It's definitely worth reserving some of my daily fat grams for a soft warm tortillas filled with ripe Ventura county avocado and Chano's fresh salsa. I pile the peppers and a bag of fresh tomatoes into my backpack and head back home. The market is close enough to the shore that I can smell salt on the air and feel the coastal breeze. I consider walking out to the beach and joining my family, but the thought of making headway on my Christmas list is even more tempting. On the way back home I stop off at my neighbors and get permission to fill my paper bag with lemons.
Nobody pays for lemons in Southern California.
The trees are everbearing and there's always a willing friend or neighbor with a good crop. Back home I dig through my collection of recycled glass jars. There are plenty to choose from. My only expense for this batch of presents will be a big bag of sugar and the self sealing lids for the jars. The big local lemons are the size of small grapefruits and they produce a lot of juice.