Little Italy Mercato Blog

SHAVED BRUSSEL SPROUT & SHAVED PECORINO PARMESAN VINAIGRETTE

Simple is almost always better, yes? Davanti's Enoteca, a newly opened rustic eatery in Little Italy, offers a gorgeous spread of simple, delicious dishes. They'll be presenting a few demos this weekend, but we couldn't pass up the idea of taking home the brussel sprouts from the Little Italy farmers' market and making this signature dish. 

Suncoast Farms has bright, crispy, and fresh brussel sprouts every week this time of year at the Mercato. Shave the brussels into thin slices like chiffonade, and combine these with a few squeezes of fresh lemon juice (Polito Farm's lemons are so tasty), Pecorino Romano and Parmesan Reggiano cheese from Taste Cheese at the Mercato or Filippi's on India, and toss them with olive oil, salt & pepper, and a couple tablespoons of sparkling water. Serve with grated parmesean and a smile as you crunch into the goodness of fresh, italian cuisine. 

RICOTTA CHEESE 

Though you may not find whole milk for sale at the Mercato, this recipe from Chef Chris O'Donnell of La Villa will have you, and your berries, "on their knees, begging for a taste.' You'll need about a gallon of fresh, whole milk to imitate the recipe he'll be sampling on Saturday, along with white distilled vinegar and salt. Here's the recipes straight from the cow's mouth:

DIRECTIONS:
In a heavy bottomed saucepot, heat milk to 185 F. Once the milk has reached 185 degrees, remove the  pot from heat and add the white distilled vinegar. Stir slowly to distribute the vinegar well, and curds should  begin forming within a minute. Once you see curds,  stop stirring! Let the pot sit still for ve minutes while curds continue to form. Resist the temptation to poke at the curds. (We know its hard, but this is professional!) 
Line your colander with your cloth of choice and set it inside your large bowl. If using cheesecloth or paper towels,  use multiple layers so that your net is porous but dense  enough to hold the curds in.  Gently pour your curd and whey mixture into the colander.
Let the curds rest, perhaps with some soft music playing in the  background, for up to one hour. During this time, your large bowl will need to be drained as the whey level rises. The whey can be saved to make skim-milk ricotta, added to soup stocks for
a rich tang, or fed to pigs if you have one handy. Again, resist the temptation to poke at your curds as they drain. For a gooey, wet ricotta, drain for 10 to 20 minutes and then use or
refrigerate immediately. The longer you allow the whey to drain  from the curds, the thicker, sweeter and more delicate your ricotta  will become. Squeezing the whey from your cheese by force (a common rookie mistake!) will result in squeaky, granular curds that  are interesting, and not great. After one hour unbothered, you will have a thick, creamy goop that will have your fresh berries on their knees, begging for a taste.  

ITALIAN INSPIRED CEVICHE

Chef Deborah Scott offers an impressive array of all kinds of cuisine, and this weekend you can taste a sample of her delicious ceviche, Italian style of course to pair with the Festa activities. In case you're tempted to try it out on your own, you can walk up Cedar Street and source all the ingredients you need, fresh from the farms! Her recipe can be found here, and it  makes a hefty volume, so adjust accordingly. 

Select three or four pounds of seafood from Poppa's Fresh Fish (she calls for squid and octopus, but fresh shrimp or fish will work wonderfully). Choose 
2 large onions and a few jalapenos from Suzie's Farm, pick out 10 juicy tomatoes from JR Organics, 10 cucumbers from Maciel Family Farms, chop up a bunch of fresh cilantro and parsley, and dice all of that together with lime juice
, fresh pressed orange juice from Polito Farms, 
sea salt from Salt Farm. Let it marinate for 30 minutes or so, and enjoy with fresh avocados and orange slices from Paradise Valley Ranch. 

There's a rumor going around town that grass- fed beef is what's for dinner, and we've got you covered at the Little Italy Mercato. Phil and Juany Noble own and operate Sage Mountain Farm in Hemet , CA. They own a small herd of Guernsey, Angus, and Holstein cattle. The animals are fed on a movable feast of grass and post-harvest crops. There's no growth hormones or antibiotics, just pure grass fed, pasture raised cattle freely roaming about the fields. Their products are now available every Saturday at the Mercato, along with other interesting cuts from SonRise Ranch and Da Le Ranch. If you're running short on time this week, pick up a few fresh cuts and try a few of these fabulous dinners:

Spicy Beef and Veggie Stir Fry
Saute fresh ginger, with garlic, onions, and bok choy from Vang Farms with thinly sliced Sirloin beef. Serve with dried red chilies and jasmine rice for a savory, filing dish that everyone will love.

Oven Broiled
For a juicy, tender home cooked meal for two broil a small flank steak from Da Le Ranch with a bit of lime juice and salt and pepper. Roast broccoli and cauliflower from Suncoast Farm and a couple of late corn cobs from Kawano Farms, drizzle with olive oil and season to taste. Simple and delicious.

Pot Roast
If you've got a few hours at home, this fragrant roast will surely herd the family into the kitchen. Gather fresh rosemary, thyme, and even oregano from Suzie's Farm and combine them with Marian's olive oil, himalayan salt from Salt Farm, and fresh pepper. Marinate and pot roast a nice beef cheek from SonRise and cook for a few hours with carrots and garlic from Maciel & Family and fresh fennel bulbs from JR Organics.

Grilled
Get ready for Sunday football with some sensational tri-tip skewers and sun dried tomato relish. Trim beef into cubes, rub with an herbed garlic oil from Gianni's, grill on wooden skewers, and serve with an amazing relish made from Cippolini onions from Schaner Farms, sun-dried tomatoes from Terra Bella Ranch, fresh sliced avocados from Paradise Valley Ranch, and crumbled goat feta cheese from Nicolau Farms.

Skillet
If noodles are calling your name, why not make a creamy beef stroganoff that lasts through the week? Season ground beef with salt, pepper, and creole spices from Just Spice . Add chopped yellow onions from JR Organics, cute button mushrooms from Kawano Farms with fresh garlic and a bit of Spring Hill Cheese' new sour cream. Serve with wide egg noodles or elbow macaroni and a bit of chopped parsley for garnish. Divine!