3 Things to Pick Up at the Market This Weekend

What the Food52 team can’t wait to pick up from the market this week — and why you should be adding it to your bag, too. 

Yes, we know your market tote is bursting forth with ramps. There are probably a few stalks of rhubarb in there, too, snuggled in next to a punnet of strawberries. No one needs to tell you to buy these things -- the season does it well enough alone. 

But here at Food52, we like to talk about what we’re buying at the market: what’s new, what’s exciting, the market’s best-kept secrets, produce and otherwise. This is our water cooler talk. And now, we want you to join in. 

Here are the things on our list this weekend -- you’d do well to add them to yours, too.

Sunflower Shoots
Refreshing and pleasantly crunchy, we buy these for snacking on while walking around the market, but also for every salad and sandwich we’ll meet this spring. (Think of them as alfalfa sprouts, much improved.) 

Tarragon
As a rule of thumb, you should generally be buying all the herbs, always -- spring food demands them, and you can never really go wrong. But this week we’re making sure not to miss tarragon: With Memorial Day right around the corner, here begins the season of picnic salads -- think potato, white bean, green bean -- and tarragon has never met a single one of these it didn’t like. 

Squash Blossoms
Believe it or not, these are here. (Haven’t seen any? Check out Real Time Farms to look for markets near you that may have them.) Yes we’ll be stuffing them with ricotta and frying them; yes we’ll be putting them in a frittata; but we’ll also be slicing them up for salads and quick, one-pan pasta dishes. You should, too. 

What are you picking up this week? Tell us in the comments!