1.   Around Almeria this week, many farmers said they were losing tens of thousands of dollars as vegetables go unpicked.

2.   Alice Waters would never approve, but these ready-to-use vegetables certainly go in that wok nice and easy.

3.   Relatively cheap, overripe vegetables were going unsold, apparently a reflection of the fact that such produce has been more available the closer one gets to the farm.

4.   The thrill and challenge of just growing food was boring, and vegetables went from beans and cabbage to radicchio and Japanese radishes.

5.   They have a long shelf life as vegetables go, and they cook up quickly.