In season: Green peas

You can check their progress Saturday in Buckhead, when the Peachtree Road Farmers Market opens for the season. This year, the market promises to be bigger and better, with extended hours, more chef demos and a full slate of 46 vendors.

“We’re really making big strides and doing some things I’m super excited about,” said market manager Lauren Carey. Chief among the improvements is the transition to producer-only vendors — meaning no middlemen. “Farmers markets are popping up all over the place, and the real challenge is to know the real farmers from the masquerading farmers — the people who put on overalls and a straw hat and go to Publix to buy a box of produce and sell it to you,” Carey said.

“Everything sold at our market is sold by the person who made or produced it,” she said. “We want to make sure that people who want to do the right thing are at a place where they can.”

New additions include the vendor Sweet Savannah Shrimp and a monthly free yoga class.

At the grand opening Saturday, look for a cooking demonstration by the E. Rivers Elementary School Culinary Club, a group of fourth- and fifth-graders who maintain their own garden and learn to cook wholesome foods. There will also be music from Satin Britches and an informational booth for Wholesome Wave Georgia, an organization that seeks to make sustainable food available to all communities.

The Peachtree Road Farmers Market is 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturdays in the parking lot of the Cathedral of St. Philip, 2744 Peachtree Road N.W.

At local farmers markets

Arugula, beets, bok choy, cabbage, carrots, celery, collards, endive, fennel, green garlic, hakurei turnips, herbs, kale, lettuce, mixed greens, parsnips, radishes, rutabagas, spinach, Swiss chard, tomatoes, turnips.

From farther afield

Looking good: California and Mexican asparagus, Florida beans, Chilean blueberries, California and New York cabbage, California carrots, Texas grapefruit, Chilean and Peruvian grapes, California and South Carolina greens, Chilean and Italian kiwifruit, California lemons and lettuce, Chilean nectarines, California oranges, Chilean peaches, Washington and South American pears, Florida and Mexican peppers, Chilean raspberries, Washington rhubarb, California spinach, Florida summer squash and strawberries

Coming in: Washington asparagus, California beans, Florida blueberries, Georgia cabbage, Florida cantaloupes, California corn, California and Florida eggplant, North Carolina greens, Mexican honeydew, California peppers

Variable quality: California artichokes, Mexican beans, Texas and Mexican beets, Mexican broccoli and blackberries, Florida and Texas cabbage, Texas and Mexican carrots, Florida and Mexican corn, Mexican eggplant, Texas greens, Arizona lettuce, Mexican limes, Texas oranges, Guatemalan peas, Florida and Mexican radishes, California and Mexican raspberries, California strawberries, Florida and Mexican tomatoes

Local reports and the Packer

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Garden Pea, Mint, Radish and Arugula Salad

Hands on: 15 minutes Total time: 15 minutes Serves: 4

In this lovely spring salad, the classic combination of peas and mint is spiced up with peppery arugula and radish. If you want to make this salad ahead of time, store the dressing separately. It will discolor the peas once they are combined.

1 cup garden peas (about 1 pound before shelling)

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

4 radishes, thinly sliced

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

4 cups arugula leaves, washed and dried

1 ounce shaved pecorino Romano or crumbled feta cheese

Place a bowl of ice water near the stove. Bring a small saucepan of water to boil; add the peas. Cook 1 minute, then drain and plunge into the ice water. Drain the peas.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss with the peas, radishes and mint. Place the arugula leaves in a serving bowl, top with the pea mixture; and garnish with the pecorino Romano or feta cheese.

Per serving: 191 calories (percent of calories from fat, 42), 9 grams protein, 19 grams carbohydrates, 7 grams fiber, 9 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 7 milligrams cholesterol, 232 milligrams sodium.