Looking for some quick, easy and tasty ideas for your Big Game get-together? Make a quick trip to the Sunday market to pick up ready-to-go dishes, or ingredients to make great snacks. Fresh falafels, Ofa's Island Barbecue, Hiroshi's Sushi, Martha's tamales and Chicks & Love have ready to heat & serve game day specialties to please any football fan.

There’s a great selection of avocados at the Carins/Tapley Farm stand. Grace is happy to help you choose the best from her display of Zutano, Fuerte, Pinkerton and Hass avocados to whip up some guacamole, to slice and add to salads or to scoop out to spread on sandwiches and burgers.

Depending on variety, avocados vary in shape, size and color and weigh anywhere from 8 ounces to more than 2 pounds. To remove the flesh from the skin, cut the avocado lengthwise around the pit and rotate the halves to separate. Slide the tip of a spoon under the pit and lift out, then scoop out the avocado meat with a spoon or score with a knife to make cubes before scooping out.

Add some extra interesting licorice like flavor to the veggie platter with slices of fresh fennel. Florence fennel (also called finocchio) comes to market complete with its distinctive white bulb (formed by overlapping broad ribbed leafstalks), the stalks and feathery leaves. Separate the feathery top and stalk by cutting to within 1 inch of the bulb and trim the root end. Peel any coarse outer leaves off the bulb and it’s ready to slice. (Stalks and leaves are great additions to soups and sauces).

Javier Ledesma from Ledesma Farms in the Hollister/Gilroy area recommends his bags of fresh arugula. This spicy little leaf is excellent on its own or mixed in with other salad greens. If you’re serving a platter of seafood during the game this Fennel, Arugula and Blood Orange salad is the perfect partner. Whisk together ¼ cup minced shallots, 3 tablespoons olive oil,
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Combine 1 thinly sliced fennel bulb and 7 cups cleaned and trimmed arugula. Toss with the dressing to coat and just before serving 6 or 7 of your favorite guests add 2 peeled, coarsely chopped blood oranges. Delicious!

Kiwifruit are still available at Dulai Farms and are at their best for another 4 to 5 weeks. They can be used as meat tenderizers because of the enzyme actinidin in the fruit – simply peel and crush several kiwifruit with your favorite seasonings and marinate poultry, seafood or beef for 30 minutes before cooking. Kiwifruit also are ideal substitutes for strawberries!

Enjoy and see you at the market!