Rare Pears, Avocados in Oxnard

Oxnard is surrounded by fertile farmland, so it seems fitting that it has a lively farmers market, situated on the border of the pleasant green square of Plaza Park.

Among local growers at Thursday’s market, Amelia Rodriguez had black-eyed peas, red onions, serrano hot peppers and unusual purple tomatillos, which she said were sweeter and less acidic than the regular green kind. Henry Robles sold spinach, cilantro, cauliflower, grape tomatoes and green onions.

From Moorpark, Irma Suarez brought big, meaty, yellow bell peppers; Italian, white and yellow zucchini; and a thin-skinned hybrid of Persian and Japanese cucumbers. Carlos Cardenas of Santa Maria had glossy, dark green poblano peppers for stuffing, along with green beans, zucchini and broccoli.

The Vista Del Mundo stand of Santa Barbara offered 10 limes for a dollar and three kinds of avocados: standard Hass; large, pear-shaped MacArthur; and smaller, rarely grown Bonita (a good, buttery variety, judging by one specimen).

Two growers from Ojai, Bruce Vail and Celia Suarez, both featured greenish-yellow 20th century Asian pears with crunchy, juicy flesh. Suarez, a certified organic grower, also sold a few of the sweet, brown-skinned Hosui variety and candy-like dried Asian pears. Vail also had cactus pears, which he handled gingerly with tongs, though he had removed most of their spines with a paint brush; the magenta pulp tasted much like watermelon, with crunchy, edible seeds.

Patricia Kosmo Jr. had beautifully striped, very sweet Royal Gala apples from Cuyama, though much of her family’s crop was lost when the fruits split in the roasting heat last week. Perry Fife of Visalia offered fabulously rich-flavored Muscat of Alexandria grapes, along with more common Thompsons and Flames. He also sold freshly dried, deep orange Fantasia nectarines, far more luscious and flavorful than commercial dried fruit.

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Oxnard farmers market, Plaza Park, 5th and B streets, Thursdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.