My Farmers’ Market: The Only Shopping I Actually Enjoy

Woke up a wee bit late today and made it to my farmers’ market just in time to grab what I needed for the week.  The upside to arriving late to a farmers’ market is…lower prices.  The farmers are beginning to pack up and want to get rid of as much produce as possible.  They are looking to make deals!  Sweet!

Inside my market tote: Eggplant, heirloom tomatoes, zucchini, rainbow chard, carrots, poblano pepper, peaches, apples, mint, spinach, lettuces, whole wheat sourdough bread

The stand at Boujikian Farms

Some winter squashes are beginning to make their appearance, but by all accounts, it’s still summer in southern California.  Lots of heirloom tomatoes, berries, corn and peaches.  Lovely.

Eggplant for Caponata I plan to make later this week

Here’s the link to my favorite Caponata recipe–It’s incredibly easy.  It just takes a bit of time to chop all the veggies.  I love it paired with grilled bread and fresh mozzarella, as it’s done in this Giada recipe.  Perfect!

Here are some more gorgeous pics of the farm stand produce.  Hopefully it will inspire you to create something delicious and healthy this week.

Purple-speckled Dragon Tongue Beans from Weiser Family Farms.

Michael Pollan would approve.  Go eat some greens!

Now go eat your veggies!

At the Farmers’ Market: Figs

Figs. Delicious, honey-ed, sweet figs.  I love them.  I don’t know what it is about these little guys—perhaps it’s because they remind me of Dutch still-life paintings, or Thanksgiving table centerpieces, or the sun-drenched Mediterranean where they grow in abundance.  While I don’t live in the Mediterranean,  I am lucky enough to live in California, where 98% of the nation’s fresh figs are grown, and Black Mission Figs (my favorite!) are beginning to show themselves at the farmers market.  There are so many ways to enjoy this sweet treat—quarter them and wrap in slices of prosciutto, stuff them with goat cheese and broil in the oven, or just pop them in your mouth.

For breakfast today I decided to top my plain goat’s milk yogurt with figs and strawberries, drizzled with honey.  The tang of the goat’s milk was the perfect complement to the honey-like sweetness of the figs.  Yum!

Here’s some pics of my gorgeous and delicious breakfast—plus some recipes to get you inspired about using figs in the kitchen.

Honey-Drizzled Figs and Strawberries over Goat Milk Yogurt

• Frisée Salad with Prosciutto, Roasted Figs, and Walnuts http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Frisee-Salad-with-Prosciutto-Roasted-Figs-and-Walnuts-105668

• Chicken with Figs in Ras-el-Hanout and Couscous (Try to find organic, pastured chicken, if possible) http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chicken-with-Figs-in-Ras-el-Hanout-and-Couscous-354852

• Pork Loin with Fig and Port Sauce (Look for good quality, all-natural pork, such as Niman Ranch) http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/pork-loin-with-fig-and-port-sauce-recipe/index.html

• Cornmeal and Fig Cake with Pine Nuts http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cornmeal-and-Fig-Cake-with-Pine-Nuts-232103

• Grilled Honey-Orange Figs with Mascarpone and Pistachios http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/grilled-honey-orange-figs-with-mascarpone-and-pistachios-recipe/index.html

Did you know: The fig tree is one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world?   Traces of cultivated fig trees dating to over 11,000 years have been found in several parts of the Mediterranean.

Protein Powerhouse: Tuna and Cannellini Bean Salad

After dying in yoga this morning (thank you, Elizabeth!) I was craving protein.  What I really wanted was a tuna salad sandwich, but with all that mayonnaise and added saturated fat I knew I should eat something a bit lighter and healthier.  Something that would feed my body better.  So, I looked in my cupboard and found a can of cannellini beans and a can of tuna, a classic Italian combination.  Here is the result: Tuna and Cannellini Bean Salad

Ingredients

1- Can of tuna packed in water and drained (I prefer to buy a brand that is MSC certified and pole-caught, such as American Tuna or Wild Planet – better quality tuna and better for the planet, too!)

½ Cup cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 Teaspoon fresh dill, chopped

1 Teaspoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 Tablespoon lemon zest

Juice from half a lemon

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

*Feel free to change the herbs.  I used dill and parsley because that’s what I had on-hand.  But fresh basil would be delicious, too.

 

Tuna and Cannellini Bean Salad with Fresh Spinach

 

Directions

Mix together the drained tuna and cannellini beans.  Add the fresh herbs, lemon zest and juice and mix.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve over a mixed green salad or fresh spinach with lemon vinaigrette.  Drizzle the greens and tuna with a little extra olive oil.  Enjoy!

 

So Good!

 

 

 

Rustic Asparagus Tart with Caramelized Leeks and Prosciutto

Rustic Asparagus Tart with Caramelized Leeks and Prosciutto

Store-bought puff pastry is a staple in my freezer and comes in wonderfully handy when you need to whip up something quick and impressive.  Its delicate crunch and rich, buttery flavor make this quick tart both sophisticated and casual.  It would be delicious served with a fruity Riesling.

Total Time: approximately 1 hour

Ingredients

1 sheet store-bought puff pastry

1 lb. asparagus, woody ends removed, chopped diagonally to ¾ inch pieces

2 small leeks, cleaned and roughly chopped

¼ c. Gruyere cheese, grated

2 slices of thinly sliced Italian prosciutto, torn into small, bite size pieces

1 Tbsp. fresh thyme

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

First, defrost puff pastry according to package instructions.  Roll pastry out to roughly

9 x 9 inches.  Using a paring knife, carefully score a 3/4-inch border around the edge of the pastry, creating an edge that will puff up when baked.  Be careful not to cut completely through the pastry.  Pierce the bottom of the pastry with a fork to keep it from rising in the oven.

With a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add asparagus, stirring occasionally.  Once slightly browned and caramelized (approximately 5 minutes) add leeks, stirring occasionally.  Add thyme and season with kosher salt and pepper.  Continue to stir occasionally.  Once leeks are softened and caramelized turn off heat.

Tear prosciutto into smaller, bite size pieces.  Do not try to make everything perfect; this is an earthly and free-form tart.  It should look homemade.

Pour asparagus and leek mixture into pastry base and sprinkle with the Gruyere cheese.  Finally, lay the torn prosciutto pieces over the top of the tart.

Bake in the oven until pastry has risen and is lightly golden in color, approximately 45 minutes.  Cut into four pieces and serve with a mesclun salad.