Corn-Shucking in Beverly Hills

The Beverly Hills farmers market, which will celebrate its seventh anniversary this Sunday with a chili cook-off and corn-shucking contest, has always offered a fine selection of farmers and produce.

At the last market, Neal and Carol Bratton of Murrieta, who call themselves the Backyard Dirt Farmers, sold do-it-yourself salsa kits with jalapeno and serrano hot peppers, garlic, onion, tomatoes and tomatillos. Their beautiful display included purple Tequila bell peppers, dark green poblanos for stuffing, huge, fiery Infernos and cayenne-like Kriska peppers. They also had Japanese greengages, greenish-yellow plums with dense, sweet-tart flesh which are often confused with true European greengages (exquisite, much sweeter fruits--rarely grown in California, alas).

From Lemoore, Alex Avila brought lusciously ripe Black Mission figs with red, jam-like flesh. His 16-year-old cousin, Jared, a member of Future Farmers of America, sold his own white corn. Phil McGrath’s stand, from Camarillo, offered baby corn with tiny cobs tender enough to eat whole and uncooked, Pink Caspian and Green Zebra tomatoes and superb lima beans, both shelled and unshelled. Tom Archibald of Redlands had conical green New Mexican hot peppers, purple Asian eggplants and sweet seeded watermelons, which have been largely replaced by seedless types in recent years.

John Hurley of Dinuba’s Summer Harvest Farm had good organic Elegant Lady peaches; crisp, sweet Flame Seedless grapes; and surprisingly tasty experimental late-season apricots; breeders have already developed varieties that mature as late as September. Py Pudwill of Nipomo displayed a spectacular checkerboard of red and gold raspberries, blueberries and blackberries. Vince Bernard of Valley Center had juicy, sweet-tart Star Ruby grapefruit, now in peak season in California, along with top-quality Valencia oranges.

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Beverly Hills farmers market, N. Canon Drive between Clifton and Dayton ways, Sundays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Agricultural Department, which supervises the district’s farmers markets, will hold a one-time market of its own, featuring farmers from the county, including Tenerelli Farms, Maggie’s Farm and KenDor Farms. Celebrating National Farmers Market Week (Aug. 5 to 11), the event will be in the mall behind 500 W. Temple St., downtown Los Angeles, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.