pesto

The distinctive fragrance of fresh cilantro fills the air around Valdivia, Vang’s, Maciel, and Gilbert Quintos’ farm stands at the Little Italy Mercato.  You’ve probably used cilantro in salsa made with tomatoes from JR Organics or in guacamole with avocado and limes from Heritage or Paradise Valley Ranch, but it’s also delicious in summer fruit salsas; try it with nectarines from Lone Oak, cantaloupe from Kawano or pluots from Smit Orchards. You’ll want to grab a big bunch if you’re making ceviche from Poppa’s Fresh Fish.

Cilantro is native to Europe and was popular in medieval cooking, but fell out of fashion there  in the 1600’s. It’s now most closely associated with Asian and Latin American cuisine, but it was once key in Italian cooking, and cilantro pesto actually predates the basil version that we know today. Pick up some chandler walnuts from Terra Bella Ranch and parmesan-reggiano from Taste cheese and try it out for yourself, tucked into quesadillas or tossed with Assenti's pasta.

24 CARROT BOLD

Crunchy carrots from Kawano, Suzie’s Farm and JR Organics at the North Park Farmers’ Market make the perfect snack anytime, whether you dunk them in raw garlic spread from Majestic Garlic, hummus from Lisko or Baba Foods, or any of the delicious Bitchin’ Sauce flavors.

Toss shredded carrots with  olive oil from the California OIive,  a squeeze of fresh lemon from Gilbert Quintos or Paradise Valley and a little mustard for a classic French carrot salad; add apples, almonds and raisins from Smit Orchards to give it an American twist (but skip drowning them in mayo ala the old school cafeteria version).  

If you’d rather cook  your carrots, try this gorgeous vegetable ribbon pasta recipe; you’ll want to add zucchini from Valdivia Farms, mushrooms from Kawano and butter from Springhill Cheese Company to your shopping list.  Don’t overlook the carrots’ edible green tops; grab some green garlic from Suzie’s and almonds from Hopins AG and whip up this carrot top pesto to spread on ciabatta from Belen Bakery or, better yet, drizzle it over homemade carrot soup.  That’s a bowl of 24 carrot gold!

Eat, drink, and be merry by shopping at the Little Italy Mercato. Holiday parties and lots of family members hungry stomachs mean it might be the perfect time to make a big batch of lasagna or your other favorite pasta. Buy green spinach linguini or gnocchi from Lisko Imports and smother it with any of the gorgeous green pestos from Basiltops for a warm, festive meal. Offer plates of roasted Italian sausage from Sonrise Ranch, small rounds of your favorite creamy, cheese from Mary at Taste Cheese, and plenty of fresh baked bread from Belen or Bread & Cie to sop up the sauce. 

Pick up a pint of dark red pomegranate juice from Lone Oak Ranch or Schaner's Farm or fresh apple cider from Smit Orchards. You can even spruce up your drinks with little sprigs of green mint or rosemary from Rivera Treasure Garden! It's the most wonderful time of the year...

Are youwanting to make fresh, healthy dinners but feel overwhelmed by picking out ingredients and putting it all together?? Really, its not that hard if you visit the farmers' market to take advantage of Chard! JR Organics and Vang Farms have beautiful, leavy bunches of red, yellow, and white chard that is bursting with vitamins, carotenes, chlorophyll, and iron. Not to mention it yields delicous brackish flavors and when cooked the leaves release a sweet aftertaste. 

A simple recipe for dinner is to toss some freshmade pasta (Lisko Imports has some delectable handmade fettucines of all flavors) with olive oil, lemon juice, a bit of minced garlic and steamed or sauteed swiss chard. Or try adding a little zest to your breakfast omelets by adding a few stalks of boiled chard. With Autumn really setting in, it's always a welcome idea to cook ahead and make a creamy "beans& greens" soup for ake away lunches. Try this recipe, and make sure to pick up some dried beans from the folks at Sustainable Pantry or Suncoast Farms, a bit of your favorite pesto from Basiltops, and some fresh goat feta cheese from Nicolau Farms. 

Strozzapreti in Pesto di Rucola e Mandorle (AKA: tantalizing, delicious pesto and arugula pasta)

Chef Fabrizio Cavallini from Bencotto Italian Kitchen will make fresh strozzapreti pasta from scratch during the Festa, and if you're sharp, you'll take notes and buy your own ingredients to duplicate his dish at home. You'll need a good amount of flour, extra virgin olive oil either from Marian's or Gianni's stand, fresh eggs from Schaner or Paradise Valley Ranch, and peppery arugula from Vang or Sage Mountain Farm. Also, pick up some raw or roasted almonds from Hopkins AG and a head of fresh heirloom garlic  from Sage Mountain or Maciel & Family. The pesto should be blended together slowly until its a smooth, pasty consistency. The pasta dough should be kneaded together (with just a pinch of salt) until it feels smooth and elastic. 

Enjoy this dish with a nice glass of wine from Mona Lisa's as you recall all the fun events from your day at the Festa!

NOT YOUR TYPICAL GARLIC VARIETY

Green garlic.  Sounds very gourmet doesn't it? But don't be intimidated, green garlic, which is sometimes called spring or new garlic, is just immature garlic bulbs pulled before they reach full size. Resembling a slightly larger scallion with hints of purple at the white ends, these usually don't start showing up until early spring, but once again we can thank our perfect climate for bringing yet another crop into the Little Italy Mercato ahead of schedule. Pick up a bunch now at Schaner Farms, and use it in place of garlic cloves or scallions; keeping in mind that it's milder than the full grown version, but stronger than your typical green onion. With some basil from Suzie's Farm, red walnuts from Terra Bella Ranch, your favorite olive oil and some Parmesan cheese, you've got the makings for a great pesto. Or slip some into your Super Bowl Salsa.  A little garlic breath never hurt anyone.