eat your fruit: part 2 (choosing)

Last week, I posted a few tricks on how to shop for fresh produce here.  But what to do when you are actually looking at a pile of fruit that you know is in season?  How do you choose?  How do you ensure everything won't spoil?  A few tricks for choosing...

• When shopping for one, I take the "now and later" approach.  I pick one to couple that are ripe now and one to a couple that are going to be ripe in a few days.  You won't be stuck with a bunch of things that are ripe at the same time. 
• Choose produce that can work together as well as alone when cooking.  Each item should have at least one dish solo and at least one dish mixed with something else. 
• When picking fruit that isn't fully ripe, look at the stem.   Produce generally ripens from the stem down.  Something that is completely hard at the stem is nowhere near ripe - instead look for softening at the stem and a concentration of color on the skin for better flavor.

This past weekend, I spent a great Sunday at the Santa Monica Main Street farmer's market followed by iced coffee at Intelligentsia in Venice.  Sundresses for a sunny day....

  
My favorite tomato seller (with my fave tomatoes: black brandywine)....

Came home with a few plums, peaches, kale, basil, green beans and of course, tomatoes....

The only way to use tomatoes this good is to keep them fresh.  I made the best caprese salad for lunch today with fresh mozarella, chopped basil, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper....