fish

Miss Sushi is back at the Pacific Beach Tuesday Farmers’ Market, combining the best local seafood with farm fresh produce in traditional and innovative sushi and sashimi plates; try a California roll with real Pacific stone crab, a spicy Hot Kiss roll or one of her vegetarian creations like her sweet fruit roll using market fruits.

She also has fresh filets and seafood to take home; pick up sea scallops and try this recipe using fresh pasta from Lisko Imports and homemade pesto using fresh basil, or bake a yellowtail filet with heirloom tomatoes and fresh fennel from Suzie’s Farm.

If you prefer your fish served hot and ready to eat, check out Chip’s Beach Eatz for seabass tacos or their fantastic fish and crab-wich. Seafood’s better by the beach but it’s the best at the Pacific Beach Tuesday Farmers’ Market!

Summer isn't the only time to take advantage of sweet fruits. If you're hankering for the bright burst of sweet grapes, you can still find plenty of gorgeous bunches at the Pacific Beach Tuesday Farmers' Market. And we won't leave your bunches hanging without recipes either. Slice a ciabatta from Belen Bakery for breakfast and top each half with a handful of sliced grapes from Smit Orchards and chopped fennel from Suzie's Farm. Top with crumbled goat feta from Nicolau Farms and bake until the grapes get juicy and reduce in size and the cheese melts and browns a bit.

Adding grapes to your lunch salad makes things sweet and crunchy! Pick up a pomegranate from Lone Oak Ranch and a few navel oranges from Paradise Valley Ranch. Toss together with fresh grapes, a dash of lime, and a few fresh mint leaves from JR Organics. Choose a piece of  local halibut or tuna from Miss Sushi, sear it slightly and serve alongside the salad. 

When you've had your fill of fresh grapes, find your fix by cooking with raisins! Smit Orchards and Lone Oak Ranch both have organic raisin varieties to add to your favorite cookies, salads, or breakfast cereals. Doesn't it all sound grape?

LIGHTEN UP!
We all know that Thanksgiving is about taking time to acknowledge gratitude for family and friends, the relative comfort and safety we live in, and our many other blessings. Just looking around the Little Italy Mercato makes us thankful for harvest abundance.

So why does the holiday so often seem tied to gluttony? If you've overeaten this week, you're not alone. But it's simple to tip the scales back by lightening up for the next few days. Visiting relatives are probably tired of hanging around your house by now, not that that's bothering you. So a trip to the farmers' market on Saturday will be a great way to get some fresh air, enjoy the live music and the charms of Little Italy, and shop for the ingredients to get your eating back on track.

Pick up a jug of Green Fix and sip a fresh green smoothie for breakfast. Use those turkey leftovers to make a Cobb Salad for lunch, with hard-boiled farm fresh eggs and avocado from Paradise Valley Ranch on a bed of leafy greens and tomatoes from JR Organics and a light and creamy dressing made with Springhill farms quark. Grill a piece of Poppa's Fresh Fish for dinner, with some steamed baby potatoes from Sage Mountain Farm and new cauliflower from Suzie's Farm or broccoli from Suncoast Farms. See? All back in balance.

Did you know that fennel actually grows wild in San Diego? A weed, but a treasure none the less, this rootvegetable will capture your heart over and over again as you fall in love with new recipes. Find bulbs and fronds of friendly fennel and more this week as you shop at the Little Italy Mercato.

Raw fennel tastes like the love child of celery and licorice. Roasting, however, brings out complex flavors and satiates our cravings for warm, tender food now with winter's return. Select a few stalks from Suzie's or Vang Farm this week and simply chop the bulb into quarters, then coat the pieces with a healthy dose of oil. We recommend trying avocado oil from Marion's or even a fine balsamic vinegar and oil from Gianni's Fine Foods. Toss with salt and pepper and roast in the oven until the outsides begin to crisp, leaving the insides warm and tender. Also, try roasting fingerling potatoes from Polito Farms with a bit of fennel seeds sprinkled on top for a sweet infusion.

For a flashier meal- experiment with this Yellowtail & Fennel Crudo recipe from Chef Brian Sinnot- An elegant, yet simple dish with fresh fennel, pomegranate seeds, and mint. Sift through the ruby round pomegranates at Lone Oak Ranch or Heritage Family Farms. Grab a bunch of mint from Schaner's, toss everything together and serve fresh. 

GO FISH!

Seafood makes the perfect dish for the perfect summer we've having in San Diego, and we have your cool fresh fish right here at the Pacific Beach Tueday Farmers' Market. The warm Santa Ana winds have greeted us, turning our afternoons into balmy, never ending dreams. If you're making your way to the cool blue water in Pacific Beach next Tuesday, stop by the market and pick up a tub of ceviche from one of our newest vendors - La Isle Ceviche. They offer a bright blend of summer's best flavors - onion, salt, and pepper, along with cilantro, fresh fish or shrimp marinated in citrus juices spiced with hot chili peppers and homemade pico de gallo salsa.

This dish is definitely a favorite of local beach-goers, from the shores of Central and South America where this dish originates, to the picture perfect coasts of Southern California. Buy it here, or pick up a fresh piece of yellowtail or halibut from Miss Sushi at the market, a few limes from Paradise Valley Ranch and fresh farm vegetables to make your own. All you need to add is a cold sparkling lemonade from Rose's Italian Soda, a crispy tostada, a few fresh slices of soft avocado from John Gilruth's stand, and maybe a sweet ear of summer corn from Kawano Farms to roast over an open bonfire. Who knew a fish dish could bring so many beautiful things together? 

Greens come in all shapes and sizes. Some are sweet and tender, others are grassy, assertive and toothsome. Some varieties grow wild and other can be found in most any garden or on farms. Personally, I'm a huge fan of all these greens; haven't met one I didn't like yet. Which is why, strolling through the Mercato last weekend I was surprised by a wild and tangled pile of mystery greens. Surprised not just because it was stuck in the middle of all the citrus at Polito Family Farms, but also I'd never heard of it. Agretti, the sign read, "little sour one".

And here's what I found out from the man who grows it himself: It's an Italian green, typically grown in the salt marshes around the Adriatic, but it will thrive in any salty environment. Highly prized by chefs , agretti's crisp and tender little leaves look like an underwater marine plant and when eaten raw the taste is reminiscent of sour grass - a little acidic, grassy and naturally salty. With a similar nutritional content to that of spinach, you can use it almost the same way. And like spinach when it's sauteed or blanched, the flavors mellow a bit and a squeeze of lemon really perks things up. Actually, as it was explained to me, the squeeze of lemon is imperative.

Last night, after stripping the tender leaves away from the thicker stems, I sauteed a couple of handfuls of agretti in a bit of olive oil and minced garlic for a few minutes, just until it wilted a bit but still retained some bite. I took it off the heat, squeezed the juice from one quarter of a lemon over the top and transferred it onto a plate. I then did a quick pan roast of a snapper fillet from Poppa's Fresh Fish - nothing but a little salt and pepper - and laid the fish over the agretti. One last quick squeeze of lemon over the top and dinner was served. Bright and lively, this was an excellent pairing of the agretti and fish. Thanks goes to Bob at Polito and Mark at Poppa's for the expert tutelage.

I hardly put a dent in the bunch, so I've still got some experimenting to do. Pesto is at the top of my list, but maybe you have some other tasty suggestions?

FRESH AND DIRECT

The days are getting longer and we can think of no better way to spend those extra daylight hours than shopping and strolling the North Park Farmers' Market. Come join your neighbors as they mingle with chefs, farmers and purveyors. Frenchie's Crepes and Salvadorean Pupusas are the perfect stop for an exciting after work meal when you're too tired to cook. Do like the local chefs do and create your own market pasta with help from Lisko Imports and a saute of the latest veggies from R&L Farms, maybe some grilled and sliced chicken from Da La Ranch too? Poppa's got your fresh fish for tacos, perfect when kicked up with a dollop of chipotle Bitchin' Sauce. Grab some strawberries from JR Organics, oranges from Paradise Valley and apples from Smit Orchards to make a simple fruit salad. Come and enjoy the fresh air, sunshine and endless possibilities!

GRILLING AND GLOATING

The Chargers won't be playing in the Superbowl Sunday, but football fans (and everyone else) in San Diego can take consolation in the fact that fans in Green Bay and Pittsburgh probably aren't planning a backyard barbecue to feed their friends on the day of the big game.  With an additional six to twelve inches of sunshine expected this week, get ready to fire up the grill on Sunday and fill it with local meats and fish from the Adams Avenue Farmers' Market.

DaLe Ranch has grass fed tri-tip roasts, cage free chickens and a great assortment of sausages including spicy andoullie, sweet Italian and smoked Polish.  Locally made pickles from Happy Pantry make the perfect side.  Pacific halibut from Poppa's Fresh Fish is a lighter option on the grill, and basting it with Chardonnay-Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette from Bistro Blends will really bring out the delicate flavors.  Enjoy the beautiful weather as you cook outside in February!