Even a quick glimpse at the Westside Farmers Market last Saturday convinced me that spring really is about to, well, spring. There’s nothing like baby shallots and leeks—for example the splendid lineup at Dirty Girl Farm’s well-stocked stand—to convince any foodie that new ingredients are blossoming in our local organic fields. After polishing off a slab of pumpkin bread (my weekly addiction from Companion Bakers) I made the tour of the Happy Boy temptations, where baby arugula and fresh nettles caught my attention. The nettles require some braising or boiling before you add them to your ravioli or pizza, but their depth of wild flavor is worth an extra step of processing. I was very careful not to touch the choice little greens. Mounds of Meyer lemons and rolling hills of freshly harvested artichokes offered the eye-catching foundations of any number of exciting Italianate dinners. Watermelon radishes, like the ones I admired last week in an Avanti salad, are abundant right now, along with myriad kales. Rodoni is a top stop for kales, the purple, the crinkly, the purple and green, the green-black. (You do know to chop them up into thin strips and braise them in garlic, olive oil and broth?) Anemones and tulips are out now at Thomas Farm Flowers, where there are always little surprises, such as branches of culinary bay leaves—beautiful, aromatic and useful in the kitchen. At H&H Fresh Fish I purchased wild steelhead for dinner—delicious with a squeeze of the aforementioned Meyer lemon.
Sheep Fun Rancher and fromagista Rebecca King invites you to come out to her atmospheric Monkeyflower Ranch Open House on March 26 from noon to 6pm. This is a rare chance to hang out with wildflowers, dairy equipment and unbelievably adorable baby animals. If you have never held or petted a tiny lamb or goat, you will be transported by how sweet and full of rambunctious energy they are. The artisan rancher’s tour will give you a close and personal understanding of how these happy, humanely-raised creatures produce—with expertise from King—delicious handmade cheeses. Fresh air, little lambs and designer cheese… this open house offers a lot of things you just can’t do with a keyboard or headphones. Contact King at rebeccajaneking@gmail.com for details about this free open house at Monkeyflower Ranch, located at 1481 San Miguel Canyon Road in Royal Oaks.
Top Plates The duck confit frisee and watercress salad at Soif, adorned with thin slices of green apple and shallot vinaigrette…Luscious winter specials from Au Midi. Consider Wednesday’s osso bucco with creamy polenta and a glass of house wine, made with sass and skill by chef Muriel Loubiere. On Thursday, she makes bouillabaisse loaded with ling cod, mussels and saffron. There’s more at this tiny bit of French charm loaded with authentic dishes and sensitive prices (831.685.2600 or http://www.aumidi.com)…A new Pleasure Pizza has opened where Hank’s at the Hook was, at 41st Ave. and Portola. This is a good thing.
Send tips about food, wine and new dining discoveries to Christina Waters at xtina@cruzio.com. Read her blog at http://christinawaters.com.
