salsa

Spice up your night with salsa fresca made from North Park Thursday Farmers’ Market ingredients, great on grilled meats and veggies, or for dipping.

Start your shopping at Valdivia Farms, where you’ll find tomatoes, green onion and cilantro, then head across the aisle to Proios Family Farm for fresh garlic, sweet bell peppers and spicy chiles including jalapenos and habaneros. JR Organics has red and yellow onions and a dazzling array of heirloom tomatoes, but be sure to ask about tomatillos - they make an excellent salsa verde. Toss in other fresh vegetables like cucumbers, radishes, and banana peppers from African Sisters Farm, or add more complexity to your salsa by including sweet antohi peppers, poblanos or padrons from Suzie’s Farm.

Like sweet salsas? Grab a bunch of grapes from Smit Orchard and try this grape salsa recipe. Diced green tomatoes from Kawano Farm add a little tartness to any salsa, as does a squeeze of fresh lime from Paradise Valley Ranch or R&L Farms. If you don’t have time to make your own, pick up freshly made salsa from Gourmet Tamales. If you’re happier on the dance floor than in the kitchen, spice up your exercise schedule with a salsa dancing lesson at the Queen Bee Art & Cultural Center. 

The distinctive fragrance of fresh cilantro fills the air around Valdivia, Vang’s, Maciel, and Gilbert Quintos’ farm stands at the Little Italy Mercato.  You’ve probably used cilantro in salsa made with tomatoes from JR Organics or in guacamole with avocado and limes from Heritage or Paradise Valley Ranch, but it’s also delicious in summer fruit salsas; try it with nectarines from Lone Oak, cantaloupe from Kawano or pluots from Smit Orchards. You’ll want to grab a big bunch if you’re making ceviche from Poppa’s Fresh Fish.

Cilantro is native to Europe and was popular in medieval cooking, but fell out of fashion there  in the 1600’s. It’s now most closely associated with Asian and Latin American cuisine, but it was once key in Italian cooking, and cilantro pesto actually predates the basil version that we know today. Pick up some chandler walnuts from Terra Bella Ranch and parmesan-reggiano from Taste cheese and try it out for yourself, tucked into quesadillas or tossed with Assenti's pasta.

MUSICAL FAVORITE RETURNS!

Put on your dancin' shoes, Mercato favorite Manny Cepeda is back this Saturday and that means there'll be dancing in Date Street.  Manny and his orchestra, Ritmo Caribe, have been entertaining shoppers at the Little Italy Mercato since the early days, and his show reflects 48 years of professional music.  He'll be showcasing the salsa, merengue, cumbia and Cuban styles that have made him an international sensation.  You don't want to miss this show and you definitely don't want to miss the shopping at the Mercato this week.  Fresh tropical guavas from Rancho Mexico Lindo, ripe Bacon avocados from Paradise Valley Ranch and sweet tangerines from Smit Orchards are just a few of the hundreds of delicious fresh fruits and vegetables you'll find.  Fill up your shopping bag with California produce, meat, cheese, eggs and seafood, then grab a cafe con leche from Joe's on the Nose or Cafe Virtuoso and fill your ears with tasty tunes from Manny!

Need some snacks for the big day?  Like one stop shopping?  Go to the J. R. Organics stand at the North Park Farmers' Market and grab three handfuls of tomatillos, and one each of  jalapenos, green onion and cilantro.  You'll have to peel off the papery husks from the tomatillos; now take all the ingredients and chop them up with a knife, or throw them in a blender or food processor, make it as chunky or smooth as you like.  Add a dash of salt and a squeeze of fresh lime and you've got a zesty salsa verde!  Grab some fresh corn tortillas from Don Tommy's Mexican Foods and fry (or bake) your own chips on game day, or try crunchy pita chips from Baba Foods.  Also makes a great dip for grilled shrimp from Poppa's Fresh Fish!