Farm Fresh to Me

On a recent flight from Austin to LAX, my friends and I were reading Bon Appetit. And while we were reading this magazine, we decided that we needed to eat more vegetables. Tomato and cheddar tart? Sure. Eggplant fries? Yes, please. And right then and there, 30,000 feet in the air, I decided to sign up for a produce delivery program.

Jean had tried a company called Farm Fresh to You a couple of years ago and I remembered her telling me that she loved it. She said the variety of seasonal items and the intrigue of trying new vegetables and fruits were amazing. So with feet firmly on the ground and with a few keystrokes, I googled Farm Fresh to You and I was signed up.  Every other week, a box of fresh local produce deliciousness would be dropped on my doorstep.

The first week, I decided to go with the large sized box for $31.50. It contained two zucchinis, two green peppers, an eggplant, a giant bag of green beans, three slicing tomatoes, a watermelon, romaine lettuce, four pears and four pluots (plum and apricot hybrid). Clearly, waaaay too much for me. 

 But I made the best of it. A watermelon and tomato salad with red onion, feta and balsamic dressing. Baked eggplant parmesan. Veggie tempura. And fruit for the week for all of my co-workers!

Last week, I decided to downgrade to the small box for $25. I still received a pint of figs, a muskmelon, a head of lettuce, an eggplant, a giant heirloom tomato and a bunch of broccoli. Yum-O. Okay, I can’t believe I just said ‘yum-o,’ but I meant it.

Bruschetta Utilizing the Figs and Heirloom Tomato

I would highly recommend this service to anyone that likes to cook at home. It is a great way to bribe friends to come over for dinner… ‘I’m making a veggie only dinner tonight. Don’t you want to get skinny with me?’ It is also a great way to try new fruits and vegetables that you might not normally buy when browsing at the store or famers’ market.  It can be a challenging to use up all of the items in the box, but you can always bring them to work and make someone’s day by giving away produce.  All in all, Farm Fresh to You is a winner. Do it.

www.farmfreshtoyou.com

-Katrina

Cherries, Cherries and More Cherries

Cherry season is here as is evident from the abundance of cherry varieties at all the Farmers’ Markets this month. However, it has become apparent to my friend Karenlin and me that we have a new tradition. For the last three years, we have been signed up to receive an email from the Cherry Farmers located in Leona Valley once their cherries are ripe for the picking. Usually, this happens in late June or early July.

The hour and a half drive is certainly worth the time for the juicy, ripe, dark, little stone fruits which are sun-drenched, hanging heavy in these beautiful orchards. On Father’s Day this year, we headed out bright and early to see what the orchards had in store. Large empty white buckets awaited our arrival, which we filled to the brim while scouring the rows of trees and choosing the darkest fruits available. Of course, tasting them to ensure their sweetness is half the fun and also means we were completely cherried out by the time we left.

 

Now, how to use 7 lbs of Cherries was the biggest challenge. I brought some into work, some to a sick housebound friend and the remaining were frozen for baked goods. I baked a wholesome cherry crumble that was delicious and filling. And then made some cherry handpies yesterday for some family and friends to enjoy. 

It is a short-lived season but definitely one to take advantage of and enjoy to the max.

-Jean

Swiss Bliss

When in season, Swiss chard is one of my favorite things to buy at the farmers’ market. In my opinion, it is a severely underrated leafy green and should be used more often by the everyday cook. The colorful stems of rainbow chard add a cheery touch to any dish and its earthy flavor is just the right amount of earthy. Sometimes describing a food as earthy equals the food tastes like dirt, and I’m not into that.

I was visiting my friend Juliet in Del Mar last month, and imagine my pleasure when her mom offered me some fresh-cut, over-sized Swiss chard, straight from her garden. Clearly, I accepted immediately (but graciously, of course). I couldn’t wait to get home and use this produce of the freshest kind.

I decided to showcase this lovely gift in a bacon and chard pasta with a very simple sauce of garlic, lemon and extra virgin olive oil. Topped off with Parmesan cheese shavings, this pasta could easily be featured on an episode of 30 Minute Meals. The salty bacon is the perfect complement to the chard’s deep flavor, and the citrusy lemon adds brightness. Paired with a glass of red wine, this made a perfect weeknight dinner.

First, remove the ribs and cook in reserved bacon grease

Cut leaves into ribbons and add to pan

Let cook until ribs are soft and leaves are wilted

-Katrina

Birthday Baking

At work, we have a ‘birthday potluck’ tradition. We use birthdays as an excuse for everyone to bring in food and binge eat all day. For many birthdays, I will pick up a bag of chips or bring in some oj. But it is easy to tell who is special to me- they are the people I bake for.

Now that I have given you the intro, I can tell you that it was Jean’s birthday this week! She turned… ha. You thought I was going to say it, didn’t you? 

 Happy Birthday Jean!

So needless to say, I baked. I even skipped yoga to bake. I baked a semisweet chocolate hazelnut tart, knowing how much Jean loves chocolate. Unfortunately, I don’t own a pretty tart pan, but I do own a round spring-form pan, so that’s what I used. Therefore my tart looks a bit like a chocolate pizza. Well, the pan issue, plus the fact that I am the worlds worst crust crimper.

Here are some pictures of the tart-making process. I only wish I had a picture of Jean eating it!

Hazelnut Caramel

Then the Ganache is added...

The Finished Product

Although it may look like a chocolate pizza in the pictures, I promise you it did not taste like one! Within the edges of the homemade crust was a caramel layer laced with hazelnuts, which was then smothered with a semisweet chocolate ganache and topped with more hazelnuts and chocolate chips. It was sinfully rich and decadent. Jean had to stop herself after two pieces and so did I. I gave the leftovers away, just so I wouldn’t be tempted to consume the hundreds of delectable calories all in one sitting. If you like baked goods, you better get on my good side before your next birthday...

-Katrina

Virginal Eggs...

Happy Easter everyone. I popped over to Katrina’s tonight to work on our very own Chowbellas and she suggested that we dye some Easter Eggs. I was immediately intrigued, being a non-American and having never dyed an egg in my life. ‘So fun,’ I thought.

When I arrived, Katrina and her roommate had already commenced the festivities. Colored eggs strewn all over the table. Jars of colored liquids. Pools of bright colors. And a variety of dipped eggs decorated meticulously by the girls. They couldn’t believe that I had never-ever, in my entire life, colored eggs. They sat in shock as I asked how to begin and what to do. 

 Some of Katrina and Jaime's better looking eggs...

Picking out my favorite color of aqua blue, I began a great new life experience. Look at what I produced! How fun… and you can eat them too!?

Jean's first Easter egg... EVER.

A new Easter tradition has begun for me for sure.

-Jean

Deal or No Deal?

Groupon, Travelzoo Local, Living Social, Blackboard Eats, Open Table Spotlight, Bloomspot… All deals of the day. But are they really deals?

I guess it depends on what you are looking for. Sometimes, I am wowed by a complimentary bottle of wine and dessert platter with purchase of entrée, such as past offers I have taken advantage of at Wolfgang Puck’s Chinois on Main in Santa Monica or STK in West Hollywood. Other deals have been even better, such as a five-course meal paired with champagne at Whist in the Viceroy Hotel. Others, such as a Groupon for custom framing are less than desirable.

When Blackboard Eats decided to tack on a $1 charge for every deal in 2011, I was immediately turned off. But then as the deals flowed into my in-box for restaurants I have been dying to try, some seemed very worthy of the spend.

Though the number of online sites these days are excessive and varied, one really must pick through the trash to find the gem. Regardless, these sites are valid and there are deals are out there to be had. It just depends on your opinion of trash versus gems.

-Jean

Obsessed with Oysters

This is a new obsession. About a year ago, I can honestly say that I had only eaten three raw oysters in my life. In the last month alone, I have probably eaten over two dozen. I’m not sure what brought on this need to feed on these critters on the half-shell. Maybe I just liked the idea of the decadence. Maybe my subconscious was trying to tell me I needed more aphrodisiacs in my life. Or maybe I just really wanted to force myself into liking oysters. In any case, I’m hooked.

 
Now, let me just say, I am no expert. I am learning, but by no means am I an oyster connoisseur. I do know that I like west coast oysters far better than east coast oysters. A knowledgeable server once told me that oysters from the coasts are like the people. East coast oysters are harsher and more hardened; they live in the rougher of the two oceans (The Atlantic) and are generally brinier (read: ocean-y and fishy). West coast oysters are more laid-back and mellow; they live in the calmer Pacific and are generally sweeter and gentler on the palate.

Where have I gone on this oyster binge you ask? Well, let’s see. There’s Santa Monica Seafood, where I’ve enjoyed their Kusshi, Kumomoto and Fanny Bay varieties. Then there is Ocean Avenue Seafood, with their oyster and wine flight happy hour special. I have also indulged at Delphine in the W Hollywood, the Tasting Kitchen in Venice and Blue Plate Oysterette in Santa Monica.

Although I have only uncovered the tip of the iceberg, the world is my oyster for this new fixation. You never know where I may discover my next pearl.