Get an early jump on fall with Gala apples

Just In

Gala apples: What? Apples? Already? Can summer really have flown by that fast? Actually, the California Gala apple harvest is just winding up, and the first apples of 2006 are flooding into the market. Gala apples, introduced to the U.S. in the mid-’60s, are crosses between the old favorite Cox Orange Pippin and Golden Delicious. Galas are usually the first apples to be harvested, and they really are at their best for the next month or so -- crisp, juicy and spicy. They don’t hold as well in storage as some other apples.

Various vendors, $2 a pound

Peak Season:

Cranberry shelly beans: If you see what looks like a wilting mound of what must once have been beautiful string beans tinted with patterns of cream and crimson, don’t pass it by. These are cranberry shelly beans, a dried bean variety that has been picked fresh (though any dried bean can be harvested this way, not just cranberries). Shuck and simmer them with a little water and olive oil, some minced garlic or shallots and maybe some fresh herbs. They cook quickly -- in less than half an hour usually -- and they have a sweet, subtle flavor that’s somewhere between the earthy complexity of dried and the green, vegetal taste of fresh. The season lasts for only two or three weeks, so get them while you can.

Various vendors, $2 a pound

-- Russ Parsons