grilling

The Pacific Beach Tuesday Farmers’ Market is awash with summer squash in many varieties from your favorite local farms. Kids love flying saucer shaped pattypan squash from Kawano Farms; pick up fresh spinach for this kid-friendly stuffed squash recipe. Eight-ball squash from JR Organics are also super stuffers; fill them with a mixture of Nicolau Farms fresh chevre and diced red peppers and onions from Proios Family Farm. Zucchini from Maciel Farm is great for grilling. Slice it in half lengthwise, brush the cut side with Bistro Blends’ Roasted Garlic Chardonnay marinade, then grill and top with grated Peppercorn Dry Jack cheese from Springhill Cheese Company. Stock up on summer squash at the Pacific Beach Tuesday Farmers’ Market!

Fresh okra is here at African Sisters, Proios Farm and JR Organics at the North Park Thursday Farmers’ Market! Try tossing a few lightly with California Olive oil, grill quickly on a hot grill, sprinkle with coarse sea salt and eat! For fans of Cajun and Creole cuisine, okra season means gumbo time. Lucky for you, the North Park Farmers’ Market is loaded with great ingredients for the perfect bowl. Find onion and garlic at Proios Farm, celery and cayenne peppers at Suzie’s Farm, green onion at Valdivia Farm and tomatoes at Kawano Farms. DaLe Ranch has naturally raised chicken and the Meat Men supply spicy fresh and cured sausage. If you’re new to gumbo, learn some technique and check out a recipe, but remember the key is to use great ingredients and have fun! 

SUPERBOWL SNACKS FOR THE WIN!

Score a big win with your football buddies by shopping the North Park Farmers’ Market before the Super Bowl. Those “lucky” enough to attend the game this year will be bundled up in big coats, hats and mittens in Indianapolis with a high temperature predicted to be 38 degrees. Really lucky fans here in sunny San Diego can enjoy the big game in tees and sandals!

Start with appetizers - grab a few baguettes from Belen Bread, a bottle of California Olive Oil for dipping, some manly Beemster and Mimolette cheeses from Taste Cheese and scarlet grapes from Smit Orchard. Forget the fried potato chips and heavy onion dip! Grab crunchy carrots, celery and squash from Valdivia Farms and Suzie’s Farm to serve with chipotle or pesto Bitchin’ Sauce and Lisko Artisan Deli’s hummus. While you’re at the Bitchin’ booth - grab some extra tubs to spread on your pre-game sandwiches, grilled chicken or fish!

Speaking of the grill, get in on the biggest grilling day of the year with farm fresh chicken or a flank steak from Da-Le Ranch. Make it a great ‘Half-Thyme’ meal with thyme, dill and cilantro from J.R. Organics to season your grilled meat or veggies. Get your guac on with big avocados from Paradise Valley Ranch, limes from Gilbert Quintos’ Farm and jalapenos from Proios Family Farm. Don’t forget to tell the farmer when you’ll be mashing those avocados to get the best advice on ripeness.

Not hosting the game this year? Scoop up a tin of honey cinnamon roasted almonds from Hopkins AG and a bunch of pretty blooms from Hidalgo Flowers for the host and you’ll be sure to be named Most Valuable Guest!

NEXT, ON OKRA!

Okra is here at the North Park Farmer’s market. You’ll find it at JR Organics, Suzie's Farm and Rodney Kawano Farms.   And, we hope that it doesn't cause you any fear!   Okra has gotten a bad rap over the years because when cooked certain ways it produces a viscous substance, also known as "slime".  That slime makes an excellent thickener for gumbo but turns some folks off okra for life!

We want to change your minds about the much-maligned vegetable and searched for cooking methods that would eliminate or minimize the slime quotient.  First, try tossing the okra in olive oil, season with salt and pepper and grill them or sauté them in very hot oil.  The extreme heat of the grill/oil kills the slime factor completely!

 
Another way is to add plain white vinegar to the okra when it's cooking. It gets rid of the slime every time and nobody is the wiser.  With that tip in mind, why not try this simple dish of smothered okra and tomatoes.  Heat some Gianni's herb infused olive oil in a Dutch oven; add okra, red or white onions from Valdivia farms, tomatoes and garlic. Stir mixture together and add any salt from Salt Farm and pepper and cook for an hour!  It's time you give okra another try.  You may find the flavor to be truly sublime!

GRILLING AND GLOATING

The Chargers won't be playing in the Superbowl Sunday, but football fans (and everyone else) in San Diego can take consolation in the fact that fans in Green Bay and Pittsburgh probably aren't planning a backyard barbecue to feed their friends on the day of the big game.  With an additional six to twelve inches of sunshine expected this week, get ready to fire up the grill on Sunday and fill it with local meats and fish from the Adams Avenue Farmers' Market.

DaLe Ranch has grass fed tri-tip roasts, cage free chickens and a great assortment of sausages including spicy andoullie, sweet Italian and smoked Polish.  Locally made pickles from Happy Pantry make the perfect side.  Pacific halibut from Poppa's Fresh Fish is a lighter option on the grill, and basting it with Chardonnay-Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette from Bistro Blends will really bring out the delicate flavors.  Enjoy the beautiful weather as you cook outside in February!