Visit a Farm This Winter – Preferably in Sonoma County

It’s really pretty easy to revel in the joys of summertime farmers' stands and markets, lousy with berries and stone fruit, leafy lettuces and perky melons, but if you really want the goodest goods, go right now to a year-round market – or better yet, out into some farm country – near you.

This is where you’ll discover just how much grows at different times of the year, and just how smart nature is about taking care of us, if we pay attention. This year’s late frost means there are still delicious leeks, the requisite and unexpected in the way of pears, apples, a world of amazing citrus…so many root veggies that build the basics of so many cultures and that boast so much nutritional value.

And then there are the pleasures of the stark. Glowing persimmons on dark, bare branches; clipped grapevines where sometimes as early as late January the first mustard flowers flash a blazing yellow, as a hint of winter winding down and spring to come.

And then there is the vast array of delicious meats. Winter is when succulent, buttery Dungeness crab gets plucked from Pacific Coast waters. It’s when cave-aged cheeses, made from warm summer milks hit ripening perfection; when roasts and steaks and chops seem like and eat like a really good idea. It’s when a whole roasted farm chicken ought to be pulled from a blazing oven and brought to the table, surrounded by roasted potatoes, Brussels sprouts, turnips, salsify…and who knows what else.

It’s why I live in Northwestern Sonoma County, where all of the seasons have their purpose and magic, and always, always something really good to eat. What’s growing and delicious down your road?