41 posts tagged “farmers market”

The recession is affecting people's ability to feed their families.  This week on Good Food, Michael Flood gives Evan Kleiman a tour of the LA Regional Food Bank.  He explains what kind of safety net exists for Angelenos.  Councilman Jose Huizar has a plan to get untouched food going to waste at city venues, into the hands of people in need.  James McWilliams has some ideas on how to solve the global food crisis.  Pie-a-day continues with the pie goddess herself, Rose Levy Beranbaum.  She shares tips for the flakiest crust.  Luigi Ballerini tells us why some people are calling pasta an "absurd Italian gastronomic religion."  Diwali, the Indian Festival of Lights, is coming up.  Mira Advani Honeycutt knows how to celebrate.  Plus, Jonathan Gold has a restaurant for us to try.  Laura Avery finds lots of apples at the Farmers Market.  And Ryan Farr tempts us with light and airy fried pork rinds.

What is the world's perfect fruit?  For Chip Brantley it's the pluot.  He tells us about how farmers experiment with fruit varieties to create perfection.  Lisa Napoli traveled to Bhutan and tells us about the cuisine of this tiny landlocked kingdom.  Eating local isn't necessarily better, says James McWilliams.  He thinks there are more effective ways to save the planet.  In honor of picky eaters everywhere, Good Food Producer Bob Carlson shares with us how he gets his kids to eat their vegetables.  Joann Cianciulli shares stories from Third and Fairfax.  Russ Parsons cools off with frozen souffles.  Plus, Gustavo Arellano takes us out for a Battleship Taco.  And chef Ani Phyo takes the Pie-a-Day project into the world of raw food.

What role should the FDA have in regulating the safety of our food supply?  Dr. David Kessler, the former head of the FDA shares his thoughts.  Plus, Jonathan Gold stops by with a restaurant suggestion.  This time it’s molecular gastronomy served at a bakery.  And, enjoy some of our incredible premiums while supporting KCRW and Good Food.  Sommelier Stacie Hunt designed two special wine flights of hard-to-come-by bottles for KCRW subscribers.  She has the details.  And, Laura Avery tells us whats fresh at the Farmers Market.

Halawy Dates in the fresh crunchy stage of ripeness.  A very special seasonal treat. Bautista Organic Dates.  Wednesday, Pico, Main Street Santa Monica.

MacArthur Avocado – a rare green-skinned summer avo.  Creamy like a Hass and much, much bigger – see the little Hass in the picture.  Mud Creek Organic Ranch.  Wednesday Santa Monica; Sunday Hollywood

It’s pepper time at Tutti Frutti Organic Farm -  Clockwise from lower left in order of hotness: Red Bell, Anaheim, Poblano, Jalapeno.  Wednesday Santa Monica, Sunday Hollywood

Tiny haricots verts and jaune from Gean Farm (Harry’s Berries)  At $12 per pound they might produce sticker shock, but they are an exquisite treat.  At many local markets

 

Saticoy melons from Harry's Berries.  Orange flesh like a cantaloupe but with much more intense flavor.  At many local markets

 

Pears and apples from Mike Cirone of See Canyon.  They are a sign of summer changing.  Wednesday, Saturday Santa Monica; Sunday Hollywood

 

From Good Food producer, Harriet Ells:

A recent trip to the East Coast brought me to the Wooster Square Farmers Market in New Haven, CT.  It's a charming neighborhood replete with renovated townhouses surrounding a lush park.  Some of my foodie friends had told me that this was the market to go to, that it was the biggest one in town.  While they had everything you could want, including meat, oysters, cheese, greens and wool (!), it was small compared to the cornucopia we have here in L.A.  Here's what I found:

German "extra hardy" garlic.  Garlic in German is der Knoblauch.

These potatoes are just as gritty and earthy as the New Englanders buying them.  

This is the Yale Farm booth, staffed by students and faculty who also work at the farm.  Their blog is great too, but they're on summer break right now.

 

One stall sells honey and even had a hive on display.  The queen was marked with a blue dot.

These guys had coolers full of lamb cuts and sausage.  On either end of the table, they sold blanket, sweaters and yarn from those same sheep now resting in the coolers.  

The Two Guys from Woodbridge are famous for their perfect greens.  They are so perfect in color, shape and size that they look fake.  They are grown hydroponically and are sold with the root ball attached.

It's New England so of course there are clams, oysters and lobsters on sale at the farmers market.

Send us pictures from your local farmers market and we'll post it on the blog.  

Dill flowers for making pickles – and not just from cucumbers.  You can pickle anything from green beans to okra.  Rutiz Farm, Wednesday Santa Monica.

Leek Flowers – the flowering tops of leek plants.  Very decorative, cooking applications obscure.  Windrose Farm, Wednesday Santa Monica.

Sugar Plums (a.k.a. French prune plums) – sweet white flesh inside, can be dried whole but mostly eaten out of hand or baked in tarts.  Kennedy Farm – various LA markets.

Out of this world Saturn peaches from Scott Farm.  White flesh, very low acid (sweet) in a handy shape.  At many farmers’ stands in markets around LA.

Rainbow chard is delicious simply cooked for a summer side dish.  Jaime Farm, Wednesday Santa Monica; at many farmers’ stands in markets around LA.

McGrath Squash – Beautiful summer crookneck squash, perfect for grilling.  Wednesday Santa Monica; Saturday Calabasas, Moorpark, Santa Barbara; Sunday Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Ojai.

The Huffington Post is collecting pictures of Farmers Markets around the country.  There are some beautiful photos, including this one from an Oahu, Hawaii market:

Beautiful heads of young Tat Soi – an Asian spinach-like green from Windrose Farm.  Wednesday Santa Monica

 

Joe Schaner helps out at the family stand at the Wednesday Santa Monica Market.  The Schaners sell a variety of produce including free range eggs, garlic, shallots, citrus and avocados.  Wednesday Santa Monica

 

Gorgeous field flowers from McGrath Family Farm.  Wednesday Santa Monica; Saturday Calabasas, Moorpark, Santa Barbara; Sunday Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Ojai.  McGrath Family Farm sells many greens, veggies and strawberries, and is Certified Organic.

Huckleberry pastry chef extraordinaire Zoe Nathan and Rustic Canyon Executive Chef Evan Funke share a moment at the Wednesday Santa Monica Farmers Market.  Huckleberry is Rustic Canyon’s deliciously creative spinoff – catch the pastry carts rolling back and forth between restaurants – especially around dinner time!

 

Diminutive “champagne grapes” from Scott Farm – so tiny they must be nibbled right off the stem.  They dry into sweet Zante currants – but who can wait that long?  Scott Farm also has Black Emerald and Red Flame grapes, along with many varieties of peaches, plums and nectarines.  Wednesday Santa Monica, Westchester; Saturday Westwood; Sunday Mar Vista

 

Fresh shell beans from Fairview Gardens Farm from Goleta.  Pale green French flageolet and dark purple Cherokee Trail of Tears (shown) along with red and white “tongue of fire” beans can be cooked in twenty minutes.  Fairview Gardens is certified organic and sells a variety of fruits and vegetables.  Wednesday Santa Monica; Saturday Santa Barbara

 

Flora Bella has bales of garbanzo beans.  Flora Bella sells at Wednesday and Saturday Santa Monica, sometimes Sunday Hollywood.

Safa Kasem holds a Lamb Hass avocado at Mud Creek Ranch.  The Lamb Hass is a large, creamy avo – some say even better than a regular Hass … as if!  Wednesday Santa Monica, Sunday Hollywood.

 

Neal Ims in a sea of Sugar Queen melons at Weiser Family Farm.  Melons are in peak season, check out the multiple varieties.  Weiser Family Farm is at many Los Angeles area farmers markets.

 

Jose Gomez, age 9, sells beautiful garden roses grown by Lily’s Eggs in Fillmore.  Lily’s Eggs sells free range chicken and duck (by pre-order) and chicken and quail eggs.  At many Los Angeles area farmers markets.

Javier Espinoza, Chef at AOC, demonstrates his advanced filing system as he loads up on peaches at Regier Farm’s stand.  Regier sells luscious peaches and nectarines in ever-changing varieties at the Wednesday Santa Monica market.

 

Sage Restaurant’s cherry tomato mix, which is carefully prepared by Coastal Farm.  Wednesday, Saturday Santa Monica, Hollywood occasionally

 

007 – Allison Hensley of Peacock Farm holds a hot Hungarian pepper amid a display of baby eggplant and summer squash.  Peacock also has jalapeno peppers, occasional mushrooms and eggplant all summer long.  Wednesday Santa Monica, Thursday Thousand Oaks, Sunday Hollywood.