In Season this Spring
Spring has arrived in Santa Barbara County, bringing with it a bounty of vibrant flavors and fresh ingredients. Dive into our guide to the season’s finest produce and seafood, where you’ll find everything from crisp greens and sweet strawberries to the catch of the day from local fishermen. Celebrate the essence of the season by incorporating these fresh, local ingredients into your meals, whether you’re crafting a farm-to-table feast at home or savoring the flavors at your favorite local eatery.
Spring Produce
Artichokes
Apricots
Apriums
Asparagus
Avocados
Basil
Blackberries
Blueberries
Broccoli rabe (rapini)
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Cardoons
Celery
Chanterelle mushrooms
Cherimoya
Cherries
Cilantro
Collards
Cucumber
Dill
Escarole
Fava beans
Fennel
Garlic scapes
Grapefruit
Green garlic
Kiwi
Kumquats
Limes
Loquats
Mandarins
Mulberries
Mustard greens
Nettles
Onions, green bunching
Papayas
Pea greens
Peas, shelling and snap
Radishes
Raspberries
Rhubarb
Strawberries
Summer squash and blossoms
Tangerines
Tomatoes, hothouse
Year-Round
Almonds, almond butter (harvested Aug/Sept)
Apples
Arugula
Beans, dried
Beets
Bok choy
Broccoli
Carrots
Cauliflower
Chard
Dandelion
Dates (harvested Sept/Oct)
Edible flowers
Garlic (harvested May/June)
Herbs (Bay leaf, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme)
Kale
Leeks
Lemons
Lettuce
Mushrooms
Onions, bulb (harvested May/June)
Oranges
Pistachios, pistachio oil (harvested Sept/Oct)
Potatoes
Radishes
Raisins (harvested Sept/Oct)
Shallots
Spinach
Sprouts
Squash, winter (harvested July/Oct)
Turnips
Walnuts, walnut oil (harvested Sept/Oct)
Yams (harvested Aug/Sept)
Spring Seafood
Mussels
Ridgeback shrimp
Rock fish
Sardines
Spot prawns
White seabass
Year-Round Seafood
Abalone
(farmed)
Black cod
Clams
Oysters
Rock crab
Pacific sand dabs
Urchin
Other Year-Round
Eggs
Coffee
(limited availability)
Dairy
(Regional raw milk, artisanal goat- and cow-milk cheeses, butters, curds, yogurts and spreads)
Fresh flowers
Honey
Olives, olive oil
Meat
(Beef, chicken, duck, goat, rabbit, pork)
Potted plants/herbs
Preserved
Wheat
(Wheat berries, wheat flour, bread, pasta and baked goods produced from wheat grown locally)