paella

Savor the sweet taste of spring in fresh, green English peas from JR Organics and Maciel Farm at the Little Italy Mercato. Sautee them with a little green garlic from Schaner Farms and southern California olive oil from the Farmer’s Daughter, or blend them into a cool, chilled pea soup with fresh spring herbs like mint, basil, parsley or even cilantro from Rivera’s Treasure Garden.

Mix them into a seafood paella with locally caught fish and shellfish from the Salmon Slinger or Poppa’s Fresh Fish. Look for pea tendrils at Vang’s Farm and stir-fry them with oyster mushrooms from Suzie’s Farm, or pick up sugar snap peas at Second Chance Farms and dunk them in raw, vegan Majestic Garlic spread, cilantro-chili Bitchin’ Sauce, or H&B Guac Shack’s avocado dip.

Peas out!

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.

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.