On Saturdays, one of my favorite stops for autumn fruits like Asian pears and white pomegranates is the K & J Orchards stand at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. I always make a point to ask Aomboon Deasy (or “Booney” as she is known to many of us at the market) what’s happening back on the farm. Booney’s parents, Kalayada and Jim, started K & J Orchards on a small parcel in Winters in 1982. In the past few years, Booney and her husband Tim have taken on more responsibility at the farm. You can find her at the booth cutting up samples for customers and filling orders for chefs.

Last spring the crew from Fifth Floor headed out to the fields of Zuckerman’s Farms to learn about harvesting asparagus and potatoes.

We’re at the height of the summer season at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, and each week brings new warm-weather fruits, veggies and legumes to savor and experiment with in the kitchen. This week, as I picked up three of my favorite summer market finds—French prunes, Costata Romanesca squash and Tongue of Fire shelling beans—I checked in with the farmers who grow them about their favorite ways to enjoy them.

On Sunday, more than 40 of the Bay Area’s top chefs will be showcasing summer’s bounty at CUESA’s Summer Celebration. Shopping at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market this week with 25 Lusk’s Executive Chef, Matthew Dolan, who will be a participant this year, it was hard not to get excited about the summer’s bounty. His restaurant’s menu is a reflection of his energy and enthusiasm for seasonality. Much of the menu changes weekly, and sometimes daily, to reflect what his favorite small farms are harvesting.