gazpacho

Fresh strawberries from Kawano Farms, JR Organics and Suzie’s Farm have the Little Italy Mercato smelling like summer!

Mix them with golden raspberries and blackberries from Pudwill Berry Farm, or toss them with peaches from the Polito Farm stand, nectarines from Lone Oak Ranch,or prickly pear from Rancho Mexico Lindo.

Grab greens from Gilbert Quintos Farm, Chandler walnuts from Terra Bella Ranch and Saint Agur bleu from Taste Cheese for a super strawberry salad. Pick up melons from Tom King or Proios Family Farm and fresh mint from Rivera’s Treasure Garden for this cool fruit gazpacho, or spread your culinary wings by picking up fresh quail from Spur Valley Ranch for this slow-cooked quail with berry sauce.

Have a berry good day!

Watermelon Gazpacho

It's the last week of August, which means there are way too many melons rolling around. With dozens of varieties at this week's Little Italy Mercato, It's time to try on watermelon gazpacho this week and dazzle your friends at your next dinner gathering. You could make a watermelon salad, serve it up in standard, succulent slices, or use the whole fruit as a canteen for your favorite mixed beverage! (Even early world explorers like Magellan were smart on this trick, come on!)

Kawano Farms offers perfect, round red tomatoes to mix in to gazpacho and there are peppers and onions and basil galore at Sage Mountain Farms.Grab one or two sweet yellow watermelons from JR Organics or Tom King Farms to start. Dice the melon (sans rind) and add one medium sized Armenian cucumber from Suzie's Farm. Add freshly chopped red bell peppers, mint, and parsley from Vang Farms, a dash of aged balsamic vinegar from Gianni's Fine Foods and one minced shallot from Schaner's. Drizzle with olive oil from Marion's Olive Oil, and a hint of Salt Farms blended Tomato Spice Salt.

PS: Go ahead and make yourself a double batch- seems to run out quickly on these hot days!!
 

Watermelon Gazpacho

JR Organics is impressing us at the Pacific Beach Tuesday Farmers' Market with ripe golden yellow melons and Kawano Farms offers some super sweet baby reds.You can make a watermelon salad, serve it up in standard, succulent slices, or use it as a canteen for your favorite mixed beverage! (Even early world explorers like Magellan used melons this way, come on!)

It's time to try on watermelon gazpacho this week and dazzle your friends at your next dinner gathering. Ready? GO! There are nearly 1,200 varieties of watermelon, so this dish could always have new flavors. Grab one or two sweet watermelons to start. Dice the melon (sans rind) and one medium sized Armenian cucumber from Suzie's Farm. Add freshly chopped red bell peppers, mint, and parsley from your favorite farmers, a dash of aged balsamic vinegar from Gianni's and one minced shallot. Drizzle with olive oil from Bari, and a hint of sea salt from Salt Farm.

PS: Go ahead and make yourself a double batch- seems to run out quickly on these hot days!!
  

PICK A PECK OF PEPPERS

A plethora of peppers have hit the North Park Farmers Market!  With so many shapes and colors to choose from, we thought that a quick primer on peppers was in order.  First, differently colored peppers are not different peppers at all! Typically, they signify various stages of growth and maturity. A green pepper is just a red pepper that hasn’t fully ripened.  Next, what gives the pepper it's heat is a chemical called capsicum.  Peppers that do not contain capsicum such as bell peppers, are considered sweet.
Now that you're schooled on peppers, here are some of the infinite ways you can cook with them.  One of our favorite dishes is Nicolau Farms chevre stuffed roasted peppers finished with Thyme of Essence dried thyme . Another dish that shouldn't be missed is chile rellanos!  Roast any of the multitude of peppers, now available at Suzie's or Paradise Valley, remove the charred skins, fill with Springhill Garlic Jack Cheese, coat with flour and fry! Finally,  we think that the combination of sweet peppers and JR Organics heirloom tomatoes in a sweet pepper and heirloom gazpacho  goes together just like salt and pepper!

HOLY MOLE EPAZOTE!

Bored with the same old summertime gazpacho?  Why not add a new twist to your old favorite by adding Epazote (eh-pah-ZOE-teh) from Suzie's farm?  Despite its gasoline-like odor in the raw, Epazote's flavor is a cross between cilantro and dandelion greens. Traditionally it was added to black beans in Mexico because it aids in digestive and eliminates flatulence. However, it can be used to add a new and interesting flavor to some familiar dishes. 

When added to the usual gazpacho suspects, including heirloom tomatoes and green peppers from JR Organics, cucumbers from Vang's, Reed avocados and limes from Paradise Valley, a sprig of Epazote will add some macho to your gazpacho! Mix fresh epazote leaves or the whole stem and leaves into beef stews, slip into quesadillas before adding delicious Firehouse Jack cheese from Springhill  or  chop into fresh corn from Kawano farms.  Add it to your next mole and we think that you'll be shouting Holy Mole! 

Warning:  Use only the fresh leaves and stems in your recipes.  The dried herb is only suitable for medicinal teas.