It's Alfonso Mango season

Plus a recipe for mango soda

I don’t think it’s possible to overstate how important fresh, local, seasonal produce is to the way I cook. Growing up in the 70s in Northern California, the rumblings of the farm to table movement were beginning to affect how we ate and what was grown in the area, although Safeway was still the predominant source for anything that ended up on our table. Now, when I go home, it’s incredible to see the number of farms who have honour-system stalls throughout the county. These makeshift stands of boxes, tilted at the perfect angle and filled with locally grown fruits and vegetables are accompanied by price lists and cash boxes. Some even take Venmo!

Me at Tom & Sherry's farm in Inverness, California. Photos by Maren Caruso