Redondo Rebounds

With its seaside vista and swooping sea gulls, the Redondo Beach farmers market enjoys the most beautiful location of the hundred-plus markets in Southern California. Founded it 1983, it declined in the last decade as other markets opened in the area, but has stabilized recently and still offers a good selection of growers.

Last Thursday, Koreen Strandberg of Corona sold a bounty of citrus: rare Etrog citrons (ancient proto-lemons), with thick rinds suitable for candying; old-crop Valencia oranges; new-crop navels; tiny, tart Nagami kumquats; and Lee mandarins, hard to peel, but very flavorful. June Kashima of Orosi had mild-flavored satsumas, giant, pink-fleshed Chandler pummelos, and sweet, juicy Oroblancos (white-fleshed pummelo-grapefruit hybrids).

Santa Barbara’s Vista Del Mundo stand offered bumpy, custardy cherimoyas, now in full season, along with satsumas, pepinos, Fuyu persimmons and MacArthur avocados. Marshall Chandler of Sanger sold sweet Ruby and blue-black Autumn Royal seedless grapes (picked in October, and nearing the end of availability, but still good), as well as plump, low-sulfur Ruby raisins. Alvaro Bautista of Mecca had organic Halawy, Zahidi, Khadrawy and Deglet Noor dates, with textures ranging from soft to dry; supermarket dates are mostly Deglet Noors and Medjools, but growers themselves often prefer the more esoteric varieties.

The Fetzner stand, from Perris, had seedy but tasty Fairchild mandarins, tiny baby turnips with their greens, huge, bulbous Tahitian squash, Japanese sweet potatoes with dry white flesh and moister, orange-fleshed Jewel “yams” (really sweet potatoes; true yams are a different species, and are not grown locally).

Nhia Her Moua of Pinedale, near Fresno, sold daikons, pea greens, fresh dill, Thai basil and slender, sweet carrots. Tanaka Farms of Irvine had pristine broccoli, orange and maroon beets, huge heads of romaine lettuce and large, perfectly red Camerosa strawberries--just a few, and they sold out early. Winchester Cheese Co. offered its fine, slightly salty Gouda-style cheeses in several styles: mild, medium, aged and traditional cumin-flavored. At many markets the stand has also started carrying excellent goat cheeses from Redwood Hill Farm of Sebastopol.

Redondo Beach farmers market, Harbor Drive south of Redondo Beach Pier, Thursdays 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.