If I'm not going to have time to hit one of the big weekend farmers markets in my stomping grounds on the west side of Los Angeles, this is the market I usually visit instead. I was last here in June.

If you use lots of dried beans as I do -- having two vegetarian daughters -- this is a time of year to experiment with freshly shelled beans, which are still somewhat soft when extracted from the pod. I've seen lots of a varieties in fall farmers  markets, including black-eyed peas and cranberry beans. This is the first time I've come across fresh kidney beans. Fresh shelling beans cook more quickly that fully dried beans, though not as quickly as you might expect. Perhaps I'll use some of these in a minestrone soup, using the okra I also bought today.

Price: $6/bundle

giant zucchini, okra

Recipes:
* Tips on choosing and using tomatoes
* Tomato recipes
* Six ways to use zucchini
* A global roundup of okra recipes

Price: $2/large bag of tomatillos
$2/lb. Beefsteak tomatoes
$4/lb. heirloom tomatoes
$3/lb. okra
$1.50/giant zucchini