Buongiorno. I just came back from Italy, and now that the October cooking event is behind us I'm ready to resume the Farmers Market Watch. Some of my favorite fall ingredients are plentiful and ready for culinary action: pomegranates (see above), pears and winter squash. I'll make sure they're prominently featured in our upcoming San Francisco Baking Institute brick-oven pizza fall event.
Also, there are a couple of announcements. For all of you Food & Wine readers around the country who've asked me how to start a Cook Here and Now group in your hometown: stay tuned. The guidelines are about ready. I'll post them after the election, later this week.
Lastly, check out our Foodie Trade section - there are a couple of new things on offer, including a very delicious fromage blanc (if I do say so myself). Now go post some of your own!
Ciao,
Marco Flavio
What I found this week at the San Francisco Heart of the City Farmers Market:
Choy Sum is one of my favorite Asian vegetables, with a rich, mustard-like tang and bright white or yellow flowers that you eat like some kind of ruthless flower-munching monster. Stir-fry these with a little black vinegar and some fresh ginger and devour.
Sweeter than a butternut squash and usually at its best in early fall, Kabocha squash has reached that perfect golden yellow ripeness. You can buy it whole or by the chunk (usually about 2 lbs.). Make sure to get the pieces with the very yellow flesh, because if it's too pale, it will be bland. It's great in pasta and risotto (with parmesan and sage) and a must-use ingredient in Japanese tempura.
Palate-damaging habaneros are still on the stands. Anybody tried to use them in desserts? They're fantastic (in very small doses) with chocolate.
The absolute most flavorful beets and mustard greens I have tasted in the U.S. were available on one stand. The sign said "picked yesterday": no kidding. What a nuanced, spicy, grassy flavor. And about 50" long for $1. You can't go wrong: I'm using these with a fresh mascarpone I'm making to stuff some ravioli later in the week. Can't wait.
Notice how this shopper is looking at the greens' cut stems to assess freshness: that's experience, my friends.
Cabbages of all hues are plentiful this time of year. They look beautiful as a dish decoration, and you can use a leaf as an edible platter. Let's not forget what a nutritional powerhouse they are, especially the red ones. Add them to your favorite okonomiyaki, or make your own coleslaw for that fall favorite: slow-cooked pork. Try these slaw recipes from Allrecipes.
Once again dragon fruit is available. What a rare treat! They're great for winter, since they're so rich in vitamin C, and make the absolutely best center-table conversation piece: they're bubblegum pink and look like strange reptile eggs.
It's officially fall when so many grape varietals are on the stands. Try these crimson seedless in my Roasted-grape schiacciata: they're a perfect match.
Just in time for our pizza event: Anjou pears, the perfect topping for a white pizza sprinkled with mozzarella, gorgonzola and thyme. Slice them with a mandolin, add them raw to the pizza once it's out grating of white pepper.
Make sure to pick pears while still hard, because pears (unlike apples) ripen once picked. Test for ripeness by pressing gently near the stem: if it gives to gentle pressure, it's sweet, juicy and ready to eat. Because pears ripen from the inside out, ripe fruit will give to gentle pressure near the stem. Waiting until pears are soft around the middle may indicate overripeness.
Enjoy!
Marco Flavio
Fantastic food pics!
Posted by: Lily | November 09, 2008 at 04:18 PM
Thank you!
Posted by: Marco Flavio | November 09, 2008 at 04:47 PM