White asparagus is one of the most coveted vegetables in Europe and Japan. They import the white stalks from the Delta in the spring and from the Valley of Ica in Peru each fall. It's a labor-intensive commodity that gets its color from etiolation, a fancy word that simply means "deprivation of light." Growers keep dirt mounded around each emerging asparagus spear so it cannot produce chlorophyll, or turn green. White asparagus tends to be more brittle than green, and its spears are best served peeled. Just use a vegetable peeler to trim away the outer layer. You'll find Peruvian white asparagus retailing for about $2.99 to $3.99 per pound now.

Michael Marks is the marketing manager for FreshPoint.

In the Bins

Honeycrisp apples
San Joaquin Valley, Washington
$1.99-$2.49 per pound
Tips: One of the most popular apples around, Honeycrisps taste best when they're cold.

Local farms, Oceanside, Oxnard
79-99 cents per pound
Salinas, Oxnard
$1.49-$1.99 each