Getting Exotic in Hollywood

In early fall, the Hollywood farmers market--always a lively scene--abounds in high-quality specialty produce that’s hard to find elsewhere.

Fuyu persimmons from the San Joaquin Valley are showing up at markets, but this early in the season they’re pale and bland. For the next week or two it’s better to look for Giant Fuyus (really an ancient Japanese variety called Gosho), which are already sweet, juicy and tender--too delicate for commercial stores, in fact. They can be eaten firm or soft, but don’t keep well. At Hollywood, the Peacock and Burkart farms, both from Dinuba, now have fine specimens.

The season is brief for freshly harvested dates at the soft, moist, rutab stage. Sandra Agnew has luscious Honey and Empress dates grown by her brother, Everett Da Vall, in Indio. His great-uncle and namesake selected these varieties from seedlings sown in 1916, at the dawn of California’s date industry.

California grows most of the nation’s crop of quince, a bumpy relative of the apple that turns pink and develops an exquisite spicy aroma when cooked, but they’re rare even at farmers markets. Kim and Clarence Blain of Lake Hughes have round, fuzzy yellow Smyrna quinces, along with sweet Concord grapes and flavorful Last Chance peaches.

Cahuilla Mountain Farm of Aguanga, which started selling at this market just more than a month ago, displays an inspired selection of organic heirloom varieties, such as ribbed Costa Romanesca zucchini with a nice nutty flavor; oval Red Torpedo onions; soft, stewable Hungarian Heart tomatoes; and Jimmy Nardello sweet peppers, perfect for frying. Tutti-Frutti Farm of Lompoc also has gorgeous peppers, including bright red, meaty Lipstick, dusky Chocolate and ferocious red habaneras, the world’s hottest.

Bob and Pat Poole of Redlands offer four kinds of sweet potatoes, all recently harvested, from classic yellow-orange Garnet to dry, whitish Satsuma Imo. With Halloween approaching, they’ve got splendid pumpkins: the regular orange Tom Fox, unusual blue-green Queensland Blue and small, ghostly white Lumina, which always sells out fast.

And for the next two weeks, Santa Barbara Pistachio Co. of Ventucopa will bring freshly harvested pistachios, still in their green-and-pink hulls. Much appreciated in the Mideast, but rarely sold in America, they are moister, softer and sweeter than the common roasted nuts, with a herbaceous aroma that hints at eucalyptus. In addition to Hollywood, they’ll be at the Santa Monica Wednesday and Organic (Saturday) markets.

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Hollywood farmers market, Ivar Avenue between Sunset and Hollywood boulevards, Sundays 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.