Cook Here and Now

San Francisco Farmers Market Watch: June 28th

Buongiorno and hello to Organic Flavor Supreme, my favorite pluot (3/4 plum, 1/4 apricot hybrid), which arrived at the market this week. Tangy, meaty, perfect. I bought 10 pounds of them right away and made jam the same day. I hardly added any sugar, so it's great with bread or savory meat dishes - this stuff is all pluots, all the time, with fruit reduced to about 40% of its original volume.

What I found this week at the San Francisco Alemany Farmers Markets:

You heard it here first: California extra virgin olive oil scented with white truffle essence. The essence comes from Italy, but the oil is produced near Sacramento by Bariani, the family-owned-and-operated company that produces our best olive oil from grand old estate olive trees. The truffle oil is mild enough that it won't overwhelm your dishes, but strong enough to add pervasively savory wow factor to pizzas, pastas, and bruschette. Say ciao to Emanuele from me: I've been buying his oil for 12 years.

Opo is available. This squash is also known as a calabash (not to confuse with calabaza). In Central America, the seeds of the Calabash gourd are toasted and ground with other ingredients (including rice, cinnamon, and allspice) to make the drink horchata. Dried, it makes a great container, so it's also known as "bottle gourd". In Italy, we call it cucuzza.

The first blackberries are appearing on the stands. I made some poached wild-caught salmon last week and ate it with halved berries. Try it: the tangy berries cut through the fatty flavor of the salmon better than lemon, and go so well with California Pinot Noir.

I found these 5' tall Japanese leeks. A bit hard to carry on 2 wheels, but they sure looked beautiful. If you used them, let me know how they were.

Yellow Doll organic watermelon. These have a thin rind and very few seeds and should be very sweet. The one I tried was good but not great, so try them before you buy.

Black Mission figs are available on a few stands. These taste great halved, baked in a 375 degree oven with a small piece of goat cheese, half a walnut and a sprig of rosemary (and maybe a drop of honey?) on top. Man, do I love summer.

Enjoy!
Marco Flavio

San Francisco Farmers Market Watch: June 21st

Buongiorno.
We're having a heat wave (yes!) so or the first time I could ride to the market in a T-shirt. Any of you living in San Francisco know that being on a scooter at 8 AM without multiple layers is tantamount to masochism. Not today. There were abundant treats for those of us who headed to the market before the beach. The ingredients for our dinner tomorrow were well represented -- can't wait to taste what you're making with them!

What I found this week at the San Francisco Alemany and Heart of the City Farmers Markets:

The first good-looking grape tomatoes (see above), small and sweet. That earthy smell and the sight of the sun reflected on their skin were worth sweating in my helmet on the way to the market. It's summer, all right.

Eggplant in all shapes and forms. Anyone making some spreads for my breads?

Take advantage of Ronde de Nice zucchini. They bruise easily so supermarkets rarely carry them, but they're plentiful at the market and perfect for stuffing and baking.

Fresh green garlic can be had for a dollar. I got some to sprinkle on the Walla Walla onion focaccia I'm making.

Very hard-to-find California-grown Montmorency sour cherries. They were pricey (about $5 a pound) but worth it if you're craving cherry pie -- some of you pie lovers asked me to keep an eye out for them. It pays to go to the market frequently, because you never know what will make a cameo appearance.

Deliciously tangy Boysenberries are ready for vanilla ice cream or pie. Hint, hint.

And of course, take some flowers home. Purple irises, anyone?

See you tomorrow.
Enjoy!
Marco Flavio

San Francisco Farmers Market Watch: June 14th

Buongiorno. Since my teenage cousin was visiting us this past week, I've been scheming seasonal dishes that might entice a teenager away from a steady diet (if you can call it that) of Jamba Juice and bagels. My secret ingredient: fresh, flavor-bursting berries. I stirred strawberries and raspberries into a few batches of muffins with organic cornmeal and vanilla beans and trace amounts of sugar, just to have enough food handy at home when teen munchies strike (you parents out there know what I mean). They're more convenient, tasty, and low-sugar than a Jamba Juice smoothie, and without all those dubious "boost" powders (what's in that stuff anyway, crack?)

What I found this week at the San Francisco Alemany Farmers Market:

The new yellow onion crop is here, sweeter than storage onions and ideal for pasta. Make sure you buy them without any green shoots coming over from the top, and keep them in a well ventilated bag. Don't put these in a plastic baggie, or they will spoil. Here are some recipes from Allrecipes and Epicurious.

Wild arugula: so fresh that the flowers haven't even wilted yet. And talk about peppery...
Recipes from Allrecipes and Epicurious.

I found small, sour-tasting grapes about the size of a dime. Apparently they're good for savory dishes, not unlike lime (that's what the farmer said). If you use it, please let me know what you did with it.

Wild cauliflower. This is one of my new favorites these days. I cut it into florets and roast it in the oven with extra-virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme for about 20-25 minutes at 375 degrees. Such a treat, and nothing like the watery cauliflower you may have had as a kid.
If you do boil it, do it briefly, and use this anchovy-based bagna cauda on it. Umami fest!
Here are some other recipes from Allrecipes or Epicurious.

Enjoy!
Marco Flavio

San Francisco Farmers Market Watch: June 7th

Buongiorno. Here in San Francisco peaches and plums are finally showing up, alongside everyone's favorite antioxidants: blueberries (OK, chocolate, red wine, and coffee are right up there). If you ever wondered whether it was worth it to shop at a farmers market, just check out the summer fruit.
Eggplants have also arrived, which means (drumroll, please) vine-ripe heirloom tomatoes are just around the corner. Come on already ... it's been a long, gray, wet winter. Last time I had a fresh tomato was October, and it's not nice to keep a Roman waiting for tomatoes.

What I found this week at the San Francisco Civic Center Farmers Market:

Blueberries (see above). Most people enjoy them with sweet foods, but in Italy we make a sauce that you drizzle atop pork. I found a version online, and if you have The Silver Spoon (the Italian cooking Bible), it's in there as well. Other recipes from Epicurious.

Olallieberries can be found at one or two stands. They're a cross between a blackberry, a loganberry and  a youngberry (never tried that; if you have, please report). The olallie is tangy, juicy, and perfect sprinkled in a whole-grain pancake batter. They complement sweet and savory flavors particularly well.

Yes, of course: Bing cherries. I can't stress it enough.

Organic strawberries are at their peak. This is the time to buy them if you're going to freeze, can or make jam with them. Make sure their shoulders are not light-colored: that means the sugars in the fruit have not developed fully (think of the stem as the neck).

There were quite a few stands with nectarines and white peaches. Not excellent yet, since their season has just begun, but worth a try. The color alone is a sure sign of great things to come.
Remember: Peaches (and strawberries and cherries are not far down the list) regularly take the #1 spot on the list of fruit or vegetables with the most pesticide residue, due to their porous peel. Buy organic!

Golden zucchini spotted with dark green have a bright flavor and keep their color after cooking, so mix them with your regular green zucchini. Remember: zucchini are best purchased small- to medium-sized and firm in texture (think tennis-ball tough). Avoid the larger ones with more seeds and a flabbier, spongier flesh. Try my Risotto cooked in Spumante with summer squash and basil recipe: 'tis the season.

The first eggplants are here. Finally. Here's my primer on them: enjoy!

And, because they're irresistible, just like the weather we're getting: sunflowers.

Enjoy!
Marco Flavio

San Francisco Farmers Market Watch: May 31st

Buongiorno.
Finally a mouth-watering range of berries is showing up on the stands. Combined with the stone fruit that's been making its way onto our plates, it's looking like summer more and more. Can't wait, even if in San Francisco it's perhaps not the most desirable season. More fog anyone?

What I found this week at the San Francisco Alemany Farmers Market:

Organic raspberries (see above). Still a little tart, but add a little vanilla ice cream or toss a few in savory buttermilk pancake batter and you're set.
Recipes from Allrecipes.

Boysenberries are here. A hybrid made from raspberries, blackberries and loganberries, this California berry has a very short growing season and even shorter shelf-life which makes them unavailable in supermarkets: you must use them within three days from purchase or they will spoil.
Still, there's just no end to the pies, cobblers, jams, yogurt and boysenberry ice cream you can make. Get'em while they're here!

The first heirloom tomatoes. Still so-so, but still... look at that sun-drenched yellow.

Right on time, organic red flame grapes. Their season spans from May through November: you have plenty of time to enjoy them. I say indulge in the berries first. Still, if you must make my Roasted Grape Schiacciata, buy organic. Non-organic grapes contain some of the highest levels of pesticide residue (though local ones fare better than imported).

Green beans. You can't resist them when properly dry-braised in a Chinese restaurant.
Care to learn how to? Other recipes from Allrecipes or Epicurious. 

Very mild Montana giant garlic. Pictured here with Dan's very savvy shopper and inventive cook Mia who picked up one for herself.
These are about 4 feet tall and have a delicate lavender flower at the top (no garlic smell). Excellent for decorating the table or as a conversation starter as you log one around the market.

Enjoy!
Marco Flavio

San Francisco Farmers Market Watch: May 24th

Buongiorno.
The farmers market was sparsely attended on this Memorial Day weekend. Maybe the gray, drizzling skies persuaded everyone to stay at home for a few rounds on Guitar Hero in preparation for the release of Guitar Hero World Tour ... good, all the more for the rest of us!

What I found this week at the San Francisco Alemany Farmers Market:

I ran into Colleen as soon as I arrived at the market, and after checking out the weather and fruit options, we decided this was a fine day for a cook-off. Strawberry Smackdown! As a challenge, I picked up six pounds of ripe no-spray Miramonte Farms strawberries for jam. But Colleen was undaunted. She made me six jars of the best one I've ever had; the girl knows what she's doing with pectin. I  (easily) convinced Al to join us for lunch, and made pizza with squash blossoms and anchovies and organic arugula to get us started. Then came the obligatory espresso, and oh yes, the jam...

It all started with a watery, deep scarlet soup...

... and proceeded to develop into a rich maroon, the exact shade of the ink I've been mixing for my series of tree drawings: Rootless. I actually pulled out the color-mixing sheet and compared. The last and final swatch I prepared (bottom right: 11.56 am) is dead on. But every color needs a canvas, right?

So I baked a whole wheat and crushed flaxseed bread to go with the jam. A few lashings of butter, a layer of sublime, still-warm strawberry goodness. As Michelle Shocked sings: "If you want the best jam, you've got to make your own."

And in other fruit news: Finally, good apricots. Not quite the Blenheims we'll be getting in July, but good enough to eat by the handful, bake into excellent pies (thanks, Brian, for that one with the fresh vanilla beans), and make excellent jam -- they're unusually rich in pectin. In Rome, we mostly use 2 jam flavors for crostata: apricots or sour cherry,
Here are some recipes from Allrecipes and Epicurious.

Bitter melon leaves are here for those of us who enjoy that astringent, medicinal bitter flavor.
In the proverbial olden days, a paste made of these fermented leaves was used to cure sore-eyed elephants, so who knows what they can do for you? Here are a few recipe ideas.

My favorite blue organic potatoes are here! These can't wait to be braised. It's simple, quick and very satisfying.

One of the hardest cherries to grow is here: Rainier.
These tend to bruise extremely easy if the wind blows them against each other (very noticeable on the pale skin), burst if the rain has been falling more than day, and mature a day earlier for every day above 90 degrees. On top of that, farmers lose on average 1/3 of the crop to birds who, like us, can't resist their sweet, firm and finely-textured flesh. Enjoy them while they're here.

For the first time, I was able to find fresh Garbanzo beans (chickpeas). I bought a bunch to taste and proceeded to spend about half an hour for a puny yield (half a cup). The flavor was very complex, though: a mix of English peas, fresh parsley and a touch of citrus.

The pods contain a bean each, and make a satisfying pop like bubble wrap.

The total yield from the whole bunch was pathetic (about three times this). Very flavorful, though.

I do have to give it up once again for the wonderful organic beets I'm getting. I prepared a Roman dish that's in the Silver Spoon (the Italian cooking Bible). Here's a great explanation of the recipe. And if you haven't read Sara's blog, do. She's painstakingly going through the book, one recipe at a time.

Last but not least, I wanted to show you (count 'em) six varieties of blooming zucchini that are currently available at the market. Try them all, because the flavors and colors vary. Take advantage of the fact we're in California, dammit! The small ones are so sweet, and if you cook the blossoms the day you buy them, they're still flavorful enough to hold their own atop pasta or pizza.

Enjoy!
Marco Flavio

Marco's Farmers Market Watch: May 17th

Buongiorno -- we had a fantastic event yesterday at the San Francisco Baking Institute: such diverse food and so many new faces! Thanks, Brian, for allowing us to cook there. The brick oven (see above) is simply irreplaceable when it comes to pizza.
It was exceptional to be able to repeat the pizza-themed event six months after our last one and rotate the ingredients so completely. Gone were the mushrooms, squash and potatoes, replaced by zucchini, basil, (some) tomatoes, arugula, pea shoots, fava beans, rapini, paneer, gorgonzola and (yes indeed!) cherries. Can't wait for our June cooking event!

What I found this week at the San Francisco Alemany farmers market:

I know some of you are not particularly fond of them, but organic beets are still around.
At our event someone (forgive me, I can't remember who it was... Margo?) made a crowd-pleasing pizza topped with a layer of roasted yellow beets, mozzarella and balsamic vinegar -- one of my personal favorites. If you buy them with the leaves still attached, you're getting two vegetables for the price of one. Cut those greens off and pair them with seasonal fava beans for a wonderful summer soup.
And if you're not incredibly fond of the taste of the tubers, use them as colorful garnishes on your dishes. Because of their highly-saturated strawberry-red hue, they'll offset any green vegetable.
Other beets recipes from Allrecipes or Epicurious.

Ronde de Nice zucchini are very sweet and so easy to stuff. Try this recipe.

Don't miss squash blossoms: they're hard to find away from farmers markets since they last about a day (they wilt fast). Aside from the classic Roman recipe (stuffed with mozzarella and anchovies and fried) they're also excellent in risottos or pasta. Just stir-fry an onion in olive oil, add 3 anchovies and let them melt. Add 1 pound of blossoms cut in strips (no pistil, please), 1/2 cup of Sauvignon Blanc and let simmer for 12 minutes, until the wine is almost completely evaporated. Boil the pasta and add it to the blossoms. Top with grated parmigiano reggiano to taste. Serve warm.

Yam leaf is available at the market -- a must in many East Asian recipes and delicious stir-fried. As usual, there is confusion between yam and sweet potatoes. These are actually sweet potato leaves (what we call yams in English are actually sweet potatoes; the yam is a completely different vegetable). Try these recipes from Saveur and Rasa Malaysia.

Dulcis in fundo (latin for that which is sweetest is at the end, or, less literally, the best for last): Cherries are plentiful. Go get 'em!
Andrea made us a pizza with cherry compote, sliced strawberries and walnuts at the end of our run last evening. That was the pizza everyone found that extra compartment in their stomachs for ... strange how that happens.

A presto. Enjoy!
Marco Flavio

Marco's Farmers Market Watch: May 3rd

Buongiorno.
I'm finally back in San Francisco and, without hesitation, here's the new Market Watch from the Alemany farmers' market. Thanks for the many requests for it while I was away. Don't worry... here it is.

Many new offerings on the stand that signal the transition away from winter -- yet it's still too soon for stone fruit, except for the few (still uneven) cherries.
There's a myriad of legumes available on the stands. For those of you who shop at the farmers' market, take advantage of the different peas that are now available. Within 3-4 days from their picking they're at their juiciest and sweetest. And don't forget those pea tendrils: a great addition to a light stir-fry. Just wilt them in hot garlic oil and a splash of dry white whine or dry sherry. Spring it is.

Stay tuned: this week the call-for-participation for our event at the San Francisco Baking Institute is going out. The event will be on the 18th (it's also Bay to Breakers, but even runners have to eat... I know I do).

What I found this week:

Organic cherries (see above) are starting to be available. Since many are still rather tart (and rather expensive), try before you buy. And if you can't wait, I can't blame you: they haven't been at the market since mid-July. I missed them too so very much. Recipes from Allrecipes or Epicurious.

Don't be fooled by the appearance of fresh garlic chives, these are not spring onions. Sprinkle them chopped on salads, focaccias, or soups (with a dab of sour cream). Try these recipes from Epicurious.

Finally, favas. The favorite bean of every Roman. Early in the season, when they pods are still small (about 5", and the beans under half-an-inch) they can be eaten without removing the inner skin of each bean. Once they get bigger, in about two weeks, you need to blanch and shell every bean.
A must pair is Roman pecorino cheese with raw beans. A morsel of each.
Try these recipes from Allrecipes or Epicurious.

Sugar snap peas
Some are really good already. Try before you buy.
No need to shell them (but you can) -- just de-string and eat. Stir fry them or eat raw with a nice dressing: the pod is very tender and (hence the name) sweet. Try these recipes from Allrecipes or Epicurious.

English Peas are also readily available. Get them as fresh as possible for that subtle grassy taste of spring. Stir fry them shelled with some white onions and a slice of bacon. The smell in the kitchen alone is worth it.
Recipes from Epicurious and Allrecipes.

Sweet summer Italian basil! I guess everything will be all right after all...
I'll try it for pesto: it tasted promising and was plenty fragrant. 

Marco's Farmers Market Watch: March 15th

Buongiorno.
The market offerings should be rotating soon: spring is just around the corner. The first strawberries are showing up carrying with them the promise of more variety in our fruit bowl (but don't get excited yet, these new strawberries are still rather tart). Kiwis are back in full force (make sure you get the new batch, not the cold storage ones that go soft in a day: just ask your vendor) and (my very favorite) wild arugula is back at the Miramonte Farms stand. Finally.

What I found this week:

Organic red beets (see above). I know they're a winter vegetable, but do try them with some less obvious pairings. Roast them in a 400 degree oven wrapped in aluminum foil until tender enough to slide a fork in them easily. Pull tem out, let them cool off, peel them and slice them in 1/4 inch disks. Top them with Meyer lemon juice, Kalamata olives, salt, pepper and chopped parsley. A wonderful spring salad.
Other beets recipes from Allrecipes or Epicurious.

From Couture Farms (the growers of my favorite asparagus) we now have locally grown pistachios.
Raw and unsalted, they're excellent for cooking. At at $8 a pound shelled, it's quite a deal. Here are some recipes from Allrecipes or Epicurious.

Foodie Loot is a new vendor that recently started selling organic spices and herb mixtures at the Alemany market. Their bags go for 1 to 2 dollars each. Quite remarkable is the selection of sea salts, with the Salish smoked sea salt (it's smoked over red alderwood) being my favorite among the 9(!) offerings. Just a small sprinkle of it adds a wonderfully complex smoked flavor, reminiscent of chipotle. Perfect for wild salmon (if we had any this season).

Sunchokes (they're the root of a sunflower) a.k.a. Jerusalem artichokes.
With the texture and color of a Yukon gold potato (and the appearance of ginger root), they offer a much more complex, sugary, nutty flavor. Great roasted or sautéed.
Recipes from Allrecipes.com or Epicurious.com.

A presto,
Marco Flavio

Marco's Farmers Market Watch: March 1st

Buongiorno.
We finally moved and as of last night we have a proper web connection, so now I'm back to cooking and posting. The market is looking quite good, but since it's still winter, citrus, apples, dark-leaf vegetables and squash are still the star items on the stands. I'm keeping our menus varied this time of year by exploring the different varieties of each apparently similar vegetable or fruit, so now I'm hooked on different lemons: sweet Meyers, and pucker-up Lisbons. Their different flavor profiles will keep your palate from perceiving the season as a one long monotonous meal.

What I found this week:

Phenomenal asparagus from Couture farms (see above). When I skeptically asked the farmer whether they were good yet, she just reached into a small box and offered me a cutting from the stalk. I took her point: they were sweet and fresh, just the right combination of moist and crunchy. I've made a traditional Roman pasta dish of egg fettuccine with fresh ricotta, hot pepper and asparagus 3 times in the last week, and I see no reason to stop making it any time soon. Do yourself a favor and get yourself some.

Choy Sum is one of my favorite Asian vegetables in the cabbage family and it's all over the stands. These have a rich, mustard-like tang and bright yellow flowers that you eat. Stir-fry them with a little black vinegar and some fresh ginger to wake up your tastebuds.

We've had a disastrous (and very delayed) season for Dungeness crab, thanks the various fuel spills in the Bay. The fishermen and women have started bringing these in just 2 weeks ago and they are quite delicious. Recipes from Epicurious.com

Valencia oranges, kumquats, grapefruit and Meyer lemons are in from Bernard Family Ranch in Riverside. Vincent lets his citrus ripen on the tree instead of in cold-storage. It's a technique that yields a much sweeter fruit with a superior flavor profile. The one drawback is that because the fruits are exposed to the weather all year round, they look a bit battered and scarred, which is a big no-no in supermarket marketing. But don't let the looks fool you. This week I bought Valencia oranges and kumquats. I usually write off supermarket Valencias as juice oranges, but these you'll want to peel and eat  -- they're plump and fleshy with a tangy, sweet and slightly floral flavor. Try them Moroccan style for dessert, sliced and sprinkled with a little cinnamon and orange-flower water. If you do turn them into juice, do them justice and add sparkling wine for an amazing mimosa.

The kumquats were also remarkable, with a much less bitter rind and a very floral pulp. I never had them this good. And because we eat kumquats with the rind, we're even more appreciative that Vincent never sprays his citrus with pesticides.

For the first time in the States, I found Lisbon lemons. They're excellent for palate-cleansing sorbets and all kinds of desserts, since they're very tart, yet still strongly lemon-flavored. In Italy we squeeze them on shaved ice as a summer treat -- but with the great weather lately, why wait for summer? Enjoy!