The Farmers Market Box

The beginning of fall has arrived and the summer is officially behind us. Pumpkins are shaping up and stone fruits are shipping out. Heirloom apples are filling baskets at the market, as are pears and soon, persimmons and winter squashes. The chile peppers are at their peak with several varieties tempting our palates eyes and mouths. Here are the newcomers to the market (each from heirlooms seeds) representing regions and quintessential to traditional and modern cuisines from around the world…

THE WORLD IS YOUR OYSTER~ A field trip to Fallbrook Mushroom Farm on Monday was an educated journey into a virtual Chinese forest where mushrooms were dominating the landscape.  Long and narrow, screened barns are home to thousands upon thousands of oyster “spawns” and shitake logs.  The mushrooms are cultivated on agro-waste (which is essentially recycled …

Utilizing ingredients that are grown in-season is equivalent to celebrating them. Cooking with these ingredients at their seasonal peak is rooted in culinary tradition. They have the power to satisfy and nourish our bodies’ innate cravings and they appeal to the senses in ways that would otherwise seem unimaginable. If you listen to your body and your senses, it will tell you what to cook. Our bodies crave seasonal ingredients the same way we want to wear linen in the summer. We crave persimmons in the fall, blood oranges in the winter and fava beans in the spring. The farmers market is the most natural and true representation of seasonal ingredients. There are no exceptions to the rule. A farmer who sells at the farmers market MUST grow his own food and sell only what he grows. It would be physically impossible then for an out-of-season vegetable or fruit to appear at the market, well, out-of-season. Here is a loose list of what to expect this fall at the Santa Monica Farmers Market and from our Southern California farmers: while some of these crops may be available year-round they are at their finest and in their peak in the fall months of the year.

Renew America’s Food Traditions is “an alliance of food, farming, environmental and culinary advocates who have joined together to identify, restore and celebrate America’s biologically and culturally diverse food traditions through conservation, education, promotion and regional networking.” It has been cultivated under Slow Food USA and its mission is to develop and promote conservation strategies to restore and renew at-risk foods and food traditions of North America. This past spring RAFT and Chef’s Collaborative (dedicated to connecting chefs to their local farmers) set out to bring 16 heirloom varieties back to life. 38 farmers planted the seeds and then sold their crops to local chefs. Maybe 16 heirlooms doesn’t seem like a lot, but it is a step in the right direction, restoring agricultural biodiversity, strengthening the bond between farmers and chefs, reconnecting with the earth and with our country’s traditions. An heirloom variety is open-pollinated and specifically one which pre-dates the 1950’s when “modern” hybrids were introduced and seeds were no longer developed to come back the next year, which forces farmers to repurchase seeds year after year. Heirlooms are nearly extinct, which makes seed-saving essential to their survival. Save your seeds from the heirloom produce you receive from the farms and put them in a farmer’s hand to plant and keep tradition alive. Support Slow Food USA, become a member of Chef’s Collaborative and continue to be a conscious member of the food community. And if you haven’t seen it already, go see Food, Inc. – it will change your life.

Honey bees are a critical part of the food chain and giving them food to pollinate keeps them productive. The production and sale of honey supports thousands of beekeeper families and provides consumers with an alternative to sugar. However, honey is of only minor importance compared to the benefits affor