My visits to the farmers’ market can be an emotional mixed bag. Nothing compares to my glee at the year’s first enticing whiff of locally grown, organic strawberries. I swear I can taste them from ten feet away with my eyes closed, especially if I’m breathing deeply. But for every sweet, familiar berry or sensuous heirloom tomato, there is mystery bounty, such as cardoons, stinging nettles, squash blossoms, and their ilk—these sexy sirens of the seasonal vegetable kingdom lure me to buy them, despite my not having a clue how to prepare and eat them.

Until now, that is. With the new San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market Cookbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Impeccable Produce Plus Seasonal Recipes by Christopher Hirsheimer and Peggy Knickerbocker, I'll never again gaze quixotically at the pointy green tips and slender white stems on a head of puntarella (Roman chicory), as it sits on my own cutting board in early January (when it’s young and tender), only to admit that I’m bewildered. Now I’ll know to thinly slice the tender head for a salad, to rejuvenate the strips in ice water if they curl, and to set aside the green parts for sautéing if they’re not too tough to eat. With this book, my healthy eating ambitions will no longer outsize my abilities.

Hirsheimer’s Saveur-quality photographs (she was a cofounder and executive editor) and simple sections called Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, and All Year Long make Ferry Plaza as easy to use as lavish deck of flash cards. A quick history lesson on the decade-old market tells the story of CUESA, its nonprofit governing body that’s dedicated to education about sustainable agriculture.

The authors interview the farmers of each ingredient, so you feel as if you’re at the stall having a chat. Information on choosing, storing, and preparing prefaces each set of recipes, as does a history of each crop in California. I gleaned a great tip for figs, which were introduced to the state in 1769: the Tairwa Knoll Farm vendor not only sells its succulent fruit in two seasons, but also has fig wood skewers for fragrant grilled meats. (If the fig stall at your local market doesn’t sell twigs, try asking nicely.) I also squirreled away a recipe for a mild summer day when I want something hot: cheesy garlic soup. Although you can get garlic year-round, its flavor peaks in summer.

I’m lucky that I call San Francisco home, and can shop at the actual Ferry Plaza market with book in hand. I can also sign up for emails from CUESA to alert me of what’s in season before I go. The Ferry Building itself is a gem—how many greenmarket operations get a $90-million makeover of their historic waterfront home, which they have only because a highway collapsed? But just because you may shop at a small temporary market or a Whole Foods or Wild Oats in another state, doesn’t mean sour grapes for you. Most recipes are easy to follow, and most of the local ingredients grow elsewhere too, although seasons might differ. Before you try a recipe, find a farmers’ market near you and ask them if the ingredients are in season where you are too. You can also check your state’s Department of Agriculture.

We’ll all be eating peaches soon enough though, so I’ll leave you with a simple recipe from Al Courchesne of Frog Hollow Farms in Brentwood. Courchesne ripens his peaches until they’re "just about to drop off the tree"; his Brix, or sugar content, measures between 12 and 18 on a refractometer—compared to 8 or less for commercial growers. Every morning all summer long, he and his pastry-chef spouse, Becky Smith, eat a peach bruschetta with blue cheese for breakfast. Although the book says they also make great appetizers, my taste buds say rich, creamy dessert. Try them and let us know what your taste buds say.

Peach Bruschetta with Blue Cheese

4 slices country bread

2 peaches

extra virgin olive oil for brushing

¼ pound Point Reyes Blue, Gorgonzola, or Blue Castello cheese

Instructions (abridged)

Lightly toast the bread on both sides. Meanwhile, pit, peel, and slice the peaches into 1/4-inch thick pieces. When toasted bread is ready, brush both sides with olive oil. Spread one-fourth of the cheese on each slice of warm bread, top with each sliced peach half, and serve.

The San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market Cookbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Impeccable Produce Plus Seasonal Recipes

Cost: $22.95

Where to Buy: Amazon

Photo: Amazon