Hey'a Paella!

PASSION IN A PAN

If you haven't the time or the means to travel all the way to Spain this fall to visit one of many Paella festivals, don't despair: visit the Little Italy Mercato for all your own ingredients.

Paella can be served year round, for any celebration! This mouth watering Spanish dish is traditionally cooked in a large, flat pan and made to serve large portions. With our long growing season and wonderful farmers' markets in San Diego you shouldn't have a problem finding all the freshest ingredients- seafood, meat,  summer vegetables, rice, and citrus!

Heat olive oil from Marion's Olive Oil and braise chopped yellow onions from Sage Mountain Farms with green zebra heirloom from Schaner's Farm. Strain out the juices and toss the veggies into your paella pan. In another pot, lightly cook your choice of shrimp or fish (visit Poppa's Fresh fish for the freshest seafood). Save some of the broth for later. Heat up your paella pan, and when it's good and hot, toss in roughly chopped red and green bell peppers (have you tasted the big ones from Vang Farms??), and two cups of rinsed rice. Let this cook down in an appropriate amount of broth/water, keeping sure not to burn the rice. Mash fresh garlic (from Maciel and Family), parsley and a few threads of saffron from Just Spice with a little bit of Salt Farms' Himalayan sea salt. Wet it with a couple spoonfuls of temperate broth, and spill this mixture into your paella pan. Add all the seafood and vegetables and cook together gently for about 20 minutes. Garnish your beautiful offering with big clusters of thinly sliced lemons from Polito Farms and ribboned bell peppers. Ah, passion in a pan.