On Being a Food Writer

This past Friday night, I had the privilege of visiting a local, high-end eatery as a media guest for a special event.  Being a restaurant's guest is a decision that is hotly debated among freelance writers and web sites.  Some feel that the writer's opinion is necessarily compromised - which I understand - as a result of comp'ed meals.  Others feel that freelance writers make little enough as it is that the occasional free meal is a great bennie.  I get that, too.

I am food writer, not a "critic" or reviewer.  My philosophy, to date, and going forward is, "If I can't say anything nice, I won't say anything at all."  A few people have questioned that, because they believe food writers have a duty to report bad food/service to the public. My response is that if you give me a FREE meal don't write about, something's gone horribly wrong.

Here's where I stand:  If I wanted to be a restaurant reviewer/critic (I hate that word), I would follow the Ruth Reichl model.  Go in disguise, pay my own way and visit at least 3 times before writing.  The amateur "critics" on yelp.com and other such sites who pan a restaurant after one visit are being incredibly irresponsible.  Restaurants are discretionary spending and incredibly vulnerable to the whims of economic flux.  If a respected writer says, "this place sucks, don't go," it can be the beginnings of a death knell that puts the livelihood of dozens of people - servers, bussers, sous chefs, etc. - into a tailspin.  To do that based on one visit to a place - especially if one has not worked in the industry - borders on libel.

In any given restaurant, on any given night, things can go horribly wrong for one table or for one whole service -- and it might not even be the restaurant's fault.  A supplier doesn't fulfilll his promises.  An oven breaks down mid-service.  Three servers call in sick.  Or the customer walks in 10 minutes before closing and wonders why she gets surly looks over the course of her 90-minute meal, when all the servers want to cash out, clean up and go home - but can't, because she's holding them all hostage.

I've worked in food service.  I've been a server, a busser, a volunteer cook, a manager, a finisher in a pastry shop, a wholesaler, and a delivery driver/wedding cake consultant.  I've also worked catering.  My sister's been a server; my mom owned a restaurant.  I know what can go wrong and how easily.  I know from razor-thin profit margins, good and bad ingredients, sanitary practices that would make you queasy, yelling in the kitchen and what it takes to put out a good, hot meal in volume.

On Friday night, the people at the restaurant knew me and knew I was there to write about them.  I became the 800-pound gorilla.  The manager, the hostess, the waitress, the sommelier - I got to see them all, and all at their nicest, most professional behavior.  To top things off, I requested a table at the counter in front of the open kitchen.  If I'd have given it any thought, I wouldn't have.  Here I am, "The Food Writer", pad and pen in hand, staring right into the chef's eyes.  Fortunately, this particular chef was confident with good reason.  He runs an immaculately clean and organized kitchen where people enjoy what they do.  There was yelling, yes, as the tickets churned out a la Anthony Bourdain in Kitchen Confidential, but there was also laughing and smiling and real joy.

A low - and high - point came right after I was seated.  Two women at the same counter where I was seated had clearly been waiting more than a few minutes to place their order.  I almost immediately got bottled water and bread with dipping sauce.  I felt horribly guilty, because I knew why I got served first.  I turned to them and offered my bread and sauce, "Would you ladies care for some bread?"  They declined, but my server overheard and immediately she swooped in and made it right.  I emerged from the evening sated and, quite honestly thrilled by the attention -- but with a sobering understanding of my responsibility both as a journalist and to the community of businesses I serve.  I need to be honest, but also as undemanding as possible (my poor server had probably a half-dozen other tables, but I never saw her sweat as she patiently answered my questions - I did see her scurry off quickly to care for her other charges, though).

I thought I'd give you a glimpse into my (new) world, as I'm learning to understand it.  It's quite something.  It's quite a ride, and I am loving it like crazy.

Thanksgiving

Remember Thanksgiving?

It's that holiday between Hallowe'en and Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanzaa/Winter Solstice that's become little more than a turkey speed bump between costumes and presents.  More's the pity, because it's one of the holidays that has the fewest expectations laid on it.  You don't have to dress to impress (except maybe the turkey), buy just that right gift, or hide eggs from small children.  It used to be a lovely, relaxed day off, with another lovely, relaxed day off following right behind it, and then - joy of joys - there was still a weekend left!!  And all you're supposed to do is find something for which to be grateful.

Then somewhere in the throes of exposing historic reality (Native American invasion and exploitation, starvation, and all kinds of unappealing realities) and the rise of consumerism, the whole thing got thrown out.  Now it's a carbo load before we go shopping at midnight.  Do we pause and express gratitude for all we have as a nation?  No, quite the opposite - we express a felt need for more, more, and more. 

And by the way, those clerks at midnight madness tomorrow night?  They're human beings.  The ones who keep your drugstore open or are in your grocery store so you can pick up the nutmeg you forgot - they're people who maybe wanted the day off, too.  But do they get treated like people?  No.  It's just a matter of time until one of them is seriously injured as shoppers stampede to get a $199 flat-screen TV.  Just the one.  That's all there is.  And right now, on Thanksgiving Eve, there are tents pitched outside the store.  Never mind Occupy Wall Street - this is an Occupation that supports the very greedy retail corporate CEO's and shareholders.  Just because they're not banks doesn't make them nice.

The big-box stores are setting up a disaster waiting to happen.  You have (1) people on a sugar (or alcohol) high who have been up all day, eating too much and probably indulging in watching competitive football, getting all hyped up.  And now they're tired and a little cranky.  You have (2) a single TV for sale for an outrageously low price.  You have (3) a lot of retail clerks who are under 25, who maybe lack the judgment of seasoned adult employees - that's why they're there, after all.   The seasoned adult employees got the day off because they have seniority. The kids are working because they were threatened with termination - after all, there are 20 more out there waiting to take their place in this economy.  They're going to stay up all night and work.

At midnight, the stores are going to open.  If no one gets trampled or hurt in a fistfight over a gadget that will not matter 5 years from now, the kids get to work all night, sometimes more than 8-9 hours, and then drive home.  On Black Friday.  In ridiculous traffic.

Right now there's a blimp with an electronic sign. . .yes, I said blimp,over our shopping mall.

That's why this year I'm not going anywhere near those stores. (Full disclosure - I pour wine tastings at a California chain liquor store, BevMo, which will NOT open at midnight tomorrow night.)  They're abusing their employees because they can.  They're turning what used to be a beautiful, slow-paced holiday with loved ones into a stampede of greed.  And they're not getting one thin dime of my money this holiday season.  I'm shopping local and buying local.  I'd like if you'd think about doing the same.

And take a moment to be grateful for all you have - whether it's a roof over your head, a meal on the table, loved ones nearby, or just a great song on your iPod.  Have a happy, real Thanksgiving.

Until next time, I'll see you at the market!

Chard!

Hi all,

I know, I know. . .it's been over 3 weeks.  I was away for one of those weeks, and sans farmers' market.  I had to eat out on someone else's dime.  Sounds great until somewhere around day 5-6 when you say to yourself, "Geez, I coulda cooked this, and better, and not have given myself 3x the right sized portion."

So Saturday night I had steak with a baked potato and a side of chard.  Yes, chard.  Next time you're near the veggie counter or at the market, pick up a bunch.  To cook, first grab it by the fat end of the stem and strip the leaf off toward the top of the stalk.  Then slice what's left into strips and rinse it in a few changes of water.  Dry it in a salad spinner, if you have one.  If not, blot it with paper towels or kitchen towels.

Heat some olive oil in a pan and add a little chopped garlic (1-2 cloves for a bunch of chard).  As soon as you can smell the garlic, throw in the chard and start stirring.  Once the chard's wilted and tender to the bite, take it off the heat.  It should have about the same "bite" as cooked cabbage.  Add a little red pepper flake and some lemon juice, and you have a lovely side dish.

Hey, I'm going to try to better about posting again.  'Til next time, I'll see you at the market!!

Stewed Tomatoes

Hi all,

I made mac and cheese both ways today - from scratch and from a box.  And guess what?  From scratch is cheaper and only takes 4 minutes longer than from the box.  When I was a kid, we always had canned stewed tomatoes with the mac and cheese, probably to offset the rich cheesy flavors and creaminess. 

I decided to update them with some fresh tomatoes, zucchini, and red onions and red sweet peppers (I used anaheims and bell).  I diced the onion and pepper finely (and removed the seeds from the peppers) and then sauteed them in 2 tablespoons of olive oil for about 4 minutes, until they softened and the onions were transluscent.  I added sliced  zucchini and stirred until it started to brown, then tossed in the tomatoes and 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar for the sweetness.  I drained off a lot of the liquid and seasoned with salt before serving.  Yum!

You can serve this side dish warm or at room temp, but if stewed tomatoes are a childhood memory of yours, I know you'll enjoy this updated dish.  Til next time, I'll see you at the market!

And Cheese! To go with Aforementioned Apples!!

Hi all,

Stopped in Star Market to get some flour and Michael let me taste one of his two new cheeses from Vermont - delish!!!  Get over there right now and pick some up!

And yes, I know, I know. . .big carbon footprint.  But it's cheese. 

'Til next time - I'll see you at the market!

Apples!

Hi all,

I stopped at the Redman House Farm Stand, p/o Higher Ground Organics outside Watsonville.  They had what I thought were some of the ugliest apples I'd ever seen - they were a dark gold color with somewhat bumpy skin.  The guy at the stand gave me a sample and they were delicious!  Very sweet and very crispy and juicy. They're an heirloom variety called "Hudson's Golden Gem", originally from New York.  As it turns out, Higher Ground has an orchard with several different heirloom varieties that come in at different times of the year.

If you get a chance to try some different varieties of apples, please do - they're amazingly different, and especially different from the ones you get at the mega mart.  'Til next time - I'll see you at the market!

Hi all,

Just got back from sultry Carmel Valley (ok, it's stinking hot) and tasting wine at Dan Karlsen's new venture, Chock Block wines.  His wife, Kathleen, was doing the pouring and I tasted two syrahs - one from Arroyo Seco, and one from Chalone - both under $20.  The one from Arroyo Seco was good, but the one from Chalone knocked my socks clean off.  It had the beautiful minerality for which Chalone Vineyards used to be known (and no wonder - Dan used to make their wine), lots of layers of flavor and spice - and just was all-around yummy.   If you happen to be in Carmel Valley, it's next door to Toast, right behind the Shell Station on Carmel Valley Road in the Village. 

Until next time, I'll see you at the market!

Sweet and Sour Bacon Dressing for Dandelion Greens

Hi all,

OK, so here it is: 

For one bunch of dandelion:

4 slices bacon, cooked and diced
2 T. flour
1/4 c. cider vinegar
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. water

Stir the flour into the bacon fat until the raw flour taste is cooked out, to make a roux (3-5 minutes, stirring constantly). Add the vinegar and water, stirring constantly.  When they start to simmer, add the sugar and keep stirring until the whole thing reduces into a thick, bubbling sauce.  Pour over the dandelions and top with chopped bacon and hard-boiled eggs.

This dish is full of strong flavors -- sweet, sour, bitter, salty . . . and it's DELICIOUS!!!  Give it a try - and remember - bacon even makes weeds taste good!!  See you at the market!

Long time no see!

So sorry all!

I just looked and it's been ten days since I posted last!  We had a school start this week, but last week I should have taken some time to put up a few things. 

Right now I'm working on my Dad's dandelion dressing.  If you've never eaten dandelion, it doesn't quite taste the same as it did when he and I went out and picked it ourselves.  You eat the leaves, not the flowers.  They're best in the spring, but now you can buy them at your supermarket.  I hardly ever see them wild here; where I do see them, I'm highly suspicious of what's in and around the soil where they grow.

It's a slightly bitter green (somewhere between, say, kale and broccoli rabe) that's fairly high in Vitamin A and is said to have cleansing powers.  The lower portions of the stems can be kind of tough, and should be trimmed off.  We never actually cooked them, but we wilted them with a warm, sweet and sour dressing and then topped them with crumbled bacon and hard-boiled egg.

I'll get back tomorrow with the results of the dressing recipe test-drive.  Until then, I'll see you at the market!

The 90's called. They want their spaghetti squash back.

Hi all,

I can remember the first time I saw someone make spaghetti squash.  If you've never tried it, let's start here:  It's not just like eating pasta, but it's a lot of fun.  You cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, and either steam it or roast it cut side down (with a little water in the pan) at about 350 degrees in the oven for 30-40 minutes.

Then (and this was the really cool thing to watch), you drag a fork across the surface and the squash shreds into spaghetti-like strands that are just a little crunchy and have a mild squash taste.  Flora's Farms had one just about my size - small - on Saturday, so I bought it.  It seems as if it's fallen out of vogue now - it was sort of "in" when people were cutting back on carbs and flour consumption.  It's still very tasty, especially with garlic, olive oil and chopped fresh tomatoes.  Because of the autumnal taste, it would also be good with a little butter, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and some walnuts as well.

If you've never tried it, get some.  If it's been awhile, come back to visit it.  Until next time, I'll see you at the market!

Tromboncini Squash

Hi all,

I know I promised this site would be G-rated, but can I just tell you the Tromboncini I bought from Flora last Saturday is perhaps the most phallic vegetable I've ever had in the kitchen.  Seriously, check it out on Google Images.  It cooks just like a zucchini, though, with a mild artichoke-heart flavor to it.  I tried it sauteed in olive oil with a little garlic, and tossed with pasta - delicious!

Check it out - and 'til next time, I'll see you at the market!!

Sesame Eggplant

Hi there,

I had a beautiful green zucchini and a bright purple Japanese eggplant, so this is what I did:

Slice both of them into 1/4" rounds, brush with canola oil and sprinkle with garam masala (or Chinese 5 spice), and bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes, or until soft and lightly browned.

Cook some whole wheat pasta or asian noodles according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.

Beat together:  1/4 c. tamari (soy) sauce, 1/2 c. water, 1 T. honey, 1 T. cornstarch, and a few drops of fish sauce, until smooth.  Place immediately into a small pan or pot and heat until it starts to thicken.  Add the noodles, eggplant and zucchini and toss together. 

Add a drizzle of sesame oil and a couple tablespoons of sesame seeds (toasted, white, brown or black) and serve immediately.  You can also add some scallions for garnish and flavor.

Tomorrow I have to choose between the laundromat and the really fancy farmers' market at MPC...you guess which I pick.  Until then, I'll see you --- well, you guess where!

Coming tomorrow: Sesame eggplant

I'm on an Asian/Indian kick this week.  I love that sweet-and-salty, soft eggplant over rice. . .and I'll be here with the scoop tomorrow night!  Til then, I'll see you at the market!

Herb Salad

Hi there,

So last night I found myself with a surplus of fresh herbs - thyme, basil, Italian flat-leaf parsley, and oregano.  I also had a good-sized portion of arugula, thanks to my boss' garden.  I tore up just the leaves of the herbs and tossed them with the arugula.  Then I sliced a fresh, ripe tomato onto the plate and just before serving, tossed all the greens with a little olive oil and red wine vinegar.  I placed them on top of the tomato with a little salt and pepper and voila - a very tasty salad.

I also had some wonderful sand dabs, thanks to Frank's Fish Market on Market Street - delicious and great for someone on a budget.  He did all the hard work of cleaning them - and then I sauteed them and served them on top of the salad and tomato.  Delicious!!

Until next time, I'll see you at the market!

Julia Didn't Tell Me. . .

Hi all,

I'm making boeuf bourguignon according to Julia Child's recipe and guess what?  She has you saute a sliced carrot and sliced onion, and then never says when to put them back in.  It's right there on pp. 316 - 317.  This is sort of a signature recipe from the movie "Julie and Julia" and is anecdotally, at least, one of the reasons Mastering the Art of French Cooking got published in the first place, so you think they'd want to get that right. . .

Operating on the theory that the reason you cook the pearl onions and mushrooms separately and add them at the last minute is so the wine doesn't turn them purple, I decided to hold the sliced regular onions and carrots until the end, too.

It's strange, both my sister and I have made this recipe a half-dozen times between us - and neither of us ever noticed it before.  (I called her to confirm that I was not losing my mind and that the instruction really was missing.)  Here's hoping!  Until next time, I'll see you at the market!

Stack up the eggplant!

Hi all,

I can't believe the bounty at the farmers' market these days!   Beautiful heirloom tomatoes, eggplant in every shape and size, melons, peaches, sweet nectarines...what's a girl to do???  Fortunately, not much.  The flavor that's packed into the produce means you have to do very little to it -- if anything at all!

May I suggest some eggplant and tomato stacks?  If you like eggplant parmigiana, you'll like this very fresh version of it as well.  Slice the eggplant horizontally into pieces about 1/4 - 1/2" thick.  Lay them in a colander, salt them fairly heavily (you'll wash most of it off) and put a bowl on top of them.  Fill the bowl either with canned goods or water and let the whole thing sit in the sink to drain for 30 minutes or so. 

Take the eggplant slices out and rinse thoroughly, then pat dry.  At this point you can either brush or toss them with olive oil and grill them on both sides until they're soft, or you can sautee them in some olive oil until lightly browned on both sides.

Slice a ball of fresh mozarella cheese (preferably at room temperature) into thin rounds.  Slice a tomato (or 2 or 3, depending on how big your eggplant is) into rounds horizontally as well.  Get some fresh basil and just stack the ingredients up on a plate - a layer of eggplant, then tomato, then cheese and so on, until you have anywhere from 6-9 layers per person.  Tear the basil up and sprinkle it over the stack, along with some very good quality olive oil and a few drops of red wine or balsamic vinegar - and dig in!  This dish not only tastes good, it looks very pretty on the plate.  It's a great appetizer or side salad.

Mangia!  Until next time, I'll see you at the market!

Purslane

Hi there,

One of this blog's original purposes was to help people figure out what those "weird" farmers' market ingredients were, and what to do with them.  Today I'm featuring purslane - which is somewhere between a green and an herb.  I bought some at the MPC Farmers' Market last week from Four Sisters Farm, in Aromas, CA. 

It's got small, round leaves on a fairly crispy stem that gets tougher as it gets thicker.  The little leaves are very lemony and tart when it's very fresh.  I've noticed after a few days in the fridge, the flavor is less pronounced.  I would be most likely to chop it up very finely and put it into a vinaigrette or a salad, or to use it as a garnish with seafood.  It is definitely tasty and something you'll want to add to your culinary repertoire when it's available.

Until next time, I'll see you at the market!

It's been one of those weeks. . .

Hi all,

If I could tell you about some of the stuff I had to deal with this week . . . well, it's probably no worse than anything you had to deal with!  But on Friday I got to go to the MPC Farmers' Market and buy some Corralitos Sausage (one package of ostrich and one of venison) and Tassajara steak. 

And on Thursday I stopped by Frank's in Salinas and bought some clams and fresh shrimp.  I started some black japonica rice in the cooker.  Then I diced up some really pretty peppers and zucchini (red, green and yellow), and when the rice was just about finished, I tossed them into a pan with hot olive oil and let them cook until they were soft.  I added the shrimp and clams along with about 1/2 cup of vermouth.  After letting the alcohol bubble off for a couple of minutes, I lowered the heat and covered the pan. 

Within 5 minutes the shrimp were cooked perfectly and the clams were all open.  Of course they all opened - they came from Frank's!  I finished the dish by putting the peppers and seafood on top of the black rice with a sprinkling of red pepper flakes.  Delicious!  And the shrimp brought enough salt to the dish that no additional seasoning was necessary.

If you're unfamiliar with shellfish cookery, a clam, oyster or any other shellfish that won't close its shell when you tap on it lightly (this is before cooking, of course) is dead and should not be added to the pot.  Once they are cooked, their shells should be open.  Anything that doesn't open should also be discarded.  I have read recipe-writers who disagree with the latter notion, saying that those are the healthiest shellfish because they're the strongest, but having had food poisoning, I'm sticking with what I know.

As far as shrimp go, please devein them before you cook them, or else buy them deveined.  Running down a shrimp's back is something euphemistically referred to as a "vein".  It's not.  It's the digestive tract, and what's in it is exactly what you'd think.  Gross.  Shrimp are cooked when they form the shape of the letter "C" and are no longer gray and transluscent, but white and pink. 

What is black japonica rice?  Here's the description (from the Lundberg Family Farms website):  A Gourmet Field Blend of Black & Mahogany Rice

Lundberg Family Farms proudly presents Black Japonica, a unique field blend of medium grain black and short grain mahogany rice. This delicious, healthful, whole grain rice is grown in California's fertile Sacramento Valley.

I hope you'll give seafood a try soon.  If you're in an area where you can get fresh seafood, you owe it to those who can't to eat some for them!  Until next time, I'll see you at the market!

Compound Interest

Hi there,

Last night I had some terrifically fresh corn on the cob with real, honest-to-goodness butter.  (Please don't call the health police; it's not something I do often.)  Actually, I made a compound butter, which is nothing more than butter mixed with chopped herbs.

The only problem with compound butter is that whenever you look up a recipe for it, the darned recipe starts with a whole stick of butter.  It assumes you're making steak for 8 and want to put a nice, thick disk of butter on top of each portion.  Not a bad thing, as eating steak goes. . .but what if there are just one or two of you dining this evening?

Simple.  You chop off as much butter as you want (1 T. per person's a good start) and let it soften at room temp.  Chop up some herbs - as much or as little as you want.  I used cilantro and ground chipotle pepper, but if you were making salmon, for example, you could use dill, minced shallots and lemon zest.  Mash the herbs into the butter with a fork, put it into an appropriately-sized container or wrap it in cellophane and chill until hard.  When your dinner's ready, take it out and put it onto the food.  It's pretty, it melts, it's delicious, and it's a little something special you can do for yourself and your honey - or just for yourself!.  I hope you try it soon, and until next time, I'll see you at the market.

Panzanella!

. . .is not Godzilla's Italian cousin.  It's a salad born of the need or desire to use up every scrap of leftover bread, and it's only really delicious during the summer, when you can use fresh tomatoes, sweet red onions, and fresh basil.

Take some day-old bread, like a ciabatta or a baguette, and tear it into bite-sized pieces. I had leftover ciabatta from my BLT project.  If it's really dried out or hard to chew, you can soak the pieces for a couple of minutes in water to soften them and then squeeze out the excess liquid.

Add an amount of diced tomato equal to the amount of torn up bread and mix it with the basil, torn into pieces.  Add the onion, finely diced.  You can also add some garlic - but remember, it's going to be raw, so go easy.  Add salt and pepper to taste, along with the best olive oil you have - about 2-3 turns of the bowl's worth.  Then cover it, walk away and leave it on the counter (refrigerating tomatoes really messes them up!) for 30 minutes - 12 hours, stirring occasionally to mix the juices and olive oil.

You could also stir in some chopped anchovies, or fresh mozarella -- or serve with some good Italian sausage for a complete meal.

Until next time, I'll see you at the market!

Tasting, Tasting, Tasting

Hey there,

I'm working on my column 2 weeks hence. .  . and I find myself with a conundrum.  I am making an avocado and citrus salad, with cucumbers, red onions, and fennel.  The dressing, however, is not something I can just say, "Mix up some of this and some of that and you're good."  It depends on how sour the citrus is -- how much smoked paprika can it take?  How much honey does it need?   So my advice for tonight is taste, taste, taste, as you cook...and adjust along the way.  Until tomorrow - which is bread salad -- I'll see you at the market!

Potato Wedges in Bacon Fat

Well of course.  Carbs and bacon. . .

I made a very fancy BLT for my column in the Salinas Californian newspaper next Tuesday.  I cooked the bacon on a cookie sheet (with rims, please) in the oven, so I had this tray of hot bacon fat and well. . .

That sounds more spontaneous than it actually was.  I was doing an experiment.  The estimable Shirley Corriher, in Cookwise, contends that if you refrigerate a russet potato for a couple of days and then oven-fry it, it will be fluffier on the inside.  I knew I was making the BLT; I knew there would be hot bacon fat -- so I bought a russet and stuck it in the fridge.  To be honest, I didn't notice a lot of difference, but like I said, carbs and bacon.  What could be bad about that?

I cut the potato into wedges, skin on, and tossed them onto the cookie sheet.  I turned them after 15 minutes and stuck them back in for another 10.  Pulled them out, salted and peppered them, and split them with Conner Jay, the photog from the Californian, along with the sandwich.  You could make this much healthier by tossing the potato wedges in olive oil, salt and pepper and omitting the bacon fat.  But why on earth would you?  Until next time, I'll see you at the market!

Bye Bye Big Week

Well, it's Sunday afternoon and both Big Week and my annual vacation are winding down.  For those of you who don't live nearby, "Big Week" in Salinas is when California Rodeo Salinas occurs.  Lasting 4 days -- Thursday - Sunday -- the Rodeo is one of the biggest events in Monterey County all year.  Horse parades, bronco busting, barrel races and lots and lots of bbq fill the Rodeo grounds.  Wednesday night brings a professional bull riding competition, as well, with riders from around the world vying for fame by staying on a very competitive (they are; I've seen their eyes), bred-to-buck bull for over 8 seconds.

I've been cooking and serving steak as a Rodeo volunteer since Thursday, and as of yesterday afternoon, I am officially "steaked out" (pun totally intentional).  So tonight I'm making coq au vin -- a fancy French name that means "chicken with wine."  I have been making this recipe since I was in 6th grade, and have adapted it and changed it over the years to make it my own.  It has no particular connection to the farmers' market, but it's what I'm in the mood to cook.  Now, I want to share it with you:

Fry 4 slices of bacon in a dutch oven or other large stovetop pot.  Drain off most of the fat and set it aside.

Add one sliced onion, 3 sliced carrots, and 3 sliced ribs of celery to the pot and let them get soft and a little brown in spots -- about 8-10 minutes over low heat.  Pay attention to them so they don't burn.

Remove the vegetables and set aside.  Return some of the bacon fat to the pan if necessary, along with a tablespoon of canola or vegetable oil.  Let it get hot enough to ripple and put in 4 chicken thighs, bone, skin and all.  You could use a whole chicken, cut up, but then you've got the issue of the dark meat cooking faster than the white meat, the breasts drying out, etc. Also, the white meat discolors in the wine. If you want to be fat-conscious, you could use chicken breasts, but use the bone-in ones.  I only like to be fat-conscious in the sense that I want to exclaim with delight, "how much freaking butter is IN this, anyway???"

Season the thighs with salt and pepper, and brown on both sides.  Throw all the vegetables back into the pot and add a half-bottle of wine and a cup of chicken stock, chicken boullion, or chicken broth - whatever you have handy.  And please, step away from the "cooking wine"; use something you actually like drinking.  While you add the wine, use a spatula to scrape up as much of the brown bits from the bottom of the pot as possible.

Bring the whole pot to a boil.  Add some salt (about 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon) and pepper  (4-5 grindings), a couple of bay leaves, a sprig of fresh rosemary, some dried thyme (about 1/2 teaspoon), reduce to a simmer, put a lid on the pot and let it go for about 45 minutes (longer if you like), stirring occasionally.  Take out a thigh and cut into it - the juices should run clear and there should be no trace of pink.

Take everything out of the pot and put it on a platter, covered with aluminum foil.  Remove and discard the bay leaves and the rosemary stem.  Skim the fat off the top of the pot (yes, I know what I said earlier, but there are limits!) and cook the juices down for about 20-30 minutes to reduce (thicken).  You can also cheat a little and mix 1-2 T. cornstarch with 1-2 T. cold water, add it to the pot and bring to a boil to thicken.  Taste and adjust the seasonings, then put each thigh into a bowl with some veg and pour the sauce over it.  It can be - and should be, to my mind - a little soupy.  Top with chopped/crumbled bacon bits.

Serve with a nice green salad and a slice of french bread for dipping.  This recipe serves 4 people, with some good leftovers.  Enjoy, and until next time, I'll see you at the market!

Peachy French Toast

Hi there!

I'm on vacation, so I like to get a little splurgy at breakfast.  You can too - make 2 slices of french toast (dunk bread into about 3/4 c. milk with an egg beaten into it, a few drops of vanilla, and a pinch of salt, then brown on both sides in a pan) and top them with a peach syrup.

Take the skin off the peach and cut the fruit into chunks.  In a small pan, very slowly warm up 4 tablespoons maple syrup (more if you like), 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/2 - 1 tablespoon butter.  Add the peach chunks and stir gently for 5-10 minutes, until the peaches are heated through and slightly soft.  If you know how and you want to get really fancy at this point, you could add a tablespoon of bourbon and set it on fire, but it's really not necessary to do either.  Let the syrup cool for a few minutes before ladeling it over the french toast.  This would be very good topped with fresh blueberries, too.

A word of caution:  heat the syrup mixture on as low a heat as you can manage.  If it looks like you're going to drop it or spill it, let it go and get out of the way - it's like molten lava and it's also sticky.

Tomorrow: French Toast! Oooh la la!!

What better to do with summer fruit than put it on some French Toast?  I can't think of a thing, so I'll have it up here tomorrow morning.

In the meantime, please check out my new food column at

http://www.thecalifornian.com/​article/20110719/ENTERTAINMENT​03/107190304/Elaine-Giuliano-S​ummer-vegetable-chili-stew-can​-somewhat-spicy?odyssey=mod
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or, more simply:  http://www.thecalifornian.com/ every Tuesday.
 
'Til tomorrow, I'll see you at the market!

Something's Fishy

Hi there,

I decided I wanted to have gumbo.  And I wanted to learn to make gumbo.  So who better to teach me than Paula Deen???  I went on foodnetwork.com and pulled up her recipe and realized:  I do not want to cook okra.  I've never made it that it wasn't slimy.

So I went downtown and visited with Terri at Gold Leaf Spice and Teas, and bought some file gumbo.  That's a spice mixture that contains sassafras; it substitutes for okra as a thickener in gumbo.  And then I did something I've never done.  I made fish stock (instead of using the water + boullion cube combo in Paula's recipe).  It's really easy.  Takes only half an hour:  I got fish heads and bones from Frank's (he charged me a whole dollar for 2 pounds) and followed Julia Child's recipe.  (Hey, I write a blog.  Doesn't mean I fly without a map!)  It was yummy all by itself, but in Paula's gumbo recipe - omg.

And that just leaves me with an old, Dr. Demento type song in my head:  "Fish heads, fish heads, roly poly fish heads, fish heads, fish heads, eat 'em up yum!!!"

This is Big Week in Salinas (aka Rodeo week).  I'll be here as much as I can be - I'm a volunteer at the event -- and until then, I'll see you at the market!

Pepper Cabbage - a really pretty side dish

Hi there!

Today we're going to make a sweet, sour, and crunchy side salad that will go really well with barbecued pork.  If you want to make this ahead (not more than 4-5 hours) grate all the veggies separately and store them in separate containers - or you can layer them in a glass bowl, with the cabbage on bottom, then the green peppers, and then the shredded carrots and then toss with the dressing at the table.  As soon as you start mixing them, the cabbage will start "bleeding" into the other ingredients and it won't be nearly as pretty.

1 small or 1/2 large head of red cabbage (about one pound), cored and shredded on the coarse side of a box grater (you can use a food processor if you want)
1 medium bell pepper, chopped very, very finely - or you can run it through the grater too.  Just make sure you don't get any seeds.
1 large yellow or orange carrot, also shredded

Dressing:
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar (don't go fancy here with balsamic - you want it tangy)
1/2 c. canola oil
1/8 - 1/4 t. salt
several grindings of freshly cracked pepper
1 1/2 - 2 T. sugar

Whisk together, toss with the salad ingredients, and serve immediately.  It will continue to taste good, if you have leftovers, but it won't look nearly as pretty as when you first brought it to the table!

Until tomorrow, I'll see you at the market!

Bring Us Some Figgy Ice Cream

Hi all,

This is a lovely dessert topping I made last night and spooned over vanilla ice cream!  It serves one person, so feel free to keep it all to yourself.  Oh, okay, you could always double or triple it. . .

Start with 3 fresh black Mission figs, tops and bottoms cut off, quartered vertically, in a shallow saucepan with just enough water to almost cover them; add 2 T. brown sugar, 1/4 t. cinnamon, a dash of salt, and one whole clove.  Bring to a simmer, stir to dissolve the sugar, and cook slowly until the figs are very soft and the water has become syrupy (about 1/2 hour).  Stir it occasionally.  It should coat the back of your spoon when it's done.

Take it off the heat and swirl in a small pat of butter and a teaspoon of Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur.  Oh, and take out the clove.  Pour over your ice cream and serve!  Yum!!

Til next time, I'll see you at the market!

I'm baaaaaaack. . .

Hi all!

Sorry - Tuesday I got sick, Wednesday I worked late, Thursday was Rodeo Sponsors' Dinner (where I volunteer with the cooks and servers and dish washers) and yesterday I was just plain worn out!

All that aside, I have exciting news - the FIGS are in!  Those beautiful, sweet, black mission figs that make you understand what inspired the Fig Newton. . .

They're delicious just as they are.  You can trim off the bottom if you like; I don't find it problematic or chewy, but some people don't like it.  I just hold them by the stem and bite in.  But if you want a slightly more sophisticated appetizer, cut them in halves or quarters lengthwise and arrange them on a  plate with some mascarpone cheese that you've drizzled with some honey.  Dip forks into the cheese and honey and then spear a piece of fig...Mmmmmmmmmmmm.  And yes, mascarpone (it's an Italian cream cheese) is a little pricey, but I paid $2.50 for the basket of figs and the $3.99 for the mascarpone to make a pretty appetizer to share isn't so bad.  Remember, the good stuff is for treats!

Another nice drizzle instead of the honey is a balsamic vinegar reduction.  Don't panic.  That's fancy cooking talk for taking about 1/2 c. of really, really good balsamic vinegar, putting it into a little saucepan, and letting it simmer until it becomes syrupy.  It really compliments the figs beautiful. 

More tomorrow - and starting on July 19th, watch for my new column, "Simply Local", in the Salinas Californian - first dish up for Big Week (the week of Rodeo in Salinas) - Veggie Chili!

Shameless plugs:  Butch at Cowboy Sausage gave me a sample of his (definitely not vegetarian) chili today - it's sooooooo good!  Also, Frank at Frank's Fish on Market has the most beautiful fresh sardines - and so inexpensive.  He thinks this may be the last week for them, so hurry in!

Until next time, I'll see you at the market!

Red White and Blue - end of the story

Hi all,


This beautiful white chocolate soup looks like something really fancy – but it only takes about 20 minutes to put it together, plus some time to cool off. I would serve it slightly warm, with berries right out of the refrigerator for contrast.

In a saucepan, whisk together: 1 ½ cups almond milk (it adds a great flavor to the finished soup), ½ c. heavy cream, 1 t. of vanilla and 2-3 T. of Grand Marnier (more or less to taste). If you want to skip the Grand Marnier, that's fine - it just cuts some of the richness of the soup. Gently heat the mixture, stirring frequently.

Make a slurry of 2 t. cold water and 2 t. cornstarch and have it standing by (‘slurry’ just means you mix them together, but the cornstarch won’t completely dissolve.).

Chop 4-6 ounces (by weight) of white chocolate. It’s sweet enough that you don’t need any additional sugar. When the almond milk mixture starts to simmer, stir in the chocolate until it melts. Keep stirring and add the slurry. Stir until thick. Keep the temperature regulated so the mixture doesn’t come to a full boil.

Remove from heat and set aside to cool. It may form a skin on top – that’s fine, either scrape it off with a spoon before serving or stir it right back in. You can prevent the skin from forming by putting plastic wrap right on top of the soup; it just won’t cool quite as quickly.

Hull and slice fresh, chilled strawberries and place a mound of them – with blueberries, raspberries and any other fresh, chilled berries – in the bottom of a small bowl. This recipe makes 4 servings – they’re small, but quite rich. Spoon the soup into the bowl around the berries and top with a sprig of mint and orange zest, if desired. It's almost like dipping the berries in white chocolate fondue!  This dessert pairs well with a crisp champagne and makes a beautiful celebration on a plate. Enjoy – and until next time, I’ll see you at the market!

Fresh Sardines. . .yum!

Hi all,

I went to Frank's Fish Market yesterday and he had the most beautiful sardines - cleaned 'em for me and everything.  He told me the secret to getting the bones out (sardines are really, really bony!) is to cook them first (grill or broiler - they take about 7 minutes altogether, with a little olive oil, salt and pepper), and the bones come right out -- and he was right.  The nice thing about sardine bones is they're really small and not terribly dangerous, so heaven forbid you do get one - not a big deal.  Did I mention they're really inexpensive (really, really inexpensive) and full of those good  omega-3's we're supposed to have?

If you've never had fresh sardines, you seriously should give them a try.  I can even clean them myself, but I didn't tell Frank that.  You just cut off the head and all the guts come right out.  Yes, I said "guts."  Sometimes you have to call an innard and innard.

Developing a white chocolate soup dessert recipe for tonight or tomorrow - until I get it right (tasting is such hard work!!!) I'll see you at the market!

Smashed Blue Potatoes - another red, white and blue 4th of July party dish!

Hi All!

Tonight I realized that the problem with most blue foods is that they just don't stay as blue as you'd like. Blue string beans, for example, end up looking just like the green ones when cooked. And the smashed blue potatoes had some odd color variations - if you're going to "eat with your eyes first," put the chive sour cream on top, along with a spoonful of the cold tomato chili sauce. This set of instructions is for about 6-10 small blue potatoes.

For the sour cream - chop up some fresh chives (no dried, please) into 1/8 inch segments. A kitchen shears is good for this. Mix in about 1/2 cup sour cream and add more chives to taste. Hold the salt - there will be enough elsewhere.

For the cold tomato chili sauce: Dice one medium tomato, seeds and juice included, and place in a bowl. Dust generously with ancho chili powder and a little chili powder (that's a blend), and add a squeeze of lime. I chopped in some young, mild jalapenos. To lower the heat, feel free to remove the stems and seeds. And chop them very finely - no one wants a big scary chunk o' jalapeno! Mix, lightly salt, and set aside while the potatos cook.

Put the potatoes into boiling water for 10-15 minutes, or until a fork pierces them easily. Drain them and let the steam come off of them for 5-10 minutes. You don't want lots of water on them when you drop them into the olive oil (which you're heating up on the stove in a frying pan until the oil ripples). Put the potatoes in and smash them a little with a spatula or potato masher. You want them to retain their shape and just split their seams at the side a little -- like some strange uncle at Thanksgiving. They should be flat enough to brown evenly. After 5 minutes or so, check them and see if they're brown and a little crusty. If they are, flip them! Cook them on the second side, and then put on paper towels to drain - but salt them right when they come out of the pan.

Place the still-hot potatoes on a plate. Top with a dollop of the sour cream and put a spoonful of the tomato chili sauce on the side. A little cilantro or parsley garnish would be nice. The crispy potato and the sauce are mellowed out by the sour cream - and I just couldn't stop eating them! If you cooked the potatoes in bacon fat and then crumbled the bacon over them, you'd have a beautiful brunch side to an order of eggs. Please make mine over medium. . .and until you do, I'll see you at the market!

Blue Cheese and Red Onion Bruschetta . . or Crostini

Hi all,


I had to do a little research to find out, but I've got the skinny on the difference between crostini and bruschetta. They're both Italian toasts; the bruschetta is sliced more thickly, drizzled with olive oil and rubbed with garlic before serving. Crostini are more thinly sliced. Use whatever you like with this topping - but make sure it's good quality bread that's toasted until it's crispy on the outside.

This dish is based on a childhood memory of a sandwich spread made with diced processed yellow cheese, mayo, and diced onions. Gross, right? Actually, I remember it being pretty tasty at the time - but try my grown-up version and see what you think.

Take a medium red onion and set it on the counter. Slice it vertically into quarters and drizzle them with olive oil. Put it either into a 450-degree oven, or on the grill - but not right over the coals. We want to roast rather than grill. Let it cook until it's soft and sweet, but still has a little bit of "bite" in the texture. Let it come to room temperature, then chop into 1/2" pieces. My experience is that the slices start to separate when it's roasted, so don't worry if they're not perfect - this is a rustic dish!

You'll need about 1/3 to 1/2 as much blue cheese as you have roasted onions. If you can, get a recommendation from a knowledgeable salesperson (shameless plug: Like Mike at Star Market) to make sure you get something that's to your taste - blue cheese comes in many varieties, from mild and sweet to strong and sharp. Crumble the cheese and combine with the onions, a chopped handful of Italian parsley, and some cracked pepper. Spoon onto your toast of choice and enjoy!

Just a quick note - this is a fairly rich bite or two - you don't need gobs of it. The blue cheese is creamy and the onions bring sweetness and a hint of richness from the olive oil. It would make a great appetizer paired with some sliced apples and walnuts. Tomorrow night - you saw it coming - blue potatoes. Until then, I'll see you at the market!

Red White and Blue Part II

Sorry.  I couldn't resist the rhyme!

Worked late tonight, but tomorrow I should have another Independence Day Red/White/Blue snack:  red onion and blue cheese bruschetta.  The bread is the white part, just in case it wasn't obvious.  It'll have a bit of a tan, because we're going to toast it first, but I think that should be okay, don't you?

I'll see you  tomorrow night - and until then, I'll see you at the market!

Gettin' Dippy with it!

Hi there,

Here's my first red/white/blue dish:  White bean dip, roasted red pepper dip, and blue corn tortilla chips.

For the roasted red peppers, roast two medium red peppers until they're blackened all over, then toss them into a paper bag until they cool.  Peel off the skin, remove the stems, and process them in the food processor until they're creamy.  I added 1 Tablespoon of tahini for texture (it's a sesame paste, much like almond or peanut butter, but with a milder flavor) - but you could also toss in a handful of roasted walnuts and process them until they blend in. I added about a teaspoon each of ground cumin, coriander and ancho chili powder. Salt, pepper, and the juice of half a lemon rounded this out.  I've seasoned this (and the bean dip) fairly mildly -- feel free to kick up the seasonings in either.  Just remember to taste as you go.

Get a small can (15 oz) of cannellini beans.  Trader Joe's sells them as "White Kidney Beans".  Drain and rinse and place into your (rinsed-out) food processor.  Chop up two cloves of garlic really finely, and two sprigs of fresh rosemary (or 2-3 fresh sage leaves), chopped finely.  Add to the processor bowl.  With the processor running, add 1/2 c. olive oil and squeeze in some lemon juice.  Taste, then add salt, pepper -- and I added just a touch of chipotle chili to give it some "fireworks".  Taste and correct seasoning until you're happy.  One hint - you'll be tempted to add more garlic.  Put the dip in the fridge for an hour or two and then check back - garlic tends to develop its flavor over time, and you don't want your friends to think you need to ward off vampires.

You can serve the two dips in separate containers with your blue corn tortilla chips, or you could put the white bean dip into a shallow bowl on one side, and then the red pepper dip on the other and swirl them together, just a little bit -- or make a wavy line down the middle -- for a prettier presentation.  You can also garnish this with a bunch of Italian parsley or cilantro.  Either way, enjoy -- and I'll see you at the market!

How hot is it?

Hi all,

Here, it's not too hot at all.  Mark Twain was famously disappointed in Sunny California's summers - near the coast, at least.  It's chilly, sort of overcast and generally the type of weather that makes me want to fire up the oven.  And all you people on the east coast can stop throwing things at me now, and file this recipe for fall/winter.

I was craving mac and cheese, but I had a bag of beautiful baby brussel sprouts (about 1 1/2 cups), so I compromised.  I made a brussel sprout gratin.  First, I cooked the sprouts in lightly-salted boiling water for about 5-7 minutes until I could pierce them easily with a fork and they were bright green.  Then I dumped them into a colander and hit them with cold tap water for a minute or two to stop the cooking and keep the color fresh. 

I have several oven dishes that are safe to use on the stovetop, and I melted 1/2 tablespoon of butter in the bottom of one of them.  If your oven dishes are not burner-safe, put the butter in the dish and put it into your preheated, 375-degree oven for a minute or two.  Voila!

While the butter melted, I added 3/4 c. almond milk and 3/4 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese, along with freshly ground pepper, salt, and a little bit of freshly grated nutmeg to a bowl and added the brussel sprouts.  After tossing gently a few times, I poured the mixture into the melted butter in the baking dish.  I then topped it with about a tablespoon freshly grated parmesan cheese and 2 tablespoons panko breadcumbs.  I baked it, uncovered, for 15 minutes at 375 degrees, until the top just browned.  The dish was a little soupy, as most gratins call for heavy cream, but it was delicious nevertheless.  It could easily be poured over cooked rice or stirred into cooked pasta for a complete meal, too.

I'll be back tomorrow to start the red/white/blue challenge (or I should be - I fell asleep really, really early last night - rough week at the day job) -- until then, I'll see you at the market!

Coming soon - 4th of July Recipes

I'm going to attempt to make some things that are red, white and blue for the holiday.  We'll see how far I get after playing the blueberry card!

Green Beans Again

I just love green beans (or "haricots verts", if you prefer the fancy name) this time of year, when they're young and crisp and sweet.  This preparation is really, really easy - all you need are the green beans, some boiling water, and a handful of pitted kalamata olives. These black olives bear almost no resemblance to those ones in the can that the kids put on their fingers every year at Thanksgiving, so they're worth the time to find them.   The kind in brine would be better for this dish, but if you only have oil-cured, just add some extra olive oil add the end.

Kalamatas are pretty easy to pit - especially if you're only using a handful - just squeeze them a little and the pits pop right out.  Chop them up fairly finely and set them aside.  Chop both ends off the beans so there are no stems or tails and drop them in boiling water for 3-5 minutes.  The amount of time will depend on the size of the beans - mine were tiny and were done in about 3 minutes.  They turn a bright green color and should be a little tender, but still crispy.

Toss the green beans with some olive oil and the chopped olives, and then -- if you have the time and a spare lemon -- add some lemon zest cut into narrow strips and toss them into the dish to make it really pretty. 

The zest is the yellow portion only of the skin -- the white part is very bitter.  If you decide you want to use lemon zest often, a zester is a good investment and usually costs under $10.  The zester will take off only the zest; often they're designed so the zest comes off in thin strips, saving you that trouble as well.

Other things you can mix with plain green beans to dress them up include:  toasted almonds or walnuts, or grape or cherry tomatoes roasted in the oven.  I'll be back tomorrow with another recipe; 'til then, I'll see you at the market!

He's a Fun Guy

Hi all,

Well, I made it to the market yesterday.  The Del Monte Center Market has different vendors than the Salinas Market, so it was nice to have some different options -- like fresh mushrooms.  The mushroom guy had a great sense of humor and when I complimented him, he said, "Yeah, I'm a fun guy."  Fun guy...like fungi...okay, well maybe it lost something in translation.

So tonight I want something kind of rich and creamy, but without a lot of fuss or fat, so I'm making Meatless Stroganoff.  The dish is usually made with beef and sour cream, and the mushrooms are strictly bit players.  I'm making them the star of the show.  You can decide what to serve it over: egg noodles, rice, or even potatoes are good.  You might also try toasting a piece of bread and spooning it over top like the open-face roast beef sandwiches we used to get in diners.

For one person, start by thinly slicing an onion until you have about a half cup, then slice 1/4 lb. of crimini mushrooms thinly as well (it'll be about 2 cups, but don't worry, they shrink a lot when you cook them).  Heat 2 T. of olive oil (or 1 of olive oil + 1 of better) in a frying pan.  Cook the onions for about 3 minutes, until they're limp.  Take them out with a slotted spoon or spatula, letting as much oil as possible drain back into the pan, and set them aside.  Brown the mushrooms on both sides.  Do this in batches if you have to, because you really don't want to crowd the pan - they won't brown properly.

When the mushrooms are cooked, drain the excess oil from the pan and add the onions back in.  Add 1/2 T. miso paste (or 1/2 a boullion cube) dissolved in 1/2 c. very hot water and stir.  Add 3/4 of a teaspoon dried tarragon, a pinch (literally what you can pinch between your thumb and forefinger) of ground dry mustard, a dash of worcestershire sauce and, if you want, a drop or two of liquid smoke.  If you've never worked with it before, I really mean a drop or two.  A little goes a long way.

Simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until there's only about half as much liquid as you started with in the pan.  Now it's ready to serve.  Spoon it over your starch of choice and add a dollop (about 1/2 c.) nonfat Greek yogurt on the side. If you spoon the yogurt into the sauce, it does this weird curdling thing - still tastes good, but doesn't look good.  Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

If you want your sauce to be more like gravy, try this - mix 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water in a jar until it's dissolved.  Add it to the pot, raise the heat a little, and stir.  The sauce will thicken up nicely.

I'm off to catch up with "The Next Food Network Star."  Until tomorrow, I'll see you at the market!

The Tomatoes are In!

Hi All,

Getting back on track, blog-schedule-wise.  After my guest left on Saturday, I helped feed about 200 volunteers at the annual Rodeo Volunteer Luncheon.  I think I was in bed by 7 p.m. . . .and Sunday, after running to the Monterey Farmers' Market (Del Monte Center) and then to Talbott and Bernardus wineries to pick up wine club shipments, I was still wiped out.  As you can see, though, I'm up bright and early this morning to tell you (if you don't already know) about Caprese Salad.

It's not so much a salad as a small bite.  You get some really good, fresh buffalo mozzarella.  Buffalo mozzarella is made from water buffalo milk.  If the label says "fior de latte", that means it was made with cow's milk.  Either way, you want it as fresh as possible from your local store -- look at the expiration dates.

All you need now is some fresh basil -- the dried stuff won't do -- and a good tomato.  The Early Girl tomatoes were at the market yesterday and I just couldn't resist.  Tear off a leaf of basil, get a thin slice of mozzarella and a slice of tomato.  Put them together on a plate and drizzle with a little olive oil; the tomato supplies the acid, so no vinegar or lemon juice is required.  Salt very lightly and take a bite of all 3 main ingredients -- the basil, tomato and cheese -- together.  You can put the salad on some toasted french bread for a great appetizer, too.  I should be back tonight; I think I'm over being tired.  Until then, I'll see you at the market!

Epic Fail!

Hi all!

Here's the thing...I helped cater a dinner for 80 on Thursday, went hiking in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park in Big Sur on Friday, and helped cater a dinner for 200+ volunteers today.  I have a grilled endive recipe to hold you through tonight with me.  I couldn't even make it to the farmers' market today, so I'll go tomorrow and catch you up then.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch. . .Belgian Endive.  It's that little rocket-shaped, light green lettuce/cabbage-looking thing you can purchase in the supermarket.  Mine was about 6" long and 1" in diameter.  I cut it in half lengthwise, and threw it into a bowl with olive oil, salt, and pepper and let it sit for about 45 minutes.  The salt has a chance to tenderize it a little that way.  I put it on the grill for about 3 minutes/side.  This will vary, depending on how hot your grill is and whether you put it over direct heat (right on the flame/hot coals) or not. 

Once the endive had nice grill marks, I shredded it crosswise with a knife and squeezed on some fresh lemon juice.  It was a side dish with salmon, and it was delicious.  I highly recommend it.  I'll see you tomorrow - and probably tomorrow morning, I'll see you at the market!

Back tomorrow night!

Hi there!

Sorry I was out a bit this week - I've been entertaining someone from out of state, working at California Rodeo Salinas' Directors' Dinner last night.  I'm beat -- but never too beat to cook!  We're having salmon grilled on a plank for my guest's farewell dinner tonight, with grilled fennel, grilled oysters, rice and garlic bread. (The rice isn't grilled.  It just falls through the grates if you try.  Not that I have.  Not that I'll admit I have, anyway!)

Tomorrow I'll be back with a simple veggie meal to follow the meatfest that is the Rodeo Volunteers' Luncheon.  Until then, I'll see you at the market!

Frittata!

Hi there,

Usually a frittata is baked in the oven, but I've applied the term (as others have) to any non-omelet, non-scrambled egg dish -- that means the eggs set up flat in the pan vs. being folded over or stirred in the pan to form curds.  You'll see in a minute.

I have a houseguest (who's lovely, by the way) and yesterday morning I had some time to make more than a cold bowl of cereal.  I had a bunch of veg from Saturday's market already chopped up in the fridge (thanks Rachael Ray - that really works!).  I took about a half cup total of zucchini and mushrooms and sauteed them until they were cooked through.  That's the mistake most people make when they put vegetables into their eggs - they put them in with or after the eggs, and the vegetables stay raw instead of getting beautiful brown spots that add not only color, but flavor.

I scrambled 2 fresh eggs (Flora's Farms - you've got to try them!) in a bowl with chopped fresh dill and thyme (leaves only, no stems), and when the veggies were cooked, poured them over top.  What you do next, if you're playing along at home, is push the sides of the frittata into the middle while gently tilting the pan so the runny parts come to the edges and cook.  This takes a few minutes.  When the egg is cooked through, grate a little Monterey Jack or Cheddar on top and let it melt, then cut up the frittata and serve in wedges.  Enjoy, and 'til next time, I'll see you at the market!

Three-bean salad

This is a summer standard for me.  I don't care if you do everything else out of a can or bottle, to include the dressing.  However, you simply must cook the green beans yourself, and they must be fresh.  The easiest way to do this is to chop both ends off the beans and then drop them into boiling water.  You shouldn't have to string them first at this time of year - they should still be quite young.  Once they're in the water, wait until they turn bright green and immediately scoop them out with a slotted spoon into ice cold water. 

Now, slice them up into bite-sized pieces and place them into a bowl with one 14 1/2 oz. can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained, and the same size can of kidney beans, also rinsed and drained.  I prefer using the lower-sodium ones.  Can you make the beans and chickpeas from scratch?  Sure, but it's really hot and humid in some parts of the country right now and I certainly don't expect you to simmer things for hours on end!  This is one of those times when processed food makes sense.

You can add in some chopped fresh tomatoes and onions if you like, as well as some chopped fresh parsley.  Dress with 2 parts olive oil to one part red wine vinegar, salt and pepper.  If you like the flavor of raw garlic (and I do!), chop some up and throw it in with the dressing.  Let everything sit at least an hour to let the flavors marry.  If you're not yet familiar with that expression, taste the salad when it's just made, then taste it after an hour and you'll get the idea.  You can serve this at room temperature.  If it's a super-lazy summer day, don't even bother making the dressing - use some Newman's Own Italian or other favorite Italian dressing.

You'll never buy the ready-made stuff in a can or jar again.  The sweet crunch of the beans with the tartness of the vinegar and the textures of the other beans is a combination you can't get in a ready-made product.  Happy eating, and until next time, I'll see you at the market!

Coming soon. . .3-bean salad

Hi there,

It's been insane around my home, so last night I took some time to decompress after:  haircut, laundry (my washer died earlier this week), car wash, Goodwill, grocery store, farmers' market, OSH, housework (getting ready for a guest today). . .

But I did have time to make a great 3-bean salad that's easy and tasty.  Get out your can openers (yes, I said can openers) and some fresh green beans, and I'll be back here in a few hours with the recipe.

Thanks for being patient!  And some time this morning I may very well . . . see you at the market!

Insert your own beet pun here.

Hi All,

I considered "Beet it", "Can't beet this", "We got the beets" . . . you get the idea.

So my roasted red beets - I recommend getting a bag of cheap plastic gloves (preferably without the powder - not, as Alton Brown would say, "good eats") and donning them to rub the skin off.  This avoids the pink-to-purple staining that lasts for 2-3 days on your hands. 

True confession:  I tried several things with the beets, but none of them worked as well as my two tried-and-true approaches:  (1)  roasted beets are just good on their own with a little salt and pepper or (2) when cold, they can be cut into 1/4" cubes, salted and peppered, and dressed with 2 parts lemon juice to 1 part olive oil. . .then add some toasted walnuts (candied walnuts are nice, too) and either feta or mild bleu cheese and enjoy as a salad.

The greens, however, cooked beautifully.  For 2 people:  Cook two fairly large links of Italian sausage - as spicy as you like - in a small casserole dish in a 350 degree oven with about 3/4 c. of red wine for 30-35 minutes, until they're cooked through. When I say "fairly large", think 2 hot dogs stuffed into one. . I used sweet Italian sausage from Star Market.  Pull them out of the wine and set them aside.  Put the greens (thoroughly cleaned, see last night's entry) from one bunch of beets into the wine (add 1/4 c. water if the dish seems dry).  Using a spoon, turn the greens over a few times so they're all slightly wet.  Cover the dish with foil.

Cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until tender.  Add salt, a dash of cider vinegar, and if you like it spicy, some crushed red pepper flakes.  Use a slotted spoon to put the greens on the plate and serve with the sausage and a potato preparation of your choice - boiled, baked or fried. And just so you know things don't go perfectly at my house either, I was baking two baby potatoes and one exploded in my oven.  I'll be cleaning that up later!

Tomorrow's another adventure . . . 'til then, I'll see you at the market!

If you can't stand the heat. . .

You're probably somewhere back East, and I feel for you.  One of the reasons I pulled up tent stakes and moved out to California was the temperate climate.  I wilt like a calla lily in hot weather.

Here in California, we've finally lapsed into summer mode - cool and foggy in the morning, burning off to be a bit sunnier in the afternoon, and then the fog comes back in the evening.  So I took the opportunity to roast some beets for about an hour and ten minutes at 450 degrees.  If you're reading this in Atlanta, you don't have to keep going, but that's the end of the hot part for today.

I'll use the beets tomorrow along with their greens.  I know, you probably tear the tops off the beets and throw them away - but not only are they edible, they're pretty tasty and good for you besides.  A lot of times when we buy beets the tops are wilted, but these were beautiful, green and fresh.  I had to wash them in 4 changes of water to get the sand and grit off.  I put them in the basket of my salad spinner and fill the spinner up with water.  I wish them around a little and then let them sit while the grit falls off.  Then I lift out the basket and change the water until I don't see anymore grit or sand, and spin them dry. You can store them in the fridge like any other hearty green.

Tomorrow night I will finish the saga of the beets.  Until then, I'll see you at the market!

Yeah, they're havin' a big kale sale!

I remember that line from Sesame Street.  The context is long-gone, but I can still hear the fuzzy muppets' voices in my head having this whole conversation about a big sale on kale.  Yes, perhaps I do need therapy.

Anyway, kale is one of the most nutritionally-packed foods around.  It's easy and quick to prepare, and there really isn't any reason for you not to try it.  Those beautiful green leaves can be stemmed and chopped crosswise into ribbons in no time.  Then you can toss them into soup (they work well with vegetables, lentils and rice), or wilt them as a side dish.

Kale is not in the least bit shy, nor is it the sort of vegetable that will put the back of its hand to its forehead and wither if you leave it in the pan a couple minutes too long.  With that in mind, it needs some bold flavors to set it off - so here we go!

Kale works beautifully with my standard, "crush together a rinsed anchovy fillet with some coarse salt and garlic to make a paste, heat in olive oil; rinse the kale and toss it in the pan with the other ingredients still slightly wet.  When it wilts, sprinkle it with crushed red pepper, a squeeze of lemon oil, and eat."

But maybe you want something different.  How about kale with a sesame-miso dressing?  Rinse and chop the kale as described above.  Put a little canola oil in your pan.  Before you put in the kale, mix together:

2 t. light miso (soy) paste (usually found in the refrigerator section of larger stores; once you buy a container, put it in the fridge and it keeps forever)
2 T. sesame oil
2 t. rice wine vinegar (seasoned or not)
1/4-1/8 t. grated fresh ginger
Optional:  1 t. honey if you like a sweet dressing, 1 t. sambal oelek (Asian hot sauce) if you like it spicy; a couple of teaspoons of peanut butter would also add a nice flavor.

Wilt the kale in the pan.  Just as it's finished (it turns a deep emerald green and gets nice and tender) toss in the dressing and stir to combine.  Garnish with sesame seeds and serve as a side with your favorite Asian-marinated fish, chicken or meat.  (This would be excellent with some soba noodles in broth, too.) I'll be back tomorrow night.  Until then, I'll see you at the market!

Soup Bones

Hi there,

One thing you may have noticed about really good-quality, sustainable, locally-raised meat is that compared to that stuff at the supermarket, it's pretty pricey.  So how do you get around that?

User cheaper cuts.  Soup bones come to mind (and you can use this for supermarket meat as well).  Yesterday I had some neck chuck pieces (less than $5.00).  The neck of the animal gets a good workout, so if you wanted to just cook them up like steak, you'd find them really tough.

Instead, brown them in a pan with some salt and pepper.  You don't have to cook them through; just get some nice brown color on them.  Put them into your crock pot (you do have a crock pot, right?) with 4 cups of water and a can of tomatoes.  Cover and let cook on low for about 4 hours.

Add 1 1/2 cups pearled barley (about $1.29/lb in the bulk section) and turn up to high for 2 hours. Take out the soup bones and shred the meat.  Don't keep any of the gristle, though.  Put the meat back into the pot and add 1/2 - 1 c. each sliced carrots and celery.  Check after about an hour - the barley should be tender and the veggies should be cooked, but not mushy.  Add salt and pepper if you want more.  You're ready to serve!  And the good news is, the crock pot does most of the work.  All you need is a good slice of crusty bread and maybe a small salad, and you've got a great meal.

I hope you'll venture into some of the cheaper cuts of meat.  Until next time -- I'll see you at the market!

Rain, rain...

Hi there!

It's raining today.  For most parts of the country that wouldn't be big news, except that in all my 25+ years in California, I can't remember it ever raining this much past the end of March!  Unfortunately, it all but closed down the Farmers' Market this morning.  I heard later there were a few booths up - but I didn't see them from my vantage point a block away and headed instead to my local Megamart (thanks, Alton Brown - the word is evocative and generic at the same time!).

I have quite a lot of cooking this weekend.  I'm making some frozen dinners for a friend who is having a baby this month.  And today, I had some friends over for dinner. We had tri-tip and Caesar Salad, as well as a cucumber salad.  Even though they weren't from the Farmers' Market, I thought I'd share the recipes with you.

Caesar Salad (which, for those of you who don't know, is a Mexican - not an Italian - creation)
Halve one head of romaine lettuce.  Take off any wilted or soft outer green leaves.  It has to be romaine for this preparation.

Drizzle olive oil on the cut side of each half to lightly coat (Smear it around with your hands.  It'll make your hands nice and soft!  Now go wash your hands.  I'll wait here.).
Put the halves on a pre-heated grill top, cut side down, and watch them like they were gold bricks.  Check them about every 10-15 seconds by lifting up and checking the undersides.  You're looking for a few dark grill marks; when you see them, take the lettuce off.  That one layer of the romaine will flavor the whole salad.  Chop the halves cross-wise into about 1/2" strips.

Use your favorite Caesar dressing.  Mine is 2 parts extra virgin olive oil to 1 part lemon juice, with one anchovy (rinsed) and one clove of garlic smashed together into a paste and mixed in.  I shake everything up in a jar.  I'm not against the raw egg yolk that is usually part of Caesar dressing, but I don't like to serve it to guests without first asking if it's okay.  I also added some roasted red peppers (available jarred if you don't want to go to the trouble) for color.  Top with some shaved or freshly grated parmesan cheese and serve immediately.  It will wilt really quickly once dressed.

Cucumber Salad
I made this because I put a spicy red curry rub on the tri-tip.  Brendan (one of my guests, along with his wife Cathy) said it "totally changed the complexity of the dish," when he scooped it onto the tri-tip.
You should make this at least an hour ahead so the flavors can combine.
Peel one large cucumber.  If the peel isn't too bitter, you can leave a bit on for color.  To find out if it's too bitter, slice a piece of cucumber off and taste it!
Split the cuke lengthwise and, using a spoon, scrape out all the seeds.
Dice the remaining cucumber and put it into a colander with some kosher salt (maybe a tablespoon) and toss so that all the cucumber is salted.
Let the excess liquid drain off the cucumber for 30-40 minutes.  If you skip this step, your salad will be watery.  Rinse the cucumber and toss in the colander until water stops running out.  It may still drip a bit, but it shouldn't be really wet.  Put the cucumber into a container that has a cover, or a bowl you can cover with cellophane.
Add 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill.  Don't chop the stems, just the grassy part.
In a separate bowl, add 1/4 c. yogurt, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice.  Whisk together and toss with the cucumber and dill.
Finish with some freshly-ground black pepper and chill for 1-2 hours.  It will separate a little, but if you stir it all together, it will be just fine!

The cucumber salad is very good with curries - especially hot ones - it cools things down and helps you get the full flavor of the curry. 

That's all for today - until tomorrow - when I'll be cooking up a storm - I'll see you at the market!

Who needs friends?

Oh wait, I do!

That's why I'm having two really good ones over for Tri-tip (sustainably and humanely raised and locally sourced of course!

Taking suggestions for sides. . .I'm waiting for rhubarb to make a rhubarb pie (it was one of my dad's specialties).  I refuse to pay $5.99/lb. at Whole Foods for something that grew like a weed in our yard when I was growing up.  Btw, my sister told me the rhubarb at her local market hadn't been trimmed properly and there was some of the leaf left on it.  If this happens to you, chop the leaf completely off and take at least 1/2" of the stalk with you - the leaves are toxic.

Well, I'll keep working on the menu and do a little shopping tomorrow . . . 'til next time, I'll see you at the market!

Beans!

Hi there,

Sorry I missed you all last night.  I did make beans; I just didn't feel like writing about them when they were done.

So these were black beans from scratch.  I soaked them overnight, drained off the soaking water, and added about 8 c. of water to a pot with 2 c. of the soaked beans.  Then I put in a ham hock, brought it to a boil, and turned it down to a simmer for about 2 hours, setting the pot lid slightly ajar. If you can get it, adding a couple tablespoons of epazote spice greatly reduces some of the...er...bean side effects later.

At the end of Hour 1, I opened the pot to discover the ham hock had turned an alarming shade of blue, as if I had immersed a Smurf in the pot by accident.  At the 90- minute mark, I threw in some salt, black pepper and two bay leaves.  I hold off salt until near the end because adding it too early makes the beans tough, in some people's opinion.  By 2 hours, the ham hock was just plain black, which was a great improvement, to my way of thinking.

When the ham hock is fork-tender, the beans will be done -- but you shouldn't take my word for it -- check and make sure they're cooked through.  The bigger the beans, the longer they take.  When the hock's done, take it out.  You now have two choices.  You can shred the meat and toss it back in (which I do on the grounds I hate to waste anything).  It's up to you if you want to chop up the rind and include it as well.  But if you taste it, you'll find it's given off most of its flavor to the pot of beans, as was intended, and you can decide to throw it away.  You can serve the beans with or without the cooking liquid, too.  It's nice to sop up the broth with some garlic bread.

I hope you'll take some time to make beans from scratch.  Canned ones are fine, but it's nice to be able to control how much sodium is in there and what other flavors you want to add.  It's also much less expensive.

Until next time, I'll see you at the market!

Potato Salad 2 ways!

OK,

So here are two potato salad recipes you can modify to fit your needs.  For both, cut the potatoes into about 3/4" - 1" cubes and boil them until they are fork-tender and put into the oven at 450 degrees or on the grill for about 10-15 minutes, or until they develop some light brown spots, keeping an eye on them so they don't burn - especially if you have them on the grill.  Then, do this:

Asian Sweet Potato Salad:
I used a cup of diced raw sweet potatoes.

1 T. rice wine vinegar
3 T.  sesame oil
2 t. soy sauce
1/8 t. of Chinese 5-spice and freshly-grated ginger
1 t. sesame seeds.

You can also add in some cilantro or chopped granny smith apples.
Toss the sweet taters in the dressing.  It's best at room temperature.

Potato Salad Puttanesca.

This is  a g-rated website, so all I'll say is Puttanesca was first created by ladies, who, um, worked....late at night...helping men feel better about themselves....

Ahem.  This dish is usually done as a pasta with a tomato-based sauce and a couple of anchovies, but I wanted it to be meatless so you wouldn't have to worry about it going bad at your picnic.

3 c. cooked and roasted, fork-tender potatoes (I used baby white ones from the market, but red or yellow-skinned would work too.)
2 T. red wine vinegar
1/4 c. olive oil
3 cloves roasted garlic
2 t. capers
red pepper flakes to taste
and you might want to add in:  some kalamata olives, some italian parsley, some arugula or asparagus...or even some chopped scallions.  

I hope you have a blessed Memorial Day.  Tomorrow I'll make some black beans as a warm side dish. Until then, I'll see you at the market!!!

Memorial Day Sides

As promised, here are the first two in a series of recipes for Memorial Day side dishes.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!  Because of the number of ingredients, I've formatted them as traditional recipes - don't let that scare you, though - you can make these!

No-cook Carrot Salad

This has a Middle-Eastern inspiration and takes only 30 minutes start to finish.  Since there's no mayonnaise in the dressing, you don't have to worry about leaving it out on the picnic table -- although chilling is always a good thing.  If you make it ahead, add the almonds and parsley right before serving.

1/2 lb. carrots, grated on the box grater - the side with the big holes.  (About 2 c.)
If you can get the beautiful multi-colored carrots (dark red to pale yellow) available in our farmers' markets right now, they make the salad really pretty!
1/2 c. finely chopped parsley
1/4 c. slivered almonds (toasted or raw - your choice)
1/3 c. golden raisins - or Sunmaid has a 3-color raisin blend that is beautiful in this dish.

Toss these together in a bowl.  Now make the dressing:

1/3 c. lemon juice (1 good-sized lemon)
2/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil (time to pull out the good stuff - see "ingredients" tab)
2 t. honey
3/4 t. cumin
1/2 t. coriander
1/2 t. paprika

Whisk together in a bowl.  I added about 1/3 c. plus 1 T. into the salad and put the rest aside for another use.  Serve immediately.  That's it.  No, really...that's it.  The recipe's over now.

Macaroni Salad
This is one of my favorite things in the world to eat. 

2 c. macaroni, cooked according to package directions.  Check them at the shorter end of the time range given; you don't want them too soft or mushy.  Rinse them with cold water and drain
1/3 c. finely chopped celery (about 1/8" pieces)
1/3 c. finely chopped onion (I used red - it looks pretty - use what you like, about 1/8" pieces)
1 hard-boiled egg, diced (about 1/8" pieces)

Now make the dressing; whisk together in a bowl:
1/2 c. mayonnaise (I use a vegan product; use what you like)
1/4 c. lowfat Greek yogurt
pinch of dried mustard powder
1/2 t. dry or 1 t. chopped fresh tarragon

Gently mix the dressing into the salad with a rubber spatula (the kind you use to scrape out a bowl).  Taste; add some salt and pepper to taste.  Chill immediately and serve cold. 

Please enjoy these dishes!  Tomorrow I'll have a roasted potato salad for you with some other goodies.  Oh, and if you've been trying to post responses and having no luck, try again - I changed some of the settings last night and you should be able to post now.

'Til tomorrow, I'll see you at the market!

'Twas the night before Market....

And there's nothing left in the fridge except a bunch of onions and condiments. 

Tomorrow, though, I'm off to the Oldtown Salinas Farmers' Market.  When I get back, it'll be time to make some great sides and salads to go with your Memorial Day cookout.  I'll be making some beans, some homemade macaroni salad (never met a carb I didn't love!), and whatever the market leads me to -- that's the fun of doing this blog for me.  It's like "Iron Chef" in slow motion!  I find the fresh, beautiful Secret Ingredients, and then get all day to come up with something great for you.

That's it for tonight.  'Til tomorrow - I'll see you at the market!

Memorial Day Weekend

Hi there!

While the rest of you will be breaking out your grills this weekend, I am strictly an indoor chef - there's remodeling going on outside and I can't quite get to the grill, let alone fire it up.  Never fear, however, I promise to have some fun salads and sides ready for that barbecue you're planning.

In the meantime, however, I'd like to take a moment to remind us that Monday is not just "the official start of summer" or an excuse for a sale on beach balls.  It's a holiday started after the Civil War, to honor the memories of those who died on both sides.  It was originally called "Decoration Day", after the custom of decorating the graves of the fallen soldiers.

To read more, please visit http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html.  This holiday is different from Veterans' Day, which honors all veterans.  Memorial Day is specifically set aside to honor those men and women who gave their all for their country.

Whatever your political beliefs, I hope (speaking now as a daughter of a veteran and a veteran myself) you'll set aside a few minutes on Monday to remember those folks.  They wanted you to be free and to have a great time; they wanted you to have a safe place to celebrate all the joy that each passing season brings.  My little town of Pine Grove put it all in order when I was a kid by first having a parade and a ceremony on the cemetery, and then a big community chicken barbecue.  So take a moment out, okay? Thanks for listening.

Out to Lunch

Hi there!

Today I had to use up some broccolini.  I worked until 7 p.m., so waiting for dinner wasn't an option. Fortunately, we have a full kitchen at work, so I packed up the broccolini, some shiitake mushrooms, some dry Japanese udon noodles (they cook in less than half the time of Italian pasta), soy sauce, sesame oil and miso.

I always have to laugh when I make broccolini.  It reminds me of the time we were all dining out and my mom ordered it as a side.  She'd never had it and sent it back at least 3 times because it was too hard to chew.  The chef (who had the tallest toque I've ever seen outside of Japan's Kitchen Stadium) finally chopped it up and brought it out himself.  She never ordered it again.

But back to lunch:  I sliced the mushrooms, drizzled them with a little sesame oil and soy sauce, and put them in the microwave for 30 seconds to soften them and let them absorb the flavors.  I added 2 tablespoons of miso to about 3 cups of water and brought it to a boil, then cooked the noodles.  Just when the noodles were almost finished, I added the chopped broccolini.  As soon as it turned emerald green, I spooned the soup into a bowl and stirred in the shiitakes. It took less than 10 minutes and was much better than that salty ramen noodle stuff you get in a styrofoam cup!  (Btw, the styrofoam stuff is $1.00 each in our vending machine.  My bowl of soup cost just a few cents more than that to create.)

I hope this inspires you to do some creative brown-bagging.  Until next time, I'll see you at the market!

While I was out...

Hi!

Sorry I missed you last night.  Sometimes it's nice to have dinner without all of you peering over my shoulder!  But mostly it's really nice having you here.

I ended up having the artichokes with a little lemon juice as a side to the leftover salmon, and the leftover fennel risotto from Friday night - still delicious!  Upon reheating the risotto, I decided if I make it from the Lundberg mix again, I'll only use half of the seasoning packet.  It was a little salty.

Tonight I'm making a small NY strip steak with caramelized onions, a big baked potato, and a side of fresh asparagus.  I'm going to steam the asparagus and then dress it with a little tamari and miso mixed together.  By "a little", I mean about a teaspoon of each, with a drop or two of honey to balance out the saltiness; I'll also add a few drops of sesame oil and rice wine vingar to the mix.  My favorite trick for dressing a baked potato is to mix together some yogurt (low-fat is fine) and horseradish to taste.  It adds a lot of flavor without all the fat.

I know a lot of my cooking ideas are really simple - but as I've said, the secret to good cooking is to start with great ingredients and try not to mess them up too much!  And until next time, I'll see you at the market!

Artichoke Fest!

Hi there,

So my plan for tonight was to make a roasted artichoke and garlic bruschetta.  But what happened instead was that the food took over.  It does that sometimes; don't be scared.  I went for a brisk 10k walk this a.m. in 1 hr. 40 min. (very proud of that) and made my friend/coach Denise a salmon lunch with salad wth miso/tamari/sesame dressing. 

Also, we stopped off at Gold Leaf Spice and Teas -  and we got to taste a whole host of balsamic vinegars and olive oils.  Yum!!!  Get in there soon and get a taste of the future - and get a say in it, too. Please convince Terri that truffle oil's a Good Thing!!!

I put 6 (halved and trimmed of rough outer leaves) baby artichokes in acidulated (that means there's lemon juice in it) water and cooked the water and artichokes together on low on the stovetop for 30 minutes.  Then I chucked it in the oven with an olive-oil drizzle for another 20 minutes, thinking, "Oh, that'll be plentyof time."  I'd already cut the top off a head of garlic, drizzled it with olive oil and wrapped it in foil, putting it into a 425 degree oven, 20 minutes ahead of the artichokes.  So the garlic was in 40 minutes, all together.

After the second 20 minutes in the oven, the garlic was done.  The artichokes, not so much.  I covered the pan with foil and put it back in for another 20 minutes.  So now the baby 'chokes were done, but they wanted to be eaten in stages...leaves, then hearts (which I wanted for the bruschetta).

I stood at the counter and ate as many leaves as I could get down...about 3 'chokes worth -- and put the rest in the fridge with the roasted garlic.  I'll get back to you on how I use all that tomorrow.  In the meantime, I'll see you at the market!!

Fun with Fennel

I would fail as an Iron Chef tonight.  I did not come up with a way to make fennel the star of the show - but it makes a great second banana!   Okay, more like a great second licorice.

I used some Lundberg box-mix risotto (gluten-free).  I can make my own risotto from scratch, with arborio rice, but I find it tedious to mind it while it's cooking.  Nothing but a risotto mix or arborio rice will make this recipe turn out right. Anything else will give you rice with fennel, for no apparent reason.

Whether you're going homemade or boxed, start with 1/2 tablespoon each of butter and olive oil in a pan, over medium heat.  Take out a head of fennel (not seeds or the ground stuff).  Cut it vertically through the center and remove the tough core (it will be obvious to you where the core is; it's solid and often brighter green than the rest of the fennel).  Also, remove any tough outside stems or stalks.  It should taste and feel in your mouth like a lightly-licorice-flavored celery.  Try a bite of it raw as a taste.  It's lovely raw in salads with parmesan cheese.

Slice the fennel very thinly (like an onion).  Put it into the hot fat and toss it around for 3-5 minutes, or until transluscent and/or slightly browned.  Add and cook the risotto according to either package directions or according to your recipe.  This is a brilliant side for chicken, or fish.  Please, enjoy.  Tomorrow, in honor of Castroville's annual artichoke festival (see also Marilyn Monroe), I'll be making some artichoke dishes I hope you'll love!

Oh, and I'm walking a 10k in the morning...just before I'll see you at the market!!!

I Saw What You Froze Last Summer!

Hey all,

As a way to have foods out of season, I cooked/prepped and froze a bunch of them at the end of last summer.  For the next few weeks, I'll be thawing them out and waiting for fresh summer fruits and veggies, and tell you how they came out.

I defrosted 2 things:  A container of caponata (eggplant relish) and a roasted bell pepper/tomato sauce.  I was pleasantly surprised by the caponata (circa September, 2010) - I thought the eggplant would become mushy, but it held its texture very well.  The flavor was not the same as "fresh" - but in some ways it was better.  The flavors had, as the cookbook types say, "married". 

We think nothing happens after we freeze things, but as my dad used to say:  "Freezing doesn't stop the march of time, it just slows it wayyyyyy down."  The caponata tasted more finished - things had melded together.  I cooked up some whole wheat pasta and used the caponata as a sauce.  I just brought it to room temperature - it's not as good hot - then I added the cooked pasta.  It was delightful!

As far as the pepper/tomato sauce, it's not completely thawed yet, so we'll have to wait until Thursday or Friday to see how it is.  Tomorrow night (Thursday) I have a volunteer commitment, so I may not make it here, but I'll DEFINITELY see you Friday for Fun with Fennel. 

In the meantime, I'll see you at the market!

Coming Tomorrow: I Saw What You Froze Last Summer

Hi all!

Tomorrow evening I'll be using the contents of last September's Freezer Mania (program note:  you're supposed to hear a booming, echoing voice when you read that). I froze peppers, tomatoes, eggplant. . .  We'll see how it held up and cooks up.  True confession:  I have a cold tonight and all I want is a can of over-processed, badly-farmed chicken soup.  Instead, I'm having a hot rum toddy.  Okay, not exactly what the doctor ordered, but no chickens were harmed in the making of this cure!

Until tomorrow, I'll see you at the market!

Fish In Foil

Hi there!

Tonight I'm going to give you my "go to" fish prep.  This is guaranteed to work with everything from salmon to red snapper.  If you have parchment paper, you've probably already made "fish in paper" or en papillote.  If you don't happen to have any parchment handy, tear off a piece of aluminum foil about 6-8" long.  Put a little olive oil and/or butter onto the middle of the right side of the foil.  Put the fish on top, add a little more olive oil/butter, and if you like, a spoonful of capers, or some fresh herbs like thyme, tarragon, or dill.  Seal the pouch around the fish and place it in a baking dish (better safe than sorry).  Place in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes for a 1/3 pound piece of fish.

Don't add lemon or acid of any kind until the fish is cooked - it will react with the aluminum in the pouch.  In fact, if you find you like this preparation, it's worth investing in a roll of parchment paper so that you're not cooking in aluminum all the time.  To use the parchment paper, you cut a heart shape big enough to allow a few inches around the fish.  You put the fish on the right side of the heart and fold the left side over it, then start crimping the paper at the point at the bottom, around into the "V" at the top.  From there, the procedure's the same.

I got the fish at the farmer's market, at the California Star Seafood stand (better known as the big white tent with the blue-and-white coolers).  If you're not fortunate enough to have fresh fish readily available, feel free to use the frozen.  Follow the thawing directions on the package and look for fish that are sustainably raised or harvested.  Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch (http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx) is a great resource for wading through those complicated waters (pun entirely intended).

Until next time, I'll see you at the market!