relative newcomers to California, but not to the Certified Farmers’ Market, thanks to the farmers at Bautista Creek Farms.  They’ve been bringing a small crop of this seasonal citrus delicacy to local shoppers for the last couple of years. Finger Limes, sometimes…

Fresh Microgreens are back on the menu at the market, and they’re this week’s Fresh Pick of the Week! Sometimes called ”Salad” confetti, Microgreens add color, texture and flavor to a variety of recipes. But Microgreens are not just pretty (although they are pretty tasty). Microgreens are also chock-full of vitamins and…

Locally grown Herbs are this week’s Fresh Pick of the Week from the Coachella Valley Certified Farmers’ Markets. Herbs, whether live, freshly cut or dried, are a wonderful addition to any Thanksgiving table. They are the perfect pick me up for any recipe deemed the least bit bland, and a great flavor enhancer for even the most…

Leeks are this week’s Fresh Pick of the Week at the Coachella Valley Certified Farmers’ Markets. With their unique combination of vitamins, minerals, flavonoids and other sulfur-containing nutrients, Leeks are a healthy addition to anyone’s diet. Like their cousins, garlic and onions, Leeks belong to the vegetable family…

Locally-grown organic Kale is this week’s Fresh Pick of the Week at the Coachella Valley Certified Farmers’ Markets. Kale is a dark green (and sometimes purple) leafy vegetable that is filled with all sorts of vitamins and nutrients - beta carotene, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Sulforaphane, lutein, calcium, manganese, carotenoids,…

Root vegetables are popular additions to Fall menus, and there’s probably no root vegetable that’s more popular, versatile and flavorful than this week’s Fresh Pick of the Week - Beets !



Beets are an amazing food crop, and one that humans have been consuming since the Eighth Century BC.  Beets are known first and foremost for their namesake fleshy edible roots that are generally served cooked, stir-fried or pickled. Less people are aware…

Persimmons are this week’s Fresh Pick of the Week at the valley’s Certified Farmers’ Markets. The fruit of a number of species of Ebony wood trees, Persimmons are native to almost every continent, but were first consumed in large quantities in ancient China. Today, while a variety of species grow in the wild, only two types are…

Pumpkins take center stage this week as the Fresh Pick of the Week at the valley’s Certified Farmers’ Markets. Several of our farms have locally-grown Pumpkins in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors. You’re sure to find the perfect Pumpkin, whether you’re shopping for a Halloween Jack-o-Lantern, or the makings for a…

Fresh locally grown POMEGRANATES are this week’s Fresh Pick of the Week from the Certified Farmers’ Market.  Although POMEGRANATES have been a part of the human food chain for at least 4,000 years, their popularity in America took off only after health researchers began touting their amazing health benefits. Dubbed one of the…

This week’s Fresh Pick of the Week, the first for the 2014/15 Season at the valley’s three Certified Farmers’ Market locations, is Winter Squash. Several varieties of Winter Squash – many organic – are already available from multiple area farms. Unlike Summer Squash, Winter Squash is harvested and eaten in the mature…

Eggplant is this week’s Fresh Pick of the Week from the Summer Certified Farmers’ Market. The Eggplant, which is also known as an Aubergine or Guinea Squash, is a member of the nightshade family of vegetables (which also includes tomatoes, potatoes, sweet peppers, and tobacco). It is native to India, and the Indian subcontinent, but has been known throughout Asia and the Mediterranean since ancient times.…

Blondee® Apples are this week’s Fresh Pick of the Week from the Summer Certified Farmers’ Market. Grown at Ha’s Apple Farm in Tehachapi, CA, Blondee® Apples are a relatively new apple variety, discovered a mere fourteen years ago along the banks of the Ohio River. Since that time, their popularity among apple lovers (and apple growers), has risen dramatically, due to their long shelf life, their crisp…

Ground Cherries (sometimes called Cape Gooseberries) are this week’s Fresh Pick of the Week from the Summer Certified Farmers’ Market. Truth be told, though, these delicious little morsels are neither cherries nor gooseberries. Closely related to Tomatillos, Ground Cherries are…

OKRA is this week’s Fresh Pick of the Week from the Summer Certified Farmers’ Market. Okra is a Summer favorite throughout North America, and a year-round favorite in the Southeastern United States where it figures prominently into Southern and Creole cooking. Thought to have originated in…

POTATOES are this week’s Fresh Pick of the Week from the Summer Certified Farmers’ Market, and there are several varieties of POTATOES available from most farms. Choose from white rose, pink rose, red, Yukon gold, Russet, blue, and fingerlings in a variety of colors! 



Although the…

Fresh Figs top the list of seasonal favorites this week at the Summer Certified Farmers’ Market, earning them the Fresh Pick of the Week moniker for the week of July 27th, 2014. Today, Figs grow all over the world in temperate climates, but they originated in the Middle East and throughout western Asia. They have been cultivated, eaten and preserved since ancient times, and were likely one of the very…