I AM A Gardener - Yes, We Have No Tomatoes

August…sun…heat…TOMATOES!

If you are of Italian heritage, of course you have an “orto” (kitchen garden), and of course you grow vegetables, and of course one of those vegetables is the tomato.  Looking back over the years, my life story is "peppered" with tomato memories.

My dad was the gardener in our family and he took great pride in his tomatoes.  

My dad, circa 1958 - Isn't he proud!!

They often did not make it into the kitchen.  He would pick the tomato, wash it off with the garden hose, and hand it to me like an apple. “Here, take a bite of THIS!”  And I would…bite deeply into the red flesh, feeling the juices still warm from the sun, running down my chin.  

We often ate tomato sandwiches.  Bread, a little mayo, sliced tomatoes, sliced onion and a piece of lettuce.  Who needed baloney when you had ripe tomatoes?  

And the excess harvest?  Well a whole day was devoted to canning in the basement and its aroma would permeate the entire house.  Tomatoes were peeled, simmered with some seasoning, placed in sterile canning jars and stored for the winter months.

When I was a young mother and we bought our first house, one fine day in May my dad arrived at my house with a shovel, some fertilizer and tomato plants.  He spent the afternoon digging a small garden against the back wall where he planted my tomatoes.  There…now the house was complete.  I tended them as I was taught but it was Dad I called if I ever saw a fat juicy tomato worm!

One of the many advantages of living at Palos Verdes Shores community is the opportunity to have a plot in our community garden.  Though I have to endure the local wildlife of birds, squirrels, gophers and raccoons competing for the harvest, it still affords me the pleasure of growing tomatoes.  

My solar activate sonic gopher repellent that seems to be working!

Gino and Jessie love to go down to the garden to “help” me.  

"I can help you, Mima! Let me do it!"

This year we purchased 7 plants from Laurel's Heirloom Tomato Plants in Lomita.

Jay does the dig and carry!

All planted!

 I have spent the last few weeks reaping what I have sown!  

Just one day's pickings!

Some ripening on the window sill.

In addition to making some favorite seasonal recipes and freezing fresh sauce for winter months I have had the joy of sharing some of the bounty with neighbors and grounds keepers.

Ahhh - gazpacho!

Fresh tomato salad.

Both sets of grandparents had “orto”s so it is very natural for me to follow suit.  They didn’t spend time worrying about a lovely manicured lawn.  To them, it made no sense to spend your time, money and energy in growing something you could not eat!   

It is only now, in my golden years, that I am beginning to grow something other than vegetables and I take delight in watching the Monarch butterflies circling my glorious milkweed bushes. 

My milkweed in full bloom.

A visiting Monarch butterfly.

Gino looks for caterpillars every time he comes over!  I hope this one sticks around long enough for him to see it!

And...a monarch caterpillar that we are praying makes it into a cocoon.

And the cycle of life continues.....

I Am A Chef Instructor - Teaching Nik To Cook

Some sounds we say are “music to my ears.”  It could be the sound of a child’s unrestrained laughter, the sound of a distant train, the words “you were right!”  The other day during a phone call from my oldest grandson, Nikolas, I heard words that were music to my ears as an Italian grandmother.  Nik called to tell me he like to come for a short visit to see me but there was something else.  “Mima, could you teach me how to cook?” he asked.  Time stopped….I heard a choir of angels…my heart lifted…could I teach him to cook?  There is little else that I can think of that I would enjoy more teaching him (unless it was how to knit) than cooking!

I never had daughters to pass my recipes on to, to help me peel the potatoes, to learn how to knead the pasta dough as I did with my mother.  Yet, all of my sons are very good cooks.  It seems that the Italian cooking gene in Nikolas was waking up and he was wanting to learn my secrets of the kitchen. Oh, happy day!

We spent the early part of the day just talking about cooking and he had a slew of questions.  "What does it mean to sauté something?  How do you know when to take the scrambled egg off the flame?  What does low flame mean, how can you recognize it. "  He had a notebook and he took copious notes.  One question led to another and I even surprised myself with my answers.  I didn’t realize I knew as much about the art of cooking as I do!

We planned our dinner.  For our first foray into the kitchen we were going to prepare chicken breasts three different ways and potatoes two ways.  We started with basics of how to prepare cutlets, how to bread and season, how to brown, to sauté aromatics, to caramelize onions and to deglaze a pan.  

Making the Marsala Sauce

In the end we enjoyed Chicken Parmagiano, Chicken Piccata and Chicken Marsala with Buttered Potatoes and Oven Roasted Potatoes.

Carrying two of the entrees to the table.

As we ate, we talked about recipes we can try on future days.  I looked at this young man and I remembered the little boy I used to rock to sleep. 

Nikolas 2 years old

I felt such a pride in the man he has become. He has grown into his own person.  He is intelligent, considerate, focused, loyal, and funny!   He is man enough to wear an apron and wield a pair of tongs.  I felt a little envy of the young women in his life who will benefit from his new culinary talents!  And I felt a deep gratitude for his presence in my life, his connection to me and the memories he continues to give me.  

Nikolas, I love you!  Thank you for the fantastic day and the fantastic memory! 

Mario Batalli…watch out!

I Am A Culinary Historian - Exploring Food of Morocco

Los Angeles is a great place to be!  Yesterday we were able to take advantage of just one more opportunity to learn and grow - thanks to the Culinary Historians of Southern California, based in Los Angeles.  Who knew there were Culinary Historians!  We stumbled onto this group a couple of years ago when our "radar" noticed a blip in a local paper that mentioned: lecture...free...Los Angeles...Central Library...food...cooking...Steve Sando...Rancho Gordo Beans...all terms we continually scan for!  That lecture was the first of many we would attend.  The Culinary Historians were founded in 1995 as an affiliate of the Public Library for library patrons who "sought an intellectual as well as gastronomic approach to food, but not at the expense of taking themselves too seriously that they would forget to have fun!"  Through lectures and dining events they learn about food history, trends and social implications of what and how we eat.

When I saw that this month's speaker was Paula Wolfert I was especially intrigued.  I was familiar with Paula, a well-known cookbook author who specializes in the food, culture and history of the Mediterranean and especially the country of Morocco.

In the past I have used her recipes for greens and grains and explored cooking in clay pottery, but I did not know much about the actual cuisine of Morocco.  Not only did we attend the lecture, but we signed up for a "members only" Algerian dinner that same evening held at a local Algerian restaurant in Culver City, Cafe Livre, where Paula would also be a guest.

The lecture was fascinating.  It is so much fun to listen to someone speak on a topic that comes from her heart and with a depth of knowledge that comes from 40 years of traveling and writing thoughout the Mediterranean and results in words so eager to be expressed that you cannot take notes fast enough!  She made me want to sit on the floor with a family of Berbers and share the tagine of food, offering tidbits to others with the three fingers of my right hand and saving the eyeball for the honored guest!

Paula Wolfert being interviewed by Nancy Zaslavsky

The dinner in the evening was great fun.  Not only did we get to eat the Algerian cuisine but each dish was described by the owner/chef, Farid Zadi, who explained its history and preparation.

Chef Zadi explaining his dishes to us.

We had five courses that we with shared with spoons, not fingers.  Salads, hummus, soup, lamb shank,  Merquez sausage, and a tagine of vegetables with chicken, beef and lamb.  What I was most impressed with was the couscous.

Authentic couscous!!

Couscous is a fairly new dish for me. I knew it was from the Mediterranean region and was even often prepared in my beloved Sicily, but it is not a part of my family's culinary history. The only couscous I have prepared and eaten comes from a box of instant couscous from Trader Joe's, prepared and ready in 5 minutes.  Well, the difference between that and Chef Zadi's couscous was the difference between Chef Boyardee canned ravioli and my mother's homemade!  Who knew that couscous so could be so delicious!!  Of course he explained that it is steamed 3 times...from 45 minutes to an hour each time.  Its preparation is not for the faint-hearted.

That evening I could not help thinking about the world.  How amazing that I could eat Moroccan food in Los Angeles, that I could buy couscous at Trader Joe's.  As the world grows smaller, we become more alike and what is at risk is the loss of all that makes us unique.  So I guess it falls to those of us who remember to capture the traditions, the stories, the songs, the recipes; to preserve them so that those who follow us can know the roots and the people on whose shoulders we stand.  So, I rejoice that I am a historian...a keeper of the memories, the recipes, the stories and the traditions of my family.  It is a privilege to be able to look to the past while walking into the future.

Bottom line, we enjoyed our evening, making new friends at our table and getting to interact on a personal level with our guest of honor.

Will I ever attempt to make couscous traditionally?  Chi sa, who knows!. Will I ever go eat Chef Zadi's couscous at Cafe Livre?  Absolutely!

I Am A Chef - A Spring Menu

Karina, this one's for you!  When I started my blog, in August 2010, I was writing for myself...to capture snippets of my life that gave meaning to my existence.  But as with all blogs, it soon developed a life of its own and sometimes I feel like the radio disk jockeys that I used to listen to when I was in high school saying to their audience..."And this next request comes to us from Karen, in Kalamazoo..."

Saturday, Karina mentioned to me, "You have not posted any recipes for a while...I am waiting for the next one."  Since last night's dinner was especially enjoyable, I am going to capture it in today's blog.

Yesterday was a glorious Spring day in Southern California.  The sun was shining when we woke up, the hummingbirds were in abundance as I watered and tended to my vegetables in the garden, the air was refreshing as we sipped a drink on the front porch...so as I peered into the refrigerator and pantry I was looking to carry that feeling to the dinner table.  Here is what we enjoyed:

Dry-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with sliced Cherokee Black Heirloom Tomato, Arugula and slivered Parmigiano Cheese

Last week I read of this wonderful rub on Robin's blog, The Gardener of Eden.  Robin lives in Pennsylvania and we have become virtual friends through blogging.  Her husband, "The Italian" makes huge quantities of this rub and uses it on pork and fish.  Go to the blog here for the recipe.

Here is how I prepared the pork:
Pat the tenderloin dry and work the Rub over all sides of it, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 2 hours. (You can refrigerate it overnight.)
When ready to cook, preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Heat some olive oil in a large skillet, saute a little minced garlic in oil.
Seared the tenderloin on all sides until it dark and crispy.
Place in a baking dish or leave in the skillet if the skillet can go into the hot oven.
Roast in oven for about 20 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
Remove and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
Arrange on plate with fresh arugula (from my garden) and sliced tomatoes (Farmer's Market).
Using a potato peeler, peel off cheese from large hunk onto arugula.

While the pork is roasting, prepare the Lemon Spaghetti:

Meyer's Lemon trees are gifting the world with lemons right now.  Last week I came home to find that my little neighbor, Sophie aged 11, left a bag full on my porch.  Nothing says Spring more than Lemon Spaghetti.

While pasta water is coming to a boil, saute one large or two small shallots in some olive oil until it is soft and transparent.
Add a couple of ladles of pasta water to the shallots and let it simmer gently for a couple of minutes. Turn off heat.
Just before the pasta is ready, turn heat on under the shallot mixture, add 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice to it.
Bring back to slow simmer and add 1/4 cup of heavy cream and about 2 Tablespoons of fresh lemon zest.
When spaghetti is al dente, drain and add to the lemon cream mixture right in the skillet and mix it in until it is completely covered.
Let it cook a minute of two in the sauce and it will begin to absorb the liquid and not be soupy. Listen carefully and you will hear the sound of the drier spaghetti.
Drizzle 2 Tablespoons of Olive oil and work it in so the spaghetti "smiles!"
Remove from heat and add 1/2 cup of grated cheese, ground black pepper and 2 T. finely sliced fresh basil leaves.
Serve with additional cheese.

Earlier that day I had prepared some Roasted Bell Peppers that I served as the side dish...the "contorni!"

Using colorful peppers (red, yellow, orange or green) I roast them on top of my gas stove until they are blacked on all surfaces.
Place in a brown paper bag and let them cool and steam.
Remove from bag and work off the char with your hands, removing the stems and seed core.  Do not use water on the peppers...it takes away the flavor.
Tear pepper into slices.
In a little bowl combine 6 anchovy fillets that you have chopped finely  (This disappears into the dish and adds a subtle complex flavor) with 1 T Olive oil and about 3 T of capers and about 1/4 cup of pitted black Italian olives chopped (you can use any olive but I prefer some dried olives we get at a local Italian deli.)
Mix into the peppers using your hands to coat complete.
Serve at room temperature with a crusty Italian bread.

We enjoyed this meal and it was not that complicated to prepare.  After eating, as Jay and I sat sipping the last of a nice Italian wine, we commented to each other that even though our seasons in Southern California are subtle, we do feel the natural rhythms of the year and this meal felt like Spring!

Buon Appetito!

 

I Am A Reader - Aftertaste: A Novel in Five Courses

I am a reader.  Since childhood, nothing has given me greater pleasure that being caught up in a book.  I read all types of books ranging from fiction to the backs of cereal boxes. I especially enjoy a book that invites me to either share time with a character that comes to feel like a new best friend, allows me to share a part of someone's life that has brought new growth or a new awareness, challenges me to try to see life from a different perspective, leaves me with a desire to try something new.

The description of the book Aftertaste: A Novel in Five Courses by Meredith Mileti, was a natural pull for me. It was about a chef, her restaurant, food, relationship and love!  It was divided into 5 courses, and just as an Italian meal tempts you to want to eat more with its "antipasti," begins to comfort you with its "primi," then satisfies you with its "secondi," adds a little extra with its "contorni," and provides a delicious ending with its "dolci," so did this story begin, develop and end...leaving me satisfied.

The connecting force in all the dynamics of the plot is Mirabella Rinaldi, a young chef and new mother who is trying to deal with the various blows that befall her while life is in session...her unfaithful husband, the loss of her beloved restaurant, her return to her childhood home, the changing roles of mainstay persons in her life.  It is understandable if she is thrown off course as she tries to manage her emotions.  She lives her life the way she cooks.  She is passionate...diving in and immersing herself in her family, her friends, her cooking and her anger.  It is hard for her to restrain her emotions; this is her blessing and her curse.

I connected with Mira.  It could be her interests that seem to echo mine...her love of food, cooking, pulling together tastes, giving and nurturing those who matter to you by feeding them. It could be her personality and values.  It could even be her surname...Rinaldi...which is my own maiden name.  Whatever the reasons, I found myself understanding her and rooting for her as the story progressed.

The pace of the story also held me...smooth and conversational.  Unless a story has the right pace, I tend to become impatient, skimming lines to move it along.  In this case, I read every word.

I remember getting recipes from my Italian grandmothers. One frustration was often the lack of exact measurements of ingredients.  Instead of teaspoon and tablespoon would be the letters "q.b."  Salt...q.b.; water...q.b.; flour...q.b.  Q.B. stands for ""Quanto Basta" (when it is enough); something that is sensed...you just know it.  Mira cooked her life this way...she knew when it was enough: when it was enough with her ex-husband, when it was enough in her reaction to her father's new lady friend, when it was enough of New York.  Not a bad way to cook a life.

Bottom line, I recommend this novel.  In the final pages are some recipes I am eager to try.  The book left me with an aftertaste...for more by Meredith Mileti!

I Am A Nurturer - Feeding the Heart and the Body

"Time flies when you are having fun!"  It also flies when you are immersed in problems and life's issues.  I cannot believe I have not posted anything since January 16th.  I admit to trying to collect some thoughts and put fingers to keyboard, but all that came forth sounded pathetic and I couldn't stand to hear myself whine.

Dare I say that maybe things are beginning to settle down?  My mother has returned home from the Skilled Nursing Center.  We have created a simple, probably fragile, support system around her composed of family, friends, and Medicare Home Health personnel.  The refrigerator is stocked, the pills are sorted and labeled, the medical equipment set up.  While mom is still quite weak, she is able to do more for herself and most of all, she is where she wants to be...home.

Mom talking to her sister, Joan, reading the paper and petting Noel...HOME!

Today it is raining and there is a chill in the air and the most nurturing thing I could think of doing is making a pot of soup!  There is something about the smell of simmering soup that says "you can relax, you can settle in, you are safe."  There is something about the chopping and dicing of vegetables retrieved from your garden that is meditative.  It is an activity that allows you to feel some sense of control in a world that may seem to have gone haywire!  It is what I turn to when I am sick...or anxious.   A couple of years ago, my favorite store, Trader Joe's, carried a package of Spelt with Red and Green Bell Peppers.

The discontinued product!!

I loved it and used it as a base for a soup.  Of course, as with anything I love from Trader Joe's, they decided to stop carrying it.   But I was crafty enough to anticipate such a happening and I purchased a case of it that I have protected like the family jewels, using occasionally when my heart and my stomach need nurturing.  This particular soup nurtures my heart because it transport me back to my "motherland,"  Italy!  One bite and I am sitting in a small country home in Umbria, with the smell of bread toasting on an open fireplace grill.

The Umbrian home we visited on an OAT trip in 2004

I feel safe and embraced by my heritage.  Spelt is a ancient grain of certain wheat species. It is sometimes  called Farro, and was the standard ration to feed the Roman Legions in Italy long ago.  Experts debate whether farro and spelt are the same thing but in any case they are very similar. It is sold dry and some packages recommend soaking overnight. Using this package from TJ's, I do not soak it, but cook it directly. I like it to have a firm bite to it.

Minestrone Con Farro Soup

Here is my recipe for Minestrone Con Farro:

Ingredients:
2 cans cannellini beans
1 1/2 cups of farro/spelt
5 cups of water or broth
4 T olive oil
1 onion chopped
2 links Italian sausage (optional)
2 cloves garlic chopped
4 fresh sage leaves
3 carrots thinly sliced
3 celery stalks chopped
2 T tomato paste mixed in 1 cup of water
3 cups Kale, Savoy Cabbage or Swiss Chard chopped (my favorite green is Cavelo Nero Kale)
1 piece about 2 inches in size of the heel of a piece of hard Italian cheese (like parmagiano)  This IS the secret ingredient that give the soup a fantastic flavor!

Directions:
1. Bring liquid to boil, add spelt/farro, bring to a simmer and cook until the grains are tender but still slightly firm.  With the farro I use, this takes about 20 minutes.

2. In a large skillet, saute onion, sausage, celery and sage in the live oil until it begins to caramelize. Add carrots, celery tomato paste and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Add vegetables, Kale, and beans to the farro and cook for 15 minutes more stirring occasionally.  If needed to keep the soupy consistency add boiling water.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Drizzle with olive oil and serve with grated cheese....and a glass of vino rosso!!!

Buon appetito a tutti!!

I Am A Discerning Eater - Enjoying Real Food

About three years ago I began my journey to learn more about the food that graces my plate.  Where did it come from? How did it get to me? What processing has it gone through? How does it impact health and nature?  The journey began by watching a documentary, King Corn, and it was furthered by reading such books as Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan, and Food Politics by Marion Nestle.  What I learned was double-sided...it was new in that I was totally unaware of the changes in the food industry and the processing of foods and yet it was old in that it reminded me of the way I ate as a child, my grandparents' gardens, Italian salads, vegetables, greens, tomato sauce made on the stove and vegetables canned in the basement.

As my knowledge grew, I found my habits changing.  I began to grow some of my own food, I began to shop at the Farmers Markets, I began to question the amount of animal protein that I prepared and where I purchased it.  I also found my tastes changing.  I began to crave....Real Food.

There is much in the media today about "real food"...food that is a product of nature rather than a product of industry.  Real food is food that nourishes:  the consumers, the producers, the earth and the communities.  This week I discovered a very interesting chart on the blog Cyber-cise that attempts to define real food.   So as I look forward to the coming week, I feel my salivary glands begin to perk up...what shall we eat this week? 

First thing this morning, the sun was shining and we headed out to the Santa Monica's Sunday Farmers Market.  It is a cozy well-attended market and I am always excited about something new I might discover.

Jay feels the food vendors should also be supported so he had a little snack while listening to a local band perform.

I hit the produce section.  

 Smith's Farms has beautiful organic veggies and just a little way down is Harry's Berry's with their succulent strawberries.  Last week we attended a panel discussion with Farmers and Local chefs and we learned that the Farmers Markets nourish the farmers by providing a niche for their produce.  They are not big enough to compete with large commercial distribution so they appreciate the markets and we appreciate them!  My interesting find for the day...celery root.  I have never prepared celery root before and the farmer said he didn't know how to cook it either...he had grown it by mistake, thinking it was celery.  The plants look similar when they are little. So now he is selling it at his stand and people are buying it. :-) 

Tuscan kale and celery root!

So far on my mental menu for the coming week I have some of the items we purchased this morning.  Of course, roasted peppers...they are still in season; a sausage/bean soup with the rainbow swiss chard I found there; some braised Tuscan kale and something with the celery root. 

Then with the beautiful Meyers lemons (right off the tree) that we received from friends, Al and Marilyn, a roasted lemon chicken, some lemon bars and maybe a Lemon Olive Oil cake.

Of course we still eat some processed food...after all, most of the dry pasta I regularly prepare was processed someplace, usually in "la bella Italia."  But I do read labels, I do try to avoid anything with long list of chemical sounding ingredients, and I definitely do not buy "food-like substances" that are simply the creation of food chemists in a laboratory. I follow Michael Pollan's advice to "Eat food,.... not too much and mostly plants."

Buon Appetito!!

I Am A Chef - Enjoying Roasted Peppers

I have so many wonderful memories of my maternal grandmother, Frances Rosso Montalto. She was a fantastic woman, a woman ahead of her times.  The oldest daughter in her family, her parents arranged her marriage at age 16 to my grandfather, ending any dreams she had of furthering her education and becoming a teacher. Yet when she was 54 she went back to school and became a licensed practical nurse, working at St. Joseph's Hospital in Lorain, Ohio in the tonsillectomy ward and later at local nursing homes caring for the elderly who were actually younger than she.  She lived to be 91 years old.  I hope I have been gifted with her genes. I know I have been gifted by her in many other ways.

Frances Rosso Montalto - 1963

She passed on to me so many of her interests and skills.  Like the joy of creating things with my hands when she taught me to crochet at a very young age and I crocheted edging on handkerchiefs.  Like the love of gardening when she taught me to always pinch off the deadhead of a flower so the energy would go into new growth for the plant.  Like the creative art of cooking when she taught me to cook my first recipe... Italian caponata.  Like how to laugh and have fun, when she taught me how to say tongue twisters...her favorite being:

 Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked,
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
How many pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick?

I think of this and of her whenever I see, prepare or eat peppers.

So she has been on my mind often these days as we are in pepper season in Southern California.  The glorious colors of the peppers at the Farmers Market are so hard to resist.

I have prepared them many ways but this year my recipe of choice has been Roasted Peppers. 

I only recently began to roast peppers and I went to my fount of knowledge when I am trying to learn a new skill...Youtube...to discover the best way to do so.  I have a gas stove so I opted to roast them right on top of the gas jets.

Once they are completely blackened, I toss them in a paper bag to steam and release the skin.  When they have cooled it is very easy to remove the blackened skin and the seeds.

I prefer to them tear them along their natural lines into thin slices.  Next I blend a few anchovy fillets in about 1/4 cup of olive oil and toss the pepper slices in the oil.  Then I layer the peppers with thin slices of garlic, some fresh oregano leaves and about 2 Tablespoons of capers, some salt and pepper and let them just sit for a while at room temperature to marry the flavors.

Looking at them gracing this lovely Italian ceramic plate recalls the many restaurants in Italy where we were fortunate to enjoy their various antipasti.  Last night I served these with our dinner.  My son, Joe, stopped by on his way home to San Diego from Lompoc to pick up his dog...yes, we dog-sit! So he ate with us and put these peppers on slices of toasted Italian bread as a pepper burschetta.  I have also served them with some Burrata Cheese as a salad.  Then today we joined some friends for a walk along the bluffs and pier in Redondo Beach and I made roasted pepper sandwiches for our picnic lunch.  So simple and so delizioso! 

Grazie, Grandma...you were with me every step of the way!

I Am A Traveler - Visiting An Argentinian Market!

Los Angeles is a very diverse place.  Driving into specific neighborhoods I feel like I am in another country.  In a matter of minutes I can be in Little Korea, Little India, Little Ethiopia or Little Croatia.  Today I felt like a foreign traveler, when on the way home from one of our Omnilore classes, we stopped at El Gaucho Meat Market on Inglewood Ave. in Lawndale.

It is advertised as an Argentinian Meat Market and it has one of those dying breeds...a real, live butcher who will actually cut your meat for you. There are unique cuts of meat for body parts I have not yet been adventurous enough to try! Think Sweetbreads, Heart, Tripe.

Just stepping inside this store I am transported to South America.  The sounds that fill my ears are music and language. The smells are exotic to my California senses.  I love wandering up and down the aisles and looking at products unique to Argentinian Cuisine.  However, I also find familiar items.  Many Italian immigrants emigrated to Argentina so it not unusual to find the instant polenta here that I use to bread my chicken cutlets, as well as other items, like frozen gnocchi, that remind me of my roots.

When I think of Argentina, I think of gauchos, steak, TANGO!  One item I always buy here is their skirt steak marinated in a spicy mixture with onions and beer!  And then to go with the steak, a nice hearty Malbec wine.

It was near noon so we treated ourselves to an empanada taste test at their little deli...one beef, one chicken and one spinach.  The spinach won and Jay had a hard time sharing it with me.

I hope he can find his sunglasses!  What a nice respite...a little mini-vacation in a foreign land that did not require going through airport security.  Now all we need to totally transport us to Buenos Aires is a tango dance floor!

I Am A Shopper - The Mar Vista Farmers' Market

One of the perks of living in southern California is that it is possible to find a Farmers' Market within a five mile radius of our home, every day of the week.  Today, after reading an article in a recent LA Times, we decided to check out the Mar Vista Farmers' Market just off Venice Blvd.  Three streets are blocked off and filled with stalls selling produce, fruit, flowers, nuts as well as prepared foods.

Mar Vista Farmers' Market

While you might think a Farmers' Market by any other name is still a Farmers' Market, each one has it's own flavor and vibe.  Some of the unique aspects of Mar Vista is a special service they provide to dog owners.  Since dogs are not permitted in the market area itself, one stall at the entrance is set up for "dog watching"....a safe friendly place where you can park your pet while you shop.  The volunteers work for tips only and it is even possible to arrange to have your pooch walked in the nearby neighborhood while you shop.  I also heard there is a bike valet there for bikers who have no place to safely park their bikes, but I did not see it.

Park Your Pet!

It is not unusual to see a local politician pressing the flesh like Janice Hahn, who is running for our newly vacated Congressional seat.

We have our regular routine.  Start in one spot walking up and down the front of the stalls to get a feel for what is in season this week and what the prices are.  Then we retrace our steps to make purchases.  It is days like this that I wish I were a talented painter...to capture the colors and vibrancy of all the items on display.

Tomatoes are beginning to show up and we decided to purchase two kinds for a taste test later:  an heirloom Purple Cherokee and a Shady Lady Hydroponically grown.  Homeboy Industries Bakery had a stall also and we bought a loaf of rye bread with currants that looked wonderful.

Homeboy Bakery

Citrus abounded and we bought Cara Cara and Navel oranges, two lush lemons and some Blood Oranges for an Olive Oil and Orange cake recipe I want to try.

This is the perfect time for strawberries.  The farmers come in from the Oxnard fields and the berries are so deliciously sweet.  They are smaller than the strawberries on steroids that you can find throughout the year...you know the ones...huge, dry and often with big white shoulders.  These smaller gems are red clear through and are lush and succulent.  I got a three pack of the wonderful Caramosa variety and we are having them with some sparkling wine before dinner.

What we bought...see the two types of tomatoes!

Jay's job is to keep track of me and to carry the produce bag.  His reward after the shopping is done is a treat...today we bought two taco's from Larry's Grill.

There is good news and bad news to Farmers' Markets.  I feel like breaking into song with the words..."How ya gonna keep them in the "supermarket" after they've seen the "Farmers' Market."  The good news is that the produce is so ready to be eaten, so prime, so seasonal that it leads to the bad news...I find myself dissatisfied with produce at the major grocery stores and will go without before I will settle for the produce that is lacking in taste and texture.

We appreciate the relationship that exists between the farmers and the "city folk."  Last year we attended a Panel discussion in Santa Monica where various farmers talked about their farms.  We realized that the Farmers' Markets provide an niche marketplace for the farmers who wants to make a living growing produce but are too small to compete in the large distribution chains.  So they pack up their goods in the wee hours of the mornings and set out to the city.  Here is a delightful video, worth the 7 minutes to watch, about A Tale of Two Carrots that was recently posted to the SlowFoodLA website:

A Tale of Two Carrots from Sustainca on Vimeo.

So I raise my eyes and glass in gratitude that I live in the "land of fruits and nuts...and vegetables!" Salute!