Lately all this Farm to Fork marketing hubbub seems to be steadily driving up the pricing at my homebase farmers' market (the Sunday one at W and 8th). $5 for a small handful of blueberries? $6 for a basket of figs? Are you kidding me?! Your killin' me Smalls! In fact, a friend just told me this week that she can't afford to shop at the Oak Park farmers' market anymore- it's gotten too rich for her pocketbook! So to keep my wallet from feeling the sting but to still eat healthy, I've been driving out to the farmers' market on Thursday mornings on Florin Road were I can still get the reasonable prices on my fresh, local produce that I've grown accustom to over the years. Many of the vendors at Florin are the same ones that are there on Sunday at W Street with the same stock, just lower prices.

On a recent visit, I was intrigued by these spiky grenade-looking veggies with a rat tail. The vendor described them as being a cucumber and gave me a taste. He used a knife to carve off the outer skin of the "grenade" and told me the flesh was edible- seeds and all. He was right, the taste had some similarity to a cucumber, maybe a little less watery and it had a very slight citrus undertone. I bought a dozen for $1. I figured if I couldn't find a recipe to use it in, the kidlets could use them as weapons, Battle Royale-style.

When I got home, I researched my purchase and it turned out, my new spiny veggie buddy is actually called a maxixe. Maxixes originated in Africa and were brought to Brazil during the slave trade.  These days, they're quite popular in Northeastern Brazil and in the Caribbean. (In the Caribbean they're called the Burr Gherkin.) Most of my research turned up that the maxixe was best enjoyed cooked- mainly in stews or sautéed. Neither sounded very appetizing to me. So I decided to use it in making some Japanese style cucumber salad. It came out pretty good. Kind of a pain in the butt to peel but quite tasty and refreshing.

Maxixe Salad

Ingredients

8-9 maxixes washed, peeled and sliced paper thin

I'm not much of a mayo girl. Usually if a recipe calls for a hefty dose of mayo, I'll sub in Greek yogurt. I never, ever go the Miracle Whip route- that stuff tastes vile. Anyhow, once in awhile I'll get a hankering for seafood salad- you know the goopy, white stuff with chunks of veggies, shrimp and crab? When I do, I opt to make it with Kewpie. Kewpie mayonnaise is a Japanese mayo that's been around since the mid 1920's. It comes in this weird squishy bottle (that kind of reminds me of a colostomy bag) with a creepy, open-armed, naked baby as its logo. Despite the odd packaging, I've been eating the stuff for years. My mom used to make Japanese potato salad with it when I was a kid (in fact I nowadays I still prefer my potato salad with Kewpie over the standard mayo). To me Kewpie has a much smoother, creamier texture than Best Foods or Kraft and tastes less eggy (they use twice the amount of egg yolks). Also it's made from rice vinegar as opposed to distilled vinegar, so it imparts a slightly sweeter taste. Kewpie also has a bit of umami to it, making it great for incorporating it into a variety of dishes. I've used it in deviled eggs, in oyster motoyaki and drizzled on okonomiyaki.   If you like mayo with your artichoke, asparagus or French fries, try switching it out for Kewpie. You won't go back. Additionally, if you mix it with sriracha, it makes a fantastic spicy dipping sauce.



Creamy Shrimp and Avocado Salad

Ingredients

1/2 lb. of cooked, medium-sized shrimp

5-6 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half (optional. I skip this sometimes as Mr. S. is not a raw tomato fan)

1 firm but ripe avocado, chopped into small cubes

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/3 cup Kewpie mayonnaise

1 teaspoon lime juice

1 teaspoon sriracha

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1 teaspoon of shio-koji (or sub in a pinch of salt)

fresh ground pepper, to taste


Instructions

1. Slice cooked shrimp into small bite-sized pieces. Place in a medium-sized bowl. Combine with cherry tomatoes, avocado and red onion.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together Kewpie, lime juice, sriracha, garlic, shio-koji and pepper.

3. Pour dressing over shrimp mixture. Gently toss together.

4. Give the flavors a chance to meld together (I throw it in the fridge for a half hour).

5. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Makes 2 servings

* If you're in Sacramento, Oto's sells Kewpie.

Ahhh, sugar plums. I always look forward to those tiny plums coming into season but at the same time lament that they signal the end of summer. You start spotting them around the end of July/beginning of August and their availability is short-lived (usually around 3 weeks). This year I decided to purchase some (I got mine at the Co-op, they're from Full Belly Farms I believe) and make Marian Burros' famous Plum Torte. Marian Burros is a cookbook author and a food columnist for The New York Times. Her plum torte recipe has been the most often requested and the most republished recipe in the NYT for twenty years. Crazy, huh? You know it's got to be a pretty good recipe with a track record like that. I think most of you will really like this torte- it's quick to prepare, requires few ingredients and it makes your house smell phenomenal. The cake portion is crusty and airy, the plums sweet and there's a whisper of cinnamon and sugar. You could make this recipe with any old plum; but trust me, if you want to bump up the flavor profile of the torte and truly make it shine, use sugar plums. These bite size plums have a wonderful honey taste that can't be beat. The whole shebang is absolutely delectable but it tastes even more fantastic served warm with a side of vanilla ice cream or topped with some sweetened whipped cream. Best of all (gasp!), this torte freezes well so you can enjoy these juicy, sweet plums in the dead of winter.




Sugar Plum Torte  (New York Times)

Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup unbleached flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 eggs
24 halves pitted sugar plums
Sugar and cinnamon for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cream sugar and butter in a bowl. Add flour, baking powder, salt and eggs, and beat well.

3. Spoon the batter into a spring form of 8, 9 or 10 inches. Place the plum halves skin side up on top of the batter (I didn't, it doesn't really matter). Sprinkle lightly with sugar, depending on the sweetness of the fruit. Sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, or to taste. (I mixed some sugar and cinnamon together and then sprinkled that across the cake.)

4. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Remove and cool; refrigerate or freeze if desired (but first, double-wrap the tortes in foil, place in a plastic bag, and seal). Or cool to lukewarm, and serve.

5. To serve a torte that has been frozen, defrost and reheat it briefly at 300 degrees.

Yield: 8 servings.

I've been enamored with finger limes ever since I had them on some fresh oysters and in some phenomenal cocktails last year. I love how the little tiny spherical bubbles feel on my tongue and when you bite into them you get this effervescent burst of lemon-lime flavor with a slight floral undertone. They're kind of like a citrus pop rock.

Now I'll admit at first glance, finger limes are a bit fugly. They look like dried out gherkins (especially the ones with brown or purple peel) or a pudgy ogre finger, but the pulp inside this microcitrus is amazing. When you cut into the finger lime (which by the way isn't even a lime, it's a cousin to the lime), you'll see a bunch of translucent pearls. They can range in color from clear, green or pink. If you give the outside layer a squeeze, the pearl-like pulp will come tumbling out.



Finger limes are quite versatile. You can use them in drinks, marmalades, salads....You can also use the zest. The zest of finger limes is a bit unusual. It's thin and contains isomenthone, which is common in mint but unusual in citrus. My favorite way to use finger limes is to squeeze them onto fresh oysters (raw or grilled). Used as a garnish, the finger lime pearls add a nice kick of tanginess. One of the many cool things about finger limes is that you can freeze them (for 3-6 months). If you do this, you want to place them whole (uncut) on a baking sheet and once frozen, transfer them to an airtight container. When defrosting, defrost in the fridge.

Finger limes are a native bush to Australia so they're a bit hard to find but some farms (like Shanley Farms) in California have started growing them recently in small quantities. I was able to buy a container of them from the kind folks at Produce Express, which caterers to restaurants. So if you're in the restaurant biz you can order directly from them. Otherwise, I've seen finger limes at Whole Foods on occasion.  Or you can grow your own! Four Winds Growers in Winters, CA sells them in 5 gallon size tree form to area retailers.



Grilled Oysters With Butter, Sriracha and Finger Lime "Caviar"

Ingredients

1 dozen fresh oysters (I prefer the large ones for grilling), scrubbed

1/2 stick of unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon of Sriracha

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan or Pecorino-Romano (optional)

5-6 finger limes, cut in half



Instructions

1. Heat up your grill so it's VERY hot.

2. In a small bowl, mix up your butter, sriracha and sea salt. Place the bowl in the fridge for a bit to let it firm up.

3. Use an oyster shucker to open up your oysters. Be careful when popping the hinge, the shells are brittle and oftentimes sharp. Please don't slice open your hand.

* If you do not own a shucker or just don't want to shuck, you can place the closed oysters on your hot grill (cupped side on the bottom), with the top closed for 1-2 minutes. The oysters will open up on their own from the heat. Remove them as soon as the open.

4. Place a dollop of the butter-Sriracha mixture on each of your oyster. You can lightly sprinkle some Parmesan on the top too, if you wish. Place the oysters on the grill for 4-5 minutes (3-4 minutes if you popped them on the grill to open them). Use tongs to remove oysters from grate. The shell will be extremely hot.

5. Top with a squeeze of finger lime "caviar." Serve immediately.

Last week my friend Mayumi came to visit for a few days and brought me a gift for my kitchen- a pouch of shio koji. Shio koji, for those who are unfamiliar, is a rice malt that has been fermented with sea salt. The rice malt (koji) is made from rice that has been inoculated with the spores of a benign mold called Aspergillus oryzae. Shio koji looks like a white porridge-like paste and imparts a sweet, floral aroma. Koji itself has been around for centuries. It's used by sake brewers and makers of soy sauce, mirin and miso. In the past two years, however, it has experienced a huge resurgence and become a popular pantry staple in Japanese kitchens and is now gaining a following in the US. Shio koji has a mild taste that can be best described as a subtle combination of sweet and salty. It works great as a salt substitute and when added to dishes, this versatile seasoning packs a rich umami punch. You can use it to enhance all kinds of foods- you can use it to marinate and tenderize meats (it's supposedly fantastic on roasted chicken), season fish and vegetables, and as a seasoning base for sauces, soups and dressings. Some people even mix shio koji into baked goods or use it to make sausage. Mayumi told me one of her favorite uses for shio koji is marinating firm tofu in it. She presses the excess moisture out of the tofu, then rubs the shio koji on the tofu, wraps it in plastic and then lets it sit, refrigerated, for about 5 days. The tofu takes on a faux cheese like texture (creamy and dense) and tastes great spread on crackers. Shio koji is also great for making "quick" pickles.

Mayumi and I used some to "marinate" our sashimi Thursday night and I did find that the seasoning enhanced the flavors of the tuna noticeably.




Besides being easy to use, shio koji is nutritious and great for the digestive system. It's rich in enzymes and amino acids. Also, the fermentation process increases the amount of vitamins B1, B2, B6 and lactic acid.

You can buy shio koji premade in the refrigerated section of your Japanese grocery store or make your own. To make your own batch, you would need to buy the granulated rice koji (kome koji), add sea salt and water then allow the mixture to ferment for a week. The finished product will keep for a few months, refrigerated. In addition to shio koji, there's also shoyu koji (koji mixed with soy sauce instead of salt) and ama koji (sweet koji).  Shoyu koji is great on fish. We used some shoyu koji tonight on some salmon filets and it was delicious. I just covered 2 filets with a tablespoon of shoyu koji each and placed them in a Ziploc bag to marinate for about 4-5 hours. When dinnertime rolled around, I removed the fillets from the bag and placed them on a foil lined baking sheet and broiled them on high for 8-9 minutes on one side and about 3-4 minutes on the other. Shoyu koji burns easily so I kept a close eye on the salmon. The fillets came out perfect- the shoyu koji kept the fillets moist while crisping up the skin nicely and it seasoned and sweetened the fish itself.




Note: The general rule for marinating with shio or shoyu koji- the marinade should amount to 10% of the total weight of the food your preparing.

I recently came back into touch with a friend whom I had not seen or spoken with in several years. One of the first questions she asked me when we hung out last week was, "What new condiments can you recommend?" Now readers, I have to be honest with you...I have a severe condiment problem. I'm a condiment hoarder. I love them, my fridge is full of them and I use them all. It ranges the whole gamut: umeboshi paste to truffle salt to yuzu hot sauce and furikake; it's all in there mixed together with the Sriracha, Korean Gochujang, Maggi Seasoning, and good ol' Heinz Ketchup. It's nice, it's wonderful...it's also taking over my fridge! Anyhow..............I thought long and hard and emailed her back about "Nanami Togarashi." I totally have a spice crush on Nanami Togarashi right now.

Nanami Togarashi typically contains coarsely ground red pepper, ground sansho peppercorns, roasted mandarin peel, black sesame seed, white sesame seed, hemp seed, ground ginger and nori. It's spicy (but not crazy-spicy) and has a lovely citrus-centric flavor to it. I love dashing some Nanami Togarashi on my udons, ramens, sneaking it into my dark chocolate desserts and even sprinkling some on pork products (ribs, mmmm!) ; but most of all, I enjoy pairing it with fresh avocado. One of my favorite afternoon snacks is- sliced avocado topped with lime juice, a bit of sea salt and a few shakes of Nanami Togarashi. Mmmmm!  I love how the simple seasonings enhance the natural flavor of the avocado. It's delicious and quite addictive.

If you're interested in trying it, you can purchase Nanami Togarashi at most Asian stores (Oto's carries it here in Sacramento) or you can get it on Amazon. A bottle should run you about $5, but a little goes a long way.

I won't lie, lately I haven't been doing a whole lotta cooking. I mean I haven't been subsisting on Top Ramen and Hot Pockets or anything of that nature, but dinners have just been pretty much the basics. I've been in a cooking funk. However, Wednesday night I did surprise Mr.S. with his favorite...fresh morels. The guy is like a kid at Christmas when it comes to morels. He waits eagerly all year for those mushrooms to come into season. We prepared them simply...just sauteed them up in some butter and served them with a side of eggs. Absolute perfection. Maybe those meaty little fungi will be the culinary jumpstart that I need to head back into the kitchen this weekend. In the meantime, "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" is opening this weekend at the Crest so I think I might try and pop over and check that out. Looks like a good flick.

Sunday morning, while we were meandering around the W Street farmers' market, Mr. S. and I came upon some Romanesco. I was ten shades of excited (I love the stuff); whereas, he raised a skeptical eyebrow at my crazy exuberance over the alien-looking vegetable. Besides being tasty, Romanesco to me are the coolest looking vegetables. The electric lime-green fractals make them look like something straight out of a video game...like some sort of chartreuse nubbin-covered cauliflower asteroid.  I bought one from the vendor, figuring the kidlets would get a kick out of it and Mr.S. could sample one. 

When it was time to cook the sucker up, I decided to go simple in the preparation-- small florets, lightly roasted with just a few basic spices. Mr.S., Kidlet #1 and I ended up eating the entire head as a snack. It was tender, delicate tasting (it tastes like a cross between broccoli & cauliflower) and absolutely delicious!


Roasted Romanesco

Ingredients

1 head of Romanesco, smaller florets removed from core

1/4 cup olive oil

2 pinches of red chili flakes

a few grinds of fresh ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon of coarse sea salt

1/2 of a fresh lemon

Parmesan cheese (optional)


Instructions

- Heat oven to 400 F.

- Place florets in a bowl. Add olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Toss well, using your hand, so that all the florets are coated evenly.

- Spread florets evenly on a rimmed baking sheet.

- Roast for 20-30 minutes or until tender. (They'll get a tiny bit charred...the brown caramelized bits are the best part.)

- Remove from oven.

- Give the lemon a quick squeeze over the florets.

- (Optional) Sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top

- Serve immediately, while still warm.

Ever have one of those mornings where you wake up early all bright eyed bushy tailed and rarin' to go? Me neither...just kidding! Usually I'm crabby in the morning and the promise of a fresh cup of coffee is the only thing that lures me out of my comfy bed; but once in a awhile, I have that rare morning where I'm up at at 'em and this past Sunday was one of those days. I hit up the farmers' market, picked up my homemade jam and even swung by the awesome Mexican mercado by my house-- all before noon! While I was at the farmers' market I ran across some fresh garbanzo beans. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with them but I bought them anyway. I was a bit surprised when the vendor handed me a monster-sized bag with the plant, roots, pods and all. I had a fun time though plucking them off the plant and then shelling the pods. It one of those activities that's simultaneously tedious and relaxing. All I was missing was a rocking chair for the porch.

Come Monday night, Mr. S. and I decided to grill up some fresh swordfish that we had procured from the Nugget in West Sac. We served it up with some delectable truffle butter, basmalti rice and some sautéed beet greens. Have you had beet greens before? They're fab! We love them. Kind of like chard but a tad sweeter and super easy to cook. Anyhow, I wanted to serve up the fresh garbanzos but wasn't quite sure how I wanted to cook them. On the web, I found suggestions for eating them raw or roasting them in the pod, so I decided to just wing it.




Beet Greens

Ingredients

Greens from 2 bunches of beets

1 T olive oil

1 small sweet onion, diced

Fresh ground pepper & salt, to taste


Instructions

- Wash the greens in cold water. Tear into 2-3 inch pieces.

- Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium-low heat

- Add the diced onion and a pinch of salt. Simmer until translucent.

- Add the beet greens. Stir continuously. Cook until wilted.

- Season with salt and pepper.



Feisty Fresh Garbanzo Beans

Ingredients

2 cups fresh garbanzo beans, shelled

1 t or T sriracha, depending on how spicy you'd like it

1 T olive oil

Salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste

Half a lime


Instructions

- Boil a pot of water. Once water is at a rolling boil, blanch the beans for about two minutes.

- Remove beans from water. Drain. Then shock the beans in ice water. Drain and dry.

- Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet.

- Add blanched beans. Sautée.

- Add sriracha. Stir well.

- Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.

- Squeeze the juice of half a lime over the top.

Don't be thinking I'm giving up my beloved sriracha; however, a little variation is good for the soul so I've embraced this bottle here as my favorite condiment of the moment. Mmm! Yuzu-It (the liquid form of the popular yuzu-kosho flavoring) hits you with a smack of hot green peppercorns then soothes the sting over with the tang of citrusy yuzu. While I was in LA we were using it to dip our yakitori in but I was so hooked on the taste that I bought a bottle at Oto's and am now shaking it onto pretty much everything. Give it a go!