Peaches and nectarines are the newest items at the markets. If you can't handle a peach because of its fuzz, nick the skin, plunge the peach into boiling water for a few seconds, then dunk the peach in cold water. The skin should fall off easily. Here's an easy recipe:

PEACHES OR NECTARINES IN CHAMPAGNE

Slice peaches or nectarines place in champagne flutes. Sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of sugar into each glass and add a splash of peach brandy. Then pour in champagne or sparkling white wine and enjoy.

-- "The Farmers' Market Guide To Fruit " by Jenni Fleetwood (Sourcebooks, 2001).

Here are all the markets:

Ambridge Farmers Market, Park Road and Route 65, 4 to 7 p.m. Thurs.

Avella Farmers Market, Avella firehall, Route 50, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sun.

Beaver Farmers Market, courthouse lot, Fourth and Market streets, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sat.

Beaver Falls Farmers Market, behind Brodhead Apartments, Eighth Avenue and 12th Street, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Mon.

Bethel Park Farmers Market, Bethel Park Community Center playground, 5151 Park Ave., 3 to 7 p.m., Tues.

Bloomfield Farmers Market, Immaculate Conception school, Cedarville Street and Friendship Avenue, 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thurs.

Butler Farmers Market, Chestnut and DiamondsStreets, 8 a.m. to noon Sat.

Carrick Farmers Market, Carrick Shopping Center, 2100 Brownsville Road, 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wed.

City-County Building, 400 Grant St., Downtown, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fri.

Coraopolis Farmers Market, Presbyterian Church of Coraopolis, Broadway and Fifth Avenue, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Mon.

Cranberry Farmers Market, behind the municipal building on Rochester Road, 3:30 to 6 p.m. Fri; Cranberry Park on Masuda Drive, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sat.

Dormont Farmers Market, corner of Espy and Potomac avenues, 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Mon.

East Liberty Farmers Market, Penn Circle West, 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Mon.

Farmers@firehouse, 2216 Penn Ave., 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sat.

Farmers Cooperative Market of East Liberty, 344 N. Sheridan Ave., next to Home Depot, 5 a.m. to noon Sat. Open year round.

Farmers Market at Pine Community Park, Pearce Mill Road, 3 to 6 p.m. Thurs.

Forest Hills Farmers Market, Forest Hills Presbyterian Church lot, Ardmore Boulevard, 4 to 7 p.m. Fri.

Frazer Township Farmers Market, Pittsburgh Mills, lot 2 between JCPenney and Sears Grand, 3 to 7 p.m. Thurs.

Greensburg Farmers Market, North Main Street at the Westmoreland Museum of American Art, 3 to 6 p.m. Tues.

Greentree Farmers Market, Green Tree Park, Green Tree Road near Parkway Center Mall, 4 to 7 p.m. Thurs.

La Casa Narcisi Winery, 4578 Gibsonia Road, West Deer, 1 to 5 p.m. Sat.

Ligonier Country Market, Springer Road and West Main Street, 7 a.m. to noon, Sat.

Market Square Farmers Market, Forbes Avenue and Market Place, Downtown, 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thurs.

Monongahela Farmers Market, Chess Park, 3 to 6 p.m. Fri.

Monroeville Lions Farmers Market, Gateway High School, 9 a.m. to noon, Sat.

Mt. Lebanon Lions Farmers Market, Mt. Lebanon United Lutheran Church lot, Washington Road, 4 to 7 p.m. Wed.

Mt. Lebanon Partnership Farmers Market, 600-750 Washington Road, 8 a.m. to noon, Sat.

Mt. Washington Farmers Market, 403 Grandview Ave., St. Mary of the Mount lot, 3:30-7:30 p.m. Tues.

North Side Farmers Market, corner of East Ohio Street and Cedar Avenue, across from Allegheny General Hospital, 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Fri.

Oakland Farmers Market, Sennott Street, between Meyran Avenue and Atwood Street, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Fri.

Old Towne Grove City Farmers Market, South Broad Street, 3 to 7 p.m. Thurs.

Original Farmers Night Market, Route 50, South Fayette/Cecil area, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Mon., Wed., Fri.

Pleasant Hills Farmers Market, Pleasant Hills Presbyterian Church, Caryl Drive lot, 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thurs.

St. Catherine of Sweden Farmers Market, Wildwood Road at Vitullo Drive, Hampton, 1 to 7 p.m. Wed.

St. James Farmers Market, St. James Parish lot, 200 Walnut St., Sewickley, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sat.

St. Ursula Farmers Market, Duncan Avenue at Kirk Avenue at the ballfield, Hampton, 1 to 7 p.m. Fri., 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sat.

Slippery Rock Farmers Market, downtown, in the lot across from Slippery Rock Volunteer Fire Dept., 9 a.m. to noon Sat.

Farmers Market at SouthSide Works, lot at 26th and Sidney streets, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sat.

South Side Farmers Market, South 18th and Carson streets, 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tues.

Uniontown Farmers Market, Main Street, 5 to 7:30 p.m. Mon.

Washington Main Street Farmers Market, municipal lot, South Main Street, Washington, Pa., 3 to 6 p.m. Thurs.

West End Farmers Market, Noblestown Road at Obey Street, 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thurs.

West View Farmers Market, Perry Highway, between West View Elementary School and West View Savings Bank, 4 to 7 Tues.

Whitehall Farmers Market, 4750 Clairton Blvd., in the parking lot of First Commonwealth Bank, 3:30 -7:00 p.m. Mon.

Wilkinsburg Farmers Market, Ross Avenue parking lots, 3 to 6 p.m. Thurs. Free parking after 2 p.m.

Farm stands

Farm stands accept cash, Women, Infants and Children and Seniors/Farmers' Market Nutrition Program coupons; most accept food stamps. They run Wednesdays and Thursdays in neighborhoods across the city.

Wednesday farm stands

East Hills at Park Hill and East Hills Drive, 2:30-5:30 p.m.; Lincoln-Larimer Farm Stand, Lincoln Avenue next to the rectory,

11:30-3:30 p.m.; Millvale, Grant Street in the rear parking lot,

3:30-7:30 p.m.; Mon-Yough Community Services, Market Street and Fifth Avenue, McKeesport,

9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; Seton Brookline, Pioneer Avenue, Elizabeth Seton Center lot, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Turtle Creek Valley, Penn Avenue in front of the WVHSC building, noon-3 p.m.

Thursday farm stands

Addison Terrace, Elmore Square across from Addison Community Center, 11 a.m. -3 p.m.; Clairton, Miller Ave. Family Dollar lot, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; Hill House, 1835 Centre Ave., 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; Homewood-Brushton, 7140 Bennett St. YMCA parking lot, 12:30-4:30 p.m.; Hazelwood, Second Avenue in the Dairy Mart lot, 11:30-2:30 p.m.; Lawrenceville, 286 Main St., Stephen Foster Center, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

CANDIED GINGER AND BRANDIED PLUM SUNDAES

PG TESTED

Everyone loves ice cream sundaes. But today's market recipe is strictly adults only If you want to make these irresistible treats for the entire family, substitute juice (any flavor) for the brandy. Local plums just started coming into the local farmers markets in the past week.

• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 pound plums (any variety)
• 3 tablespoons brandy
• 3 tablespoons chopped candied ginger
• 1 pint ice cream or gelato (vanilla, orange or lemon)

Melt the butter and sugar in a medium saucepan. Stir until bubbly and smooth. Add plums and brandy. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring often, until the plums are soft but not mushy, and the juices form a light syrup, about 5 minutes. Stir in ginger and simmer for 30 seconds. Cool slightly.

Spoon ice cream into 4 bowls or goblets. Spoon plums and sauce over ice cream and serve immediately.

-- "Short & Sweet" by Melanie Barnard (Houghton Mifflin, 1999).