San Rafael, April 20, 2006 So now that the sun is out, why complain about anything? As I'm contentedly hiking around, my allergies are acting up. Today at the Marin Farmers' Market, I stopped by Marshall's Farm Honey to buy a jar of Marin Wildflower Honey. Allergists say that ingesting the honey from local flowers builds up resistance and, over time, decreases allergic reaction to those flowers. Another good choice is Marshall's Acacia and Eucalyptus, as many Marinites are allergic to the acacia blooms. A yogurt-strawberry smoothie with Marshall's honey is the perfect antidote. My favorite lunch at Thursday's Farmers' Market is served up by East & West Gourmet. Their spinach flatbread topped with lentil curry is addictive, plus it's full of beta-carotene, lutein, and folate from the spinach. The lentils are loaded with fiber and folate too. San Rafael, April 17, 2006 The calendar tells me it is spring, but I am not sure. With all of this rain, I haven't been hiking much to check out my favorite wild flower spots. But I am certain that when we finally get some significant sun again, the hills will be carpets of color. My favorite spring food is asparagus, and fortunately, my favorite farmer's crop hasn't been adversely affected by the wet season. Chris Zuckerman, of Zuckerman Farms, grows the sweetest asparagus in the loamy soil of the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta. I prefer his fattest spears, which are the youngest and sweetest. Contrary to popular opinion, the thinnest spears are those off the oldest plants. Find Chris at the Marin Farmers' Market on Thursdays and Sundays at the San Rafael Civic Center, and at the Ferry Building in San Francisco on Saturdays. His Yukon Gold potatoes are also delicious. My quick mid-week asparagus fix is to roast them in a 400 degree F. oven with Stonehouse Meyer Lemon Olive Oil, kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper. (Stonehouse California Olive Oil has a booth at the Marin Farmers' Market on Sundays.) They will be caramelized and fragrant in about 10 minutes. Up in the village of Moustiers, in Haute Provence, I have never forgotten eating blanched asparagus, sautéed in a little butter with a poached egg. When you cut into the yolk, you have an instant sauce, which is exquisite on the asparagus. You can recreate the dish here, but you must use the freshest eggs possible. My favorite are those at Draper Farm in San Anselmo. Sometimes I take them right out from under the hens, saying "Excuse me, girls!" Asparagus are the richest source of glutathione, a powerful antioxidant, which protects the body's cells from free radical damage that can lead to cancer.