Sunday Shopping

As we were walking towards the Hollywood Farmers Market this morning, I asked Larry to make sure I did not buy any melons. We still have 2 small ones and half a watermelon in the fridge from last week's unrestrained melon purchasing.

It's tough not to buy melons when there are so many beautiful ones at the market, but with Larry's help I resisted. Here's what we came home with:

8 yukon gold potatoes, 1 red onion, kale, 2 roma tomatoes, 2 early girl tomatoes, 6 corn, 3 small avocados, 2 pink lady apples, 9 oranges, cherry tomatoes, shisito peppers, Elberta peaches, 3 nectarines, 2 yellow peaches, feta, eggs, 1 green pepper, broccoli, little gem lettuce

Lemons

There was a lemon tree in our backyard when we moved in. We don't know what variety it is, only that it produces lots of flavorful lemons.

Sometimes, it grows an extra-large lemon, like the one on the right. The fruit will have thicker peel and pith than a regular lemon, but will have the same bright tart flavor we enjoy.

Most of its lemons are normal size, like the one on the left which looks just like the regular Eureka lemons you can buy at a grocery store.

And others from this tree are more globe-like, like the one in the middle which fell to the ground this morning.

All from the same tree. Nature really does deplore uniformity. Good thing I do too.

Morning Fruit

This week we've been eating a lot of melon in our morning fruit. Here is a mixture of pink grapefruit, green melon, white melon, watermelon and some tiny peaches.

Organic Celery

When I see organic celery at the Hollywood Farmers Market, I always grab a bunch.

Celery is one of the vegetables which contains heavy pesticide residue if not grown organically. There are months of the year I don't use celery because it disappears from the organic stalls at the market.

When I get a bunch home, I cut the leaves off so they don't draw juiciness from the stalks. Usually I add the leaves to the compost heap. I never feel bad about composting organic vegetables — my own vegetable garden appreciates the food.

However the other day I tried something new. I rinsed and dried the leaves, double-bagged them, and threw them in the freezer. I'll use them straight from the freezer in soups and stews. They'll add the celery flavor — a slight bitterness — although not the texture of the celery stalks.

And when I make vegetable stock this week, I'll use some of the frozen leaves in place of the precious stalks of celery I usually add.

Risotto with Kale

Arborio rice, white wine, rich vegetable stock — risotto is a simple supper that requires good ingredients and a little patience. Served with a crisp salad, it's a lovely meal to linger over on these long summer evenings.

The other night I added shredded lacinato kale to the risotto. It added a slight kale flavor and lovely deep flecks of green.

It's hard to make risotto for 2 people. I always make extra and serve the leftovers the next day as risotto patties (squashed together like burgers — with a beaten egg if the rice falls apart too much— covered in bread crumbs, and fried in a little olive oil).

The key, of course, is a good stock. I recommend making your own. I have a couple of recipes on this blog. You can find them here and here.

Risotto with Kale
3 1/2 cups vegetable stock — I used 1 1/2 cups of my best roasted vegetable stock and 2 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
1 bunch lacinato kale (also called dinosaur or Tuscan kale or cavolo nero)
1 1/4 cups chopped onion
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup grated parmesan

Bring the stock and 3 1/2 cups water to a boil in a large pot. (This will be a total of 7 cups of liquid.) Add a sprinkle of salt. Cut the thick stems from the kale and throw the leaves into the boiling stock. Simmer it until tender, about 5 minutes. Lift out the kale, squeeze it well, and let it cool. Chop it coarsely.

Keep the pot of stock simmering gently, covered.

Cook the onion in the olive oil and 1 tbsp butter over low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Raise heat to moderate and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, one minute. Then add the rice and cook, stirring, until all the grains are coated with the oil.

Stir in the wine and let the risotto simmer a couple of minutes while the rice absorbs the wine. Then start adding the simmering stock, stirring in about 1/2 cup at a time, letting the rice simmer gently as it absorbs the liquid. Don't stir so much the grains of rice become pasty. Let it simmer and keep an eye on it, stirring in more liquid as needed. You might not use all the stock. The rice should be creamy-looking but still al dente. This will take under 20 minutes.

Stir in the kale, parmesan, and remaining tablespoon of butter. Let it all heat through, then season with salt and lots of pepper. Add more broth if necessary to thin it.

Serve in heated shallow bowls.

Serves 4

Sunday Shopping

It was overcast at the Hollywood Farmers Market this morning, but boy was it ever crowded. I left 3 knives with Russ to sharpen as we power-shopped. We bought a watermelon at our first stop. Melon season is good for the arm muscles. And the Koda Farms stand was there, so 5 lbs of their heirloom organic brown rice went into our shopping bags. A few melons and pomelos later we were ready to stagger to the car.

This is the organic produce that weighed us down:
corn on the cob, eggs, romaine lettuce, avocados, pomelos, early girl tomatoes, yukon gold potatoes, watermelon, white nectarines, yellow onions, pink lady apples, spaghetti squash, cantaloupe, white Japanese melon, pia solis melon, tiny peaches, brown rice 

Black Rice Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

We have a lovely little Meyer lemon tree that was covered with lemons this spring. They last well, so we're still enjoying the crop.

They have a more floral aroma than a regular lemon, which makes them well-suited to desserts and ice cream. But because we don't eat a lot of sweets, I experiment with using them in savory dishes. The other day I used them in a vinaigrette for this black rice salad that I served with chilled asparagus on the side. Their lightly floral yet tangy flavor really boosted the salad in a way plain lemon juice wouldn't.

I used black rice in the salad because I like to mix up the nutrients we get from our food. Brown rice, black rice and red rice all have different kinds of carotenoids and other vitamins. I think our bodies appreciate the diversity.

Plus, black rice always gets a reaction from its color alone. The cherry tomatoes and green beans really popped against it. I buy organic black rice from Lotus Foods at my local independent grocery store.

The walnuts added an earthy crunch and the Meyer lemon added a floral tone. A regular lemon could be substituted and the salad would still be good. (And it would probably be good with brown rice instead of black, but it wouldn't be as pretty!)

Black Rice Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
1 cup black rice
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup Meyer lemon juice
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp slivered red onion
3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cups green beans cut in 1 inch pieces

Cook rice according to packet instructions until tender, about 35-40 minutes. Drain it well and let it cool.

Lightly toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, watching closely. When they smell good, take them from the pan, let them cool a little, then chop coarsely.

Whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar and olive oil. Season with salt to taste.

Put all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss gently. Season to taste.

Serves 6 as a main course. The leftovers are good the next day too.

Chilled Tamari Asparagus

Asparagus grows almost year-round in nearby Lompoc, and we eat it often. While it is great simply steamed and served with butter and lemon, it's also a great addition to stir-fries. Thinking of this recently, I decided to dress cooked asparagus with an Asian-inspired vinaigrette and serve it as a cold vegetable side to a salad of black rice and meyer lemon vinaigrette.

They looked really pretty on the plate together (much better than in my photographs!) and the asparagus was extra tasty.

Chilled Tamari Asparagus
1 lb asparagus, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 tbsp tamari
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp grated ginger root
1/4 tsp ground cumin

Cook the asparagus in a small amount of boiling water until tender-crisp, about 4 minutes. Drain well, pat dry, and put in a large bowl. Whisk together the tamari, vegetable oil, vinegar, ginger root and cumin. Pour over the asparagus and gently toss to coat. Chill at least one hour. Drain before serving.

Serves 3-4

Tomato and Avocado Salad

Tomatoes and avocado go surprisingly well together.

The other day I diced an avocado and two tomatoes and served them with some vinaigrette I had left over from the tomato and arugula salad I served when Tracie was visiting.

It was a great side salad to a meal of beans and rice.

Oftentimes, simple is best.

Padron Chiles

We bought some padron chiles from Finley Farm last week, and I served them up as appetizers in the same way I do shisito peppers.

I fried them in a cast-iron skillet until they were browned in places. (I didn't add olive oil this time, although sometimes I do.) Then I tipped them onto a plate and Larry sprinkled them with lemon juice and fleur de sel.

I expected them to be slightly spicy, with the occasional really hot one. That's part of the fun of eating them.

This batch, however, were all spicy!

It was an invigorating appetizer, but we didn't eat many of them. I saved the leftovers to make a Thai curry with coconut milk to tame them a little.

Breakfast Fruit

Our current morning fruit is nectarines and pomelos. Yum.

Sunday Shopping

There are times of the year when the sky in LA looks like a non-sky. It's not blue, it's not cloudy — it's a weird grey-ish background to the bright green palm trees. It's most obvious during June gloom, but it was still there today on our drive to the Hollywood Farmers Market — almost ominous in its non-existence.

Fortunately there were no zombies and very few clubbers and homeless people on Cahuenga, maybe because it was already way too hot at 7:40 in the morning. Our shopping experience was sweaty but quick. We bought pupusas for a quick breakfast at home.

Here's a list of the organic produce we brought home:
cremini mushrooms, corn, cherry tomatoes, romaine lettuce, cucumber, zucchini, avocado, pluots, peaches, plums, sundowner apples, tomatoes, eggs, shisito peppers, baby artichokes, carrots, oranges, grapefruit, and 4 muskmelons. 

Yes, 4 muskmelons. Because you can never have too many melons in the summertime.

Warm Fruit Shortcake

I've learned that you can't have Fourth of July without shortcake. Over the years I've made various shortcakes, but this is the one I like the best. It's thin and slightly crisp, which contrasts well with the soft whipped cream and fruit.

Warming the fruit on the barbecue makes it excellent. I warmed a white nectarine and some of our homegrown blueberries with a little butter, sugar and lemon juice in an enameled cast iron skillet on the barbecue. Then I carried the skillet inside (to get away from the noise and smoke).

We cut the thin shortcakes in half, poured some fruit and juice on the bottom layer, slathered on cream (previously whipped with a little icing sugar and vanilla), and topped with the other shortcake half.

We enjoyed the warm fruit, crisp biscuits and luscious whipped cream while watching the never-ending fireworks show through our windows.

Shortcakes
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 stick butter
scant 1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup turbinado (or raw) sugar

Preheat oven to 425°F.

In the food processor, pulse flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add diced butter and pulse to a coarse meal. Add whipping cream and process until dough holds together when you squeeze it with your hand.

Tip the dough onto a floured board. Press it together and roll into a 1/2 inch rectangle. It will be crumbly. Cut in four pieces. Carefully transfer to a cookie sheet. Brush the tops with a little whipping cream and sprinkle with a little sugar.

Bake 15 minutes until golden brown. Cool on rack.

Serves 4

Potato Salad with Pickles

Usually when we barbecue I make my standard potato salad — cooked potatoes with a buttermilk dressing and a roasted poblano for zing.

But this Fourth of July, I tried something a little different. I found a jar of bread and butter pickles in our fridge and decided to add them to the potato salad. These weren't just any old pickles — I made them last year when our zucchinis were out of control.

I had planted seeds of an heirloom zucchini called Trombetta di Albenga from Renee's Garden Seeds. It's a vining zucchini plant that likes to grow up into trees. The zucchini then grow stealthily down among the branches. Fortunately, they are still tender even when they're three feet long.

Needless to say, I gave away a lot of zucchini. People still talk about the zucchini I gifted. And yet, we still had way more than two people can eat. I diced, blanched and froze. And then I made bread and butter pickles.

I am once again growing Trombetta di Albenga. (Really, they are the most entertaining vegetable plants I have ever grown.) They are not flowering yet, but I know what is coming. Emptying a jar of pickles into the potato salad seemed like a prudent move.

And I have to say that the potato salad tasted really good. It was slightly grey from the pickle juice I added to the dressing, but it was yummy. (I would have added a lot of colorful parsley if the birds hadn't eaten it all.) The potatoes were German butterballs from Flora Bella — the first time I've used them in potato salad and they tasted nicely creamy and held their shape well.

It's a good thing I'm growing more zucchini so we'll be able to replenish our pickle supply. This potato salad is one we'll want to make again.

Potato Salad with Pickles

1 1/2 lbs German butterball potatoes (or other waxy potatoes)

2 eggs

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tbsp juice from the pickle jar

2 tsp dijon

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup kefir or buttermilk or yogurt

6-8 radishes, diced

1/2 cup chopped bread and butter pickles

Peel the potatoes and cut in quarters (about 1 inch pieces). Put in a pot, cover with cold water and a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Bring a small pan of salted water to the boil. Pierce a small hole in each egg with a safety pin. Lower into the boiling water, stirring so the eggs rotate a few times after entry. Cover and let simmer 10 minutes. Drain and cover with cold water. When cool, peel the eggs and separate the whites from the yolks. Chop the whites and add them to the bowl with the potatoes.

Put the cooked egg yolks in a blender with the vinegar, pickle juice and dijon. Whir together. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the oil, then the kefir. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour most of the dressing over the potatoes and egg whites. Toss to combine. Add the radishes and pickles. Toss again and season to taste.

Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Serves 4-6

Trombetta zucchini.

Fourth of July Burger

Portabello mushroom burger with all the
fixings: grilled red onion, tomato, Irish
 cheddar and dijon mustard.

We had a great cook-out on Fourth of July. Larry barbecued corn and burgers — mine was a portabello mushroom — and we ate potato salad and black beans too.

Then we headed inside to eat dessert (shortcakes with nectarines and homegrown blueberries warmed on the grill) away from the smoke of the ceaseless fireworks. Why 2017 Fourth of July has to feel like a battleground is a little lost on this Canadian, but I really enjoyed the food.

Fourth of July Celebrations

Fourth of July corn — cooked on the barbecue,
not incinerated by a rogue firework.

The Fourth of July is a noisy experience here in the 'hood. The fireworks started in April and have been gathering steam daily. Since the Alhambra fireworks' stands opened in mid-June, the daily and nightly explosions have multiplied.

When we first moved here, the loud daytime bangs made us jump. I didn't know that some fireworks are just loud booms that people set off during daylight hours. By the time the Fourth occurred, we could barely eat from the stress of unexpected explosions.

Now, many years later, we rarely jump. And we're able to eat our Fourth of July cookout. But we make sure to have finished dinner by 7 p.m. That's when we move inside with dessert, close the windows, put on the air conditioning, and "enjoy" many hours of fireworks through our living room windows.

This year, when we went to bed at 10:30 p.m., the show was still going on.

Did I mention that fireworks are illegal in the city of Los Angeles?

Red Pepper Hummus

It's too hot to eat a lot at dinner time, but we do need protein to go with the salads and corn on the cob that are the mainstay of summer eating.

Hummus is a versatile protein source that keeps fresh in the fridge for a week or so. It can be scooped up with pita or crudités. When thinned with water, olive oil and lemon juice it can be used to dress sturdy salads of romaine or cabbage.

I have a go-to hummus recipe you can find here. Add more garlic, lemon juice or salt to taste, and be aware that it makes a large amount.

The other day I decided to try something different.

I pulled a roasted red pepper from the freezer, cooked 1/3 cup of chickpeas until very tender, and whirled them together in the food processor. I added a little lemon juice, salt and pepper, scooped it into a bowl and sprinkled small basil leaves on top.

It made a light colorful hummus that we spread on whole wheat sourdough flatbreads. I think calling it hummus is a misnomer because it has no tahini or garlic. But Larry recoils when I call something bean dip. Maybe chickpea-red pepper spread would be a better name.

Red lentil sprouts

Homegrown sprouts are great sources of vitamins, minerals and enzymes. I buy many kinds of organic sprouting seeds from Mountain Rose Herbs. A variety of food provides a diversity of nutrients, which I think is important to keep our bodies functioning well.

I'm currently sprouting red lentils. These are packed with protein and will add a yummy crunch to our salads this week.

Sunday Shopping

For some reason it was extra-crowded at the Hollywood Farmers Market this morning. We arrived 20 minutes before opening as we usually do, and the aisles were already swarming with shoppers.

Of course, summer is a fine time for fresh produce. The stalls were piled high with eggplants, zucchini and stone fruit. It was hard to choose, so I bought a little of everything. We will be eating well this week.

Here's a list of the organic produce we bought this week: 1 mini watermelon, 3 tomatoes, 1 cucumber, basil, 1 zucchini, 6 shiitake mushrooms, 1 sweet white onion, 1 red onion, 2 yellow onions, 2 white nectarines, 1 chechon garlic, 2 burgundy plums, a few donut peaches, 1 muskmelon, a few german butterball potatoes, eggs, 2 green plums, feta, 2 sundowner apples, 6 corn, 2 yellow peaches, celery, 1 portabello for my Fourth of July burger, padron chiles, 2 haas avocados, 3 grapefruit, a colorful selection of cherry tomatoes

Kefir Whey (Making Kefir part 3 of 3)

Draining the kefir to make it thicker gives the added benefit of separating out the whey.

Do you buy whey powder to add to your smoothies and protein shakes? Well the whey from kefir is the same as that, only fresher and still alive, so therefore I would assume better.

Whey protein is one of the best protein sources there is, and some research suggests it can help reduce risk factors for neuro-degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. It contains amino acids that are easily absorbed by the digestive tract.

More importantly, it's rich in the precursors for N-acetylcholine (NAC). NAC is an immune-boosting amino acid complex that helps the body make glutathione, an antioxidant enzyme that is vital in protecting all the cell membranes in your body from free-radical damage. NAC also chelates mercury and other toxic heavy metals from the body.

Look at that whey, a by-product of making yummy kefir, and be thoroughly impressed by its health benefits.

Larry puts it into smoothies. I just drink it straight. It's tangy but not really flavored. And I imagine how happy it is making all the cells of my body.

It is so cool to be making power foods in my kitchen!