pacific beach farmers' market

BAAAACK AT PACIFIC BEACH

Nicolau Farms is back at the Pacific Beach Tuesday Farmers’ Market with their farmstead fresh chevre.  If you’ve been missing their soft and creamy, tangy, tasty goat cheese lately, you’re not alone.  Their small herd of goats doesn’t make much milk in the winter, so the cheese has been scarce, but with the warmer weather it’s back!  

For a winning breakfast, spread a generous spoonful of classic chevre  over a thick slice of French toast made with Belen Bakery bread and pastured eggs from Paradise Valley Ranch.  Top with early-season sliced strawberries from JR Organics or Kawano farms and a drizzle of local honey from  Mikolich.  Need an easy appetizer that’s also delicious? Toss a handful of pitted black olives from Lisko Imports and a hunk of spicy red pepper chevre into a food processor, pulse a couple times and serve up a creamy take on tapenade.  If it’s a great salad you’re craving, mix goat cheese with roasted beets and arrugula from Suzie’s Farm, and make a blood orange vinaigrette with with citrus from Gilbert Qintos or Rancho Mexico Lindo and extra virgin oil from the California Olive Oil Company.

Nicolau Farms also has  wonderful sun-dried tomato and goat cheese ravioli, which would be perfect with a spinach pesto made with Maciel Farm’s  spinach.  If you saved room for dessert, try a slice of Nicolau’s famous goat cheese cake topped with a smear of date jam from Morocco Gold, or one of the delicious goat cheese based Viva Pops that you’ll find at the market.  Missing out on any of these goat cheese treats would be a baaad idea!

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 Pacific Beach Tuesday Farmers' Market for the fresh ingredients to make a paella yourself.

Paella can be served year round, for any celebration! This is a mouth watering Spanish dish, traditionally cooked in a large, flat pan with two handles. Paella is usually personalized, so feel free to substitute your favorite ingredients for any that are hard to find. With our long growing season and wonderful farmers' markets in San Diego you shouldn't have a problem finding all the freshest ingredients!

Heat olive oil from Thyme of Essence and braise chopped yellow onions from JR Organics and summer tomatoes from your favorite farmer. Strain out the juices and toss the veggies into your paella pan. In another pot, lightly cook your choice of shrimp (visit Miss Sushi at the market this week for all your seafood needs) mussels and other seafood. We like the finger-food action of playing with the shells, but you can remove tails and shells for more refined dining. 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 Produce Stand??), and your rice. Let this cook down in an appropriate amount of broth/water, keeping sure not to burn the rice. Mash garlic, parsley and a few threads of saffron with a little bit of Salt Farms' 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 and ribboned bell peppers. Ah, passion in a pan.