Glorious Organic Fruits and Vegetables

Rich in small local growers offering top-quality organic produce, the 12-year-old Ojai farmers market compares, stall for stall, with the best markets in the Southland.

In winter especially, the market’s glory is citrus. Among local growers Sunday, Jim Churchill and his wife, Lisa Brenneis, had round, deep oranges and very flavorful Page mandarins; bizarre Buddha’s Hand citrons, which look like a cross between a lemon and a squid; bland, low-acid Millsweet limettas, often called sweet lemons; and gorgeous Fuerte avocados, now at peak quality.

For Friend’s Ranches, Elsie Jones, an 84-year-old lifelong Ojai resident, sold excellent Washington navel oranges and juicy, tender-fleshed Tarocco blood oranges, which are lighter in color than the standard Moro variety, but well worth seeking out.

Rod Sellars had Dancy mandarins with intense, classic tangerine aroma and flavor. Robin Smith and her daughter Betty offered ultra-rare bergamots, from a hybrid of sour orange and lime historically grown in Calabria, Italy for its exquisite rind oil, used in scenting eau de cologne and Earl Grey tea. They also had surpassingly sour Eustis limequats; sweet, custardy white sapotes; giant red beets; and rutabagas.

From a family who call themselves the Hots, Frank MacDoran and his stepdaughter, Sara Schaeffer, displayed ferocious dried Purira, Thai and habanero hot peppers, habanero powder, extract of chile pepper (“use it for hot sauce or for animal repellent,” they said) and colorful Australian Yellowleaf and Outredgeous lettuces.

Robert Dautsch of Carpinteria offered three forms of kale (green, Red Russian and iridescent Dinosaur); superb, pristine lettuces (redleaf, romaine, butter and Winter Density); fragrant rosemary; and a mountain of fresh fenugreek. The stand was so popular that most items sold out by 11 a.m. Givens Organic Farm of Santa Barbara had leeks, carrots, dill, red chard, celery and shelling peas.

From further afield, Nancy Rydell of Paso Robles brought crunchy, flavorful Pink Lady apples, and the Four Apostles stand sold luscious Medjool dates.

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Ojai farmers market, 300 E. Matilija St., Sundays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.