Fresh produce has arrived: Farmer's markets offer increasing options to deliver fresh, healthy, tasty food to your table

May was downright chilly but by the time you read this we should be in a warming trend. May was a very hard month for farmers and local gardeners. I am so looking forward to warmer weather, summer, and all the wonderful fruit, veggies and flowers that are going to be available as the summer month's progress.

If we want to support the buy-local, eat-local movement, we as consumers need to eat what's in season when it's in season. I try to do that. I don't eat tomatoes until I can buy them at the market or pick one out of my garden. I don't eat strawberries until they are picking them in California. I do a lot of canning and that is one way to preserve the taste of summer in the dead of winter and early spring. Interested in canning? Sign up at the market for basic canning classes (no vegetable pressure canning).

Want your food budget to go farther? Eat less-prepared food and start preparing less-processed foods yourself. Try a cut of meat grilled with a tossed salad and some fresh sliced fruit and a grilled or steamed veggie. With this kind of dinner you control the salt, fat and calorie count. As long as you're grilling, plan on some extras so you can have two meals - same amount of time but no extra effort on your part for the next days lunch or dinner.

Eating always seems easier in the summer. We plan a lot of our meals on what's available at the farmers market and make it last for the week. Every few weeks, what's at the market is changing, so it makes for some interesting meals. The downtown farmer's market has two more weeks at the early spring market at the Carson Station location and then on June 19 it moves back to 3rd and Curry St.

I want to thank the Carson Station and all the staff for their support for the early market. Thanks to all the farmers who showed up each week and the musicians who donated their time, and especially all our customers who braved the cold weather for some wonderful early spring produce.

Want to keep abreast of what's happening at the market each week, become a fan of the 3rd & Curry Street Market on Facebook; friend the Nevada Appeal too.

Chuck Vue Farms has been bringing some early spring peas and they are delicious eaten fresh from the pod, or you can steam them or put them in your salad or pasta dish. Same for the asparagus and green beans. All of these early spring veggies would make a wonderful side dish for the chicken recipe below. Add some sliced strawberries with one of Lattin Farms lemon pound cakes and you've got a fantastic meal.

Chicken Breasts Lombardy

Serves 8

Chicken

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

8 skinless boneless chicken breasts

1⁄3 cup White Lily flour

1⁄3 cup butter or margarine

Wine Sauce

1⁄2 cup marsala

1⁄3 cup chicken broth

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

1⁄8 teaspoon pepper

2 ounces (1⁄2 cup) shredded fontina cheese or mozzarella cheese

1⁄2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

14 cup chopped green onions

To prepare the chicken, saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet until tender. Cut each chicken breast into halves lengthwise. Pound 18-inch thick between sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap.

Coat the chicken lightly with flour. Melt 1 to 2 tablespoons of the remaining butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken to the skillet in batches and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown, adding additional butter to the skillet with each batch. Remove each batch to a lightly greased 9- by 13-inch baking dish, overlapping the edges if necessary; reserve the pan drippings. Sprinkle the mushrooms over the chicken.

To prepare the sauce, add the wine and chicken broth to the drippings in the skillet, stirring to deglaze the skillet. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Simmer for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the salt and pepper. Pour over the chicken.

Combine the fontina cheese, Parmesan cheese and green onions in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the chicken. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Broil 6 inches from the heat source with the oven door partially open for 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown.

• Linda Marrone has been a Carson City resident since 1973 and together with her husband, Ralph, formerly operated Marrone's Restaurant in Carson City and Somethin's Cookin' Catering.