Why I Shop at Farmers Markets

There's a lot of reasons, really. The whole eat local thing, of course. Giving the farmers all of my food dollar instead of processors and retailers, better food ...

But also, food I have never seen before. New things. Every week. Like these, garlic scapes, at left. Softer, greener, garlicky flavor. Nice.

And the greens. I got these from the Thai family that sells at the market. I have no idea what they are. The only explanation I got was, "We cook it with fish. There is no English word for them." Sold. Oh, they were good with fish, too. You can substitute baby bok choy or spinach. If I knew what the greens were, I'd be planting some!

Asian-style Fish with Greens
1 lb. halibut (or other sustainable white fish)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbs. canola oil, divided
3 garlic scapes, or 2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bunch greens, or bok choy

for the sauce:
1 cup miso soup
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tsp. chopped ginger

Place the sauce ingredients in a small sauce pan and heat to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until sauce is reduced and thickened, about 15 minutes.

Heat oven or grill. For oven, 350 degrees. Lightly oil the fish and salt and pepper. Bake for about 20 minutes or until fish is firm, opaque and flakes easily.

Heat the rest of the canola oil in a skillet, medium high. Add the garlic and saute for two minutes. Add the greens and saute just until wilted.

Serve the greens on bottom, fish on top of greens and drizzle on sauce. The sauce is also excellent for stir fry, such as asparagus.

If anyone knows the name of these greens, please tell me!

But Do Kids Eat This?
I've ranted about the idea of "kid's menus" and "kid food" limited to chicken fingers and mac and cheese are a myth before, so no need to go into that here. Did mine eat this? Definitely, and once her serving was finished, she ate most of mine for seconds. You just never know if you don't try.

Even if sometimes you don't want to. Like the evening my spouse and I treated ourselves to a pound of wild caught salmon he smoked on the grill. The kiddo eyed her pork and noodles, pushed it away, and said, "I want THAT!" pointing at our $30-a-pound-once-a-year luxury.

We looked at each other. Should we? I forked over a couple bites.

"I like it!" Kiddo exclaims. Of course she does. Good food really doesn't have an age limit any more than someone telling me I'm too old for an ice cream cone.

A couple tips on giving fish to your child, however, make sure it is one of the more sustainable choices for the environment, and for things like mercury contamination level. You can get a lot of information on this from Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch.

Mushrooms, Peas and Herbs for Spring

Our first CSA box this year held a nice surprise, oyster mushrooms. I decided to take a very light hand with the recipe for these.

1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms
1 medium shallot, diced
1/2 cup fresh shelled peas (or frozen)
1/4 cup tarragon leaves
2 tbs. butter
1 oz. cognac
1 oz. Parmesan (enough to grate over the top of the dish)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cooked linguine

Melt the butter in a skillet. Add the shallot and cook one minute. Add the mushrooms and cook another five minutes. Add the peas. Cook another 2 minutes. Add cognac, let liquid get absorbed, about another minute. Finish with salt, pepper, and the fresh tarragon. Toss with the pasta and grate the cheese over the top.

Happy Memorial Day

Just got back from my favorite race, an 8K that runs through the most beautiful neighborhood in my fair city. More than that, the race benefits brain injury association, and my father was head injured. There's a moment at the start of the race where they introduce the year's honoree and that hard road of recovery. Always get a lump in the throat.

It's also on Memorial Day, and this is a particularly powerful combination since many of the vets returning from Iraq and Middle East have sustained head injuries. Took a moment at the opening prayer and the national anthem to remember the vets.

I would have to say my training regimen is, well, less than strict. We worked on building the perfect margarita last night. If you know me, you know I can only have a couple drinks of hard stuff and I am giddy. Any more, and I am asleep. Yes, I have left my own party before to go lie down. Some host.

BB's Two Drink Maximum Margarita
1.5 oz good tequila
2 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
3/4 oz; agave nectar
1.5 oz. Corona beer
3/4 oz. Triple Sec

Pour ingredients into a shaker with ice. Strain over crushed ice. Makes a tall one. The agave comes from the same cactus used to make the tequila. This replaces simple syrup with something that has more flavor and married well with the tequila. These are tart and not sticky sweet. And strong.

Served this with grilled steak and vegetable salads. The spouse does the grilling.
Grilled Steak Salad
For the rub
1 tsp. Ancho chile powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp. canola oil

1 lb. sirloin steak
mesquite chips, soaked in water
Rub the meat with the oil and spices before grilling. Add the chips over the coals.

Veggies
1 bunch spring onions, with a few inches of green attached
2 tbsp. butter in small pieces
1 oz. tequila (happy onions)
salt and pepper to taste

1-2 red peppers, rubbed with canola oil

1 lb. batch roasted tomatoes
(split tomatoes in half, toss with 1 tbsp. canola oil, 1 tsp. brown sugar, salt and pepper. Roast in 450 degree oven for 10 minutes).

4 cups fresh salad greens
1/2 cup crumbled queso blanco cheese

Dressing, Whisk together
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. ancho chile pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Some assembly required. Okay. The onions get packed in a double layer of foil and go onto the grill for 30 minutes, indirect heat. The red pepper gets a nice sear and some indirect time. Meat gets about 4-6 minutes a side depending on how thick your steak is and how rare you like your meat. The wet chips go on the coals to make some nice smoke.

After the meat rests, slice it thin. Top the greens with the onions, tomatoes and peppers and beef. Drizzle on dessing and top with the queso fresco crumbles.

My Desk Runneth Over

I'm a little behind on my reading list. But here's a sneak peek at the books I am reviewing for my other site work.

Just not enough hours in the day.

Radish Chimichurri

I have to say, I have never loved radishes. I can eat one, bit of salt, but it's not a taste I love. It is an interesting flavor, though. A kind of sharp, spicy that could go well with other tastes. But what?

Always, always, turn to what else is in season. What's growing alongside the radish? Spring. Herbs. Mint. Cilantro.

The idea reminded me of a sauce I had on meat at an Argentinian restaurant — chimchurri. Generally made with parsely, but maybe that tangy bite could work.

It does. Well. Served on grilled flank steak. Enjoy.

Radish Chimichurri
1/2 cup cilantro, packed leaves
1/4 cup parsley, packed leaves
1/4 cup mint, packed leaves
20 small radishes, 1/2-1 inch diameter
4 spring onions, white plus 1 inch of green
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
1/8-1/4 crushed red pepper

Add radish to food processor and pulse, add onions, pulse. Add herbs, drizzle in oil and vinegar with processor running. Blend in salt and red pepper. Desired texture is coarse, not a puree.

Happy Mother's Day!

Hope you are having an easy Sunday.

I'm the last person to give advice on gardening or parenting. But, hey, it's the day, so here goes. I've been out weeding under the watchful gaze of the Buddha rock. He sits in the garden and reminds me about patience. The weeds will always come back and the work I put in only lasts so long. Over time, planting perennials, though, the ugly corner under the trees is taking shape.

What does this have to do with parenting? A few thoughts that came to mind while in the garden. First, it takes constant work. It's a lot easier to keep the garden going if you pay attention to it. Pulling weeds before they take over, when they are just a small problem. Constant work.

I tend to only plant perennials. The first year, they did not look like much. But each year, they grow. I like planting the seeds that will grow for a long time and take on a life of their own.

Finally, the garden is a bit of chaos. Some ivy from under the fence, a present from the neighbor. No planning at all, just placing bulbs here and there where there's an open spot. It would be a master gardener's nightmare. But I like the wildness. I like to let the plants just go. A little wildness makes things stronger.

I'll never be one for bonsai. Keeping a tree tiny and bound is not my approach to gardening or parenting. The beauty of a grown tree, bent against the wind, roots deep, branches reaching for the sky. That's the way it should be.

Let's Have Some Fun

I am tired of the headlines. So, I let my mind wander this morning. It wandered back to past jobs since work is crazy busy. Let's go with it. Not food, but let's have a laugh here.

I never stress over having a "bad" job. And I figure by the time I got here, I've seen enough that not a whole lot is going to surprise me at a desk job anyway. Because my work has been plenty weird over the years, and not just the shark wrangling.

At my first job, I worked at a resthome. We had a little bit of everything schizophrenics, Parkinsons, Alzheimers, and just plain senile. By the tender age of 16, I'd been propositioned by septuagenarians, battled invisible snakes, aborted spontaneous undressing, and queried as to whether or not shaving your head makes the voices go away. The answer is no, just your hair.

The strange trend of nudity and insanity in the work place seems to have marked my early career. Everything from male strippers as models in the studio, to reviewing portfolios and being asked by very attactive men and women both, "Which nude photo of me do you like best?" And getting paid for it. Full. Frontal. Nudity.

This was a common thread for three of my first jobs out of college. But likely the weirdest moment was photographing one of my bosses nude for his wife's birthday.

There is no stranger moment at the office yet, than standing next to your naked boss discussing the lighting. HR managers everywhere are cringing and looking for the number of the legal department at this, I am sure.

Finally, after some detours to saner work wrangling sharks and the like, I landed in a desk job. I don't have to worry as much these days. The only head-shaving is an annual charity event, and so far the only time we've come close to nudity around here is when the kid who works for me got hideously drunk at an office "talent show," ripped off his coat to expose wearing just a pair of "Home of the Whopper" briefs, beat his chest, yelled something drunken, and ran off stage. He won. But it was a close tie with another one doing contortions. I kid you not.

Around here, that makes you a legend. Doesn't get you fired. Or, didn't then. But even those days have mellowed as we gotten larger and more "professional." I have to admit, once in a while, I look across the cube at my coworker and still giggle a bit. He's put up with nine years of me at arms length, poor guy. So far, we've never yet spotted an imaginary snake.

All good. My career must be headed in the right direction.

Dark Days, Waiting for Some Sun

It's gray and raining. The radio is raining bad news and bad things are happening to good people around me. I hate these weeks. It's hard to post about this or that great ingredient. So, I am going to watch it rain.

While the headlines are pouring in, the main one filling my news lists and RSS feeds would be the possible link between a Smithfield Farms CAFO and the swine flu. It's not a huge stretch of the imagination that a giant, open vat of sewage might lead to serious environmental issues, or be a breeding ground for bad bugs. But, so many industrial practices defy basic logic. Even without the pandemic, it's just wrong.

You just can't fool with Mother Nature like this and win. Enough now. Enough looking back. Let's think ahead.

The CDC web site has good information as far as the flu goes.

Stop blaming, think what can we do for the long term? I never like sitting around worrying.

1. Eat less meat, reduce the number of CAFOs. Less demand, less source. We have control.
2. Try to purchase more sustainably produced meat if you can find it and afford it.
3. Write your reps and the president and request that they hold CAFOs responsible for coming up with a cleaner, safer approach instead of the big vat of sewage. It's not too much to ask for, and maybe, if we all pull together, something good can come of this.

Going to sit and wait for the sun to come out now. But if you need some happy, go over and check out the farmer biographies on the Urban Farm Tour site. Great posts about people who are meeting the needs of low income communities, giving our community more diverse culture, and hard-working farmers who are taking care of the land and growing healthy, sustainable food. Good stuff.