Author: Melissa Mayer

The global food chain has endangered local small farmers, markets, ravaged the waters and polluted land, air and sea. Can conscience and a desire to support local communities overcome cheap prices for cheap food and greed? Can a trend that evolved from what was once tradition become the protocol for what we eat? If it is simply a trend now it could ultimately become the model for the way we live tomorrow. The conversation will continue. The trend will persist. Sustainability and farmers markets are building momentum. A chef has a responsibility to the community, to the farmers, to the growers, to guests and ultimately to themselves. Where do you stand?

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WINTER CROPS:
Bacon and Fuertes Avocados, Cabbage, Cardones, Baby Cauliflower, Celery Root, Cherimoyas, Citrus: Buddha’s Hand, Grapefruit, Meyer lemons, Mandarins, Kumquats, Blood Oranges, Pomelos, Tangelos, Dates, Escarole, Fennel, Kale: Black, Peacock, Kohlrabies, Leeks, Mushrooms: Black Trumpet, Chanterelle, Oyster, Shitake, Nettles, Parsnips, Radicchio, Radishes, Sapotes, Sorrel, Sweet Potatoes, Swiss Chard, Turnips, Winter Squash
Allow this to be your navigational guide to menu-making and spontaneous cravings, getting what’s in season locally and just one chapter of living, breathing sustainability.

Local Truffles: both white and black, roughly the size of walnuts and sold by the ounce are available at the farmers market via Clearwater Farms. The white truffles have an intense fragrance and an mild flavor of butter, fresh-roasted hazelnuts, and dried morels with a hint of garlic. with a rather short shelf-life. The black truffles are pungent; the flavor is a strange mix of pineapple, mushrooms and chocolate. These truffles are sniffed out from the forest ground by trained dogs that find the richest mature truffles that release a musky aphrodesial scent. Imagine, fresh domestic truffles harvested from Douglas Fir woodlands! A rare treasure, indeed…

Local Truffles: both white and black, roughly the size of walnuts and sold by the ounce are available at the farmers market via Clearwater Farms. The white truffles are extremely fragrant and intense with a rather short shelf-life. The black truffles are milder but they are more hardy than the white truffles. These truffles are sniffed out from the forest ground by trained dogs that find the richest mature truffles that release a musky aphrodesial scent. Imagine, fresh truffles harvested right here ! A rare treasure, indeed…

now available: Baby Yellow Cauliflower from McGrath Organic Farms!!! The color is intriguing; the texture dense and crisp. Excellent true cauliflower flavor! $$$ HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Windrose Farms and Tutti Frutti are back this week!!  Schaner Farms has green garlic!! and beets!  Coastal Organics has beautiful lettuces and baby broccoli.  Baby artichokes are on hiatus …

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Windrose Farms will NOT be at the market this week!!  Schaner Farms has green garlic!! and beets!  Coastal Organics has beautiful lettuces and baby broccoli.  Baby artichokes are on hiatus until mid-January. Cara caras from Rancho Del Sol have arrived and soon, blood oranges from  Beck Grove!!! SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WINTER CROPS: Bacon, …

Santa Monica Farmers Market Dec. 23, 2009 HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Coleman Farms, Rutiz Farms and Tutti Frutti will NOT be at the market this week.  Schaner Farms has green garlic!! and beets!  Coastal Organics has beautiful lettuces, as does McGrath Farms.  Baby artichokes are on hiatus until mid-January. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WINTER CROPS: Bacon, Mexicola and …