Loquats, Turkey Tails

Produce starts coming on strong in spring, so April begins the prime season for launching new farmers markets--20 are scheduled this season. The Diamond Bar Saturday market, which began April 6, was one of the earliest. It has been getting bigger every week.

On Saturday, Atkins Nursery of Fallbrook brought small, exquisitely juicy and flavorful white-fleshed loquats--one of the great joys of spring, but too delicate to sell commercially. The stand also sold Oroblancos (a tad past peak), Bearss limes and macadamia nuts.

Lisa Dahlberg, the 20-year-old daughter of the market’s manager, sold several kinds of honey, including fragrant orange blossom and a darker, almost molasses-like avocado and eucalyptus mix. Luis Guevara of Chino had Pinkerton avocados, a seedling of Hass with a long neck, small seed and fine, buttery flesh, along with tart Nagami kumquats and Eureka lemons.

H&H; Citrus of Mentone sold good navel and blood oranges, Gwen avocados and Maui onions. From Mira Loma, Tang Lian of Bih Shan Farm brought oyster, shiitake and reishi (turkey tail) mushrooms, as well as crisp pea sprouts.

Kelly Farms of Ontario offered Camarosa strawberries, including some picked that morning; they were fairly sweet and juicy for this often mediocre variety. Leticia Cabral sold cilantro, turnips and large fava beans from Ontario and Chino. Irma Frutos, whose family farms in Orange, had carrots, beets and romaine and red-leaf lettuce.

Last year California law changed to permit grape growers to sell their wines at farmers markets. Kirby Wyllie, who farms 3,000 acres of grapes in the San Joaquin Valley, took advantage of this to offer eight varietal wines, from Chardonnay to Zinfandel. Although he’s not allowed to pour samples, he said sales at the markets he attends have been brisker than expected.

*

Diamond Bar farmers market, Grand Avenue and Golden Springs Drive, Saturdays 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.