Late summer is the quiet time for local fruits and vegetables. It is the transition between the summer veggies (cucumbers, eggplant, squash) and the cooler weather fall vegetables to come. Many farmers use this time to clean up their fields and to prepare and plant them with the fall crop.

While the Valley is winding down, the cooler and higher elevation areas in Southeastern and Northern Arizona are coming into high season.

You'll see peaches, apples, tomatoes, corn and other offerings from farms in these areas. This is a great time to travel to Prescott, Flagstaff and the Willcox area for their farmers' markets and u-pick operations.

September is the peak season for chile heads. Follow your nose to find fresh, fire-roasted green chiles from Southern Arizona and New Mexico. Small produce stands and large Mexican markets will be happy to supply you with huge sacks of blistered, blackened, highly aromatic chiles and long strings of fresh red chile ristras.

Here's what you can find during August and September at the farmers' markets in the greater Phoenix area.

Fruits and Vegetables in Season: August and September

• Apples
• Arugula
• Basil (many varieties)
• Black-eyed peas
• Chard
• Chiles
• Cucumbers (slicers, Armenian, lemon)
• Eggplant
• Figs (late crop)
• Italian Parsley
• Melons (Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Musk, Water)
• Okra
• Peaches
• Peppers
• Summer Squash (and blossoms)
• Winter Squash (Spaghetti, Acorn, Butternut)