Foodstuff

Sometimes rifling through the produce bins at the local Publix or Winn-Dixie just doesn't cut it for me. So when I tire of bruised tomatoes, unevenly ripening apples, and rotting cukes, I head over to West McNab U-Pick (7800 W. McNab Rd., North Lauderdale, 954-726-5028). An old-time farm and fruit stand, the U-Pick is open year 'round. This season you can roam the rows for eggplant, yellow squash, and zucchini. I like the place for the nostalgia factors; the smell of warm earth and the knee-high vines remind me of childhood summers. But mainly I appreciate the place for logistical reasons: I know that I'll have only myself to blame for any bruise that winds up on my fruits and vegetables.