This is why hitting the farmer’s market is such a thrill – yes, we’re ready to swipe up armloads of summer produce, from salad greens to citrus, but we never know what we might find. These five unusual beauties are the difference between a ho-hum salad and the kind meant for al fresco dinner party fame….

white Raspberries| What is is about a basket of berries that charms our socks off? Is it the flat blue paper baskets, the neon glow, or the incredibly fresh taste we know they’ll bring to salads, desserts and cocktails? We can barely avoid snapping and posting them every time we come across a flat of them.

White Currants | These berry babies are pretty on their own, and even prettier piled on top of a bowl of coconut yogurt. They’re full of vitamin C and bright, blow-your-tastebuds away flavor.

Rainbow Beets | We can’t get over the gorgeous hues of these antioxidant-rich root veggies. Buy a bunch, roast them, and try shaving rainbow sheets of them into recipes for beet chips or this gorgeous layered terrine.

Pink Radicchio | We can’t get over this gorgeous shade of ‘green’. Radicchio is extremely nutritious, but we hadn’t seen them in their rosy glory til earlier this year. Try using this pretty veg as scoops for hummus or in this recipe for pickled radicchio-wrapped asparagus spears.

Borlotti Beans | Hand-pained art? Or nature-painted, protein-packed farmers market treasures? You decide. Beans in pod are surprisingly gorgeous as a side dish or added to any number of dishes. These striped beauties and a few of the pink and purple varietals blow us away.