Shopping Locally in the Oaks

The Thousand Oaks farmers market, the largest in Ventura County, offers an excellent selection of growers, with a clear emphasis, as it should be, on local produce.

Thursday, Vince Ditomasso sold giant green-skinned figs with luscious amber pulp, grown in the Santa Rosa Valley, five miles north of the city. These “breba-crop” figs, which ripen a month or two before the main crop, were of an unusual variety, Kallom, brought from Italy by Ditomasso’s cousin. He also sold delicate white-fleshed loquats and a few richly perfumed Royal apricots. Another local stand, Tangelo Rancho of Piru, had juicy Valencia oranges and white Warren grapefruit, a seedling variety discovered in 1946 by the owner’s father, C. Mavro Warren.

From Reedley, in the Central Valley, Linda Apkarian brought classic Santa Rosa plums, Flavorcrest and Rich Lady yellow peaches and sugary low-acid Arctic Sweet white nectarines. Scattaglia Farms had dark, flavorful Bing cherries from Littlerock, in the high desert. Weiser Family Farms of Lucerne Valley sold French Orange melons, an aromatic Charentais type with cantaloupe-like netting on the rind.

A hydroponic grower from Somis, Fred Ellrott, had delicate mache, piquant arugula and a nice baby salad mix, all kept fresh in coolers--a good idea on wiltingly hot days. Beylik Farm of Fillmore displayed Santa Fe Grande, Anaheim, jalapen~o and poblano hot peppers, along with sweet Cubanelle and Italian frying peppers.

Underwood Ranch of Moorpark offered fine carrots, celery, sugar snap peas, bicolor corn and bright green broccoflower, a sweet, pale green form of cauliflower. David Roland sold tender, crisp Winter Density butter lettuce and superb Cherokee Purple heirloom tomatoes for Tutti Frutti Farm of Lompoc.

Kathy Tsunoda had fresh, inexpensive filets of sole, halibut and yellowtail, and sweet little red snapper, both filets and whole fish--all caught by her brother on his boat, the Anjin II, which docks at Channel Islands Harbor.

Thousand Oaks farmers market, Wilbur Road and Thousand Oaks Boulevard, Thursdays 3 to 7 p.m. in summer; 3 to 6:30 p.m. in winter.