Follow Club Dine In! on Twitter The kids love their veggies and will eat them up without creating a scene, but you will have to show them how. Five years ago, Chez Panisse Foundation, Center for Ecoliteracy, and Berkeley Unified … Continue reading
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June gloom lasted until September; the sun would only come out to tease us and quickly retreat as soon as we put on our sunblock. Well, Summer is finally, really finally upon us in San Francisco. The birds are chirping at 6 AM and I have not woke up to the sound of fog siren almost all week. All of the restaurants with an outdoor patio or rooftop are booked and the lines at Bi-Rite Creamery and Humphry Slocombe are growing by the minute. Thus, it was ironic to find apples, pears, dried fruit, and pumpkins at the FM this past weekend. I decided to have brunch with a good friend at the Ferry Plaza Market on Saturday. To my surprise, the market was not crowded as it normally is. Actually, there were no lines or a thick crowd to push yourself through. Everyone must have been at the beach.
Side note: I unlocked the CNN Healthy Eater Badge on 4Square by checking into the farmer’s market. Read more about it here.
Ferry Plaza Saturday Farmer’s Market:
Ferry Plaza Saturday Farmer's Market
Cranberry Shelling Beans
Dried Peaches
Purple and Green Okra
All sorts of grapes can be found since we live so close to wine country!
Oranges! Oranges are normally a winter fruit, but they can grow year round in some parts of the state. These are from..
Age-dried goat cheese that does not need to be refrigerated! Great for hikes and picnics.
Basil and tomatoes, the epitome of Summer!
Happy Girl Kitchen perserves! The raspberry-lemon is so good! I topped pancakes with the jam.
Pink Pearl Apples have a pink flesh and tart flavor. They are great for cooking and baking and retains their pink color.
Pumpkin, oh yes, Halloween is only 4 weeks away.
I love the views this FM offers- the Bay Bridge, connecting San Francisco to the East Bay Area.
Beautiful array of different peppers. Such a sight!
Chestnuts
Asian Pears aka Apple Pear are my favorite type of apples. They are really juicey, sweet, and crisp. Contrary to their name, they are not a cross between apples and pears.
A flat of tomatoes were being sold for only $12- significant drop from 3 weeks ago, where they were being sold for $20/flat. Don't these heirlooms look like giant candy?
My Sunday morning ritual: walk/jog through Crissy Field before getting my week's groceries at the Fort Mason Farmer's Market.
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A sure sign that the season is changing is the subtle transition in vegetables and fruits harvested. In the late summer, tomatoes are more abundant, but stone fruit, berries, and summer squashes start to dwindle. Apples, potatoes, Kabocha squash, and pears start to appear slowly. This is a super simple dish blending the two seasons together. Eat it as a side dish or as a filling for omelets or quesidellas, tossed in with pasta, or on top of a baguette.
Medly of summer/fall vegetables!
1/4 tsp grated fresh ginger
3 tbsp variety of olives, halved (optional)
3-4 small Padron peppers, sliced, seeds removed (optional)
5 sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped
1/2 cup leeks, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
1 medium zucchini, cut into thick, round slices
1 medium yellow summer squash, cut into thick, round slices
1 medium potato, cut into small cubes
1 medium orange/yellow/red bell pepper, cored and sliced
1/4 cup lemon basil, chopped*
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp luke warm water
salt and pepper to taste
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1tablespoons olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, salt and pepper.
If adding olives, use less salt!
2. In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent and tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the leeks and cook for another 1 minute, stirring once. Add the ginger, stir, and sautee for another minute. Add the remaining oil and potatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the water and let simmer. Once the water evaporates, add the zucchini, yellow squash, and peppers. Cook, stirring frequently, for 6 to 8 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
Sautee the onions, then add the leeks, and then the ginger
Toss in the potatoes and cook for a few minutes before adding in the rest of the vegetables.
Add in the remaining vegetables and stir frequently.
3. Add the warm vegetables to sun-dried tomato mixture and toss until coated.
Adjust the seasoning if you need to, before transferring to serving plate.
4. Transfer the vegetables to a serving bowl and sprinkle the lemon-basil over the vegetables. Serve immediately.
*If you cannot find lemon-basil, use regular basil and 2 tsp fresh lemon juice.
Lemon-basil gives off a strong lemon scent went chopping it, absolutely wonderful! You can find it at your farmer's market during the summer.
Serve as a side dish or with sliced baguette.
Fill a tortilla with shaved Parmesan and the vegetables to eat like a "quesidella".
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After having Nancy Silverton’s Mozza Caprese at Mario Batali’s Pizzeria Mozza’s, I just had to make it myself. Mozza caprese is just a salad of mozzarella, tomatoes, and fresh basil, drizzled with olive oil. It’s a simple, summertime staple in Italy and the colors (red, green, and white) represent the Italian flag, hence sometimes called insalate tricolore. This is my (quicker) interpretation of the salad, but can find Pizzeria Mozza’s authentic recipe here.
Estimate 2-3 tomatoes for each person.
1-2 small cluster of small or cherry tomatoes on the vine (5-6)
2 tbsp fresh basil pesto*
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, preferred mozzarella di bufala or burrata
1 1/2 tbsp good quality olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
fresh basil leaves for garnish
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Gently wash the tomatoes without breaking them from the vine and let dry for a couple of minutes. Brush tomatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange the tomatoes, with their vines intact, on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the skins begin to shrivel like a raisin but the tomatoes remain plump. Remove from the oven and let cool.
2. Drain the mozzarella from its water for 1/2 hour, by place it on a paper towel. Divide mozzarella balls in half, slicing the cheese crosswise about 1/4-inch thick. Arrange the cheese on a platter or two small serving plates. Spread 1 tablespoon of the pesto over each cheese portion.
3. With scissors, cut the vines of the tomatoes to create 2 portions with their vines intact, and arrange the tomatoes on top of the cheese. Drizzle with olive oil over each serving of tomatoes. Garnish with basil leaves and serve immediately. Careful, the tomatoes will be steaming hot!
*When buying pre-made pesto, read the ingredient label carefully! There should be no added sugars and preservatives. Check with a local Italian deli. Ingredients in authentic pesto sauce are: pine nuts, garlic, basil, parsley, olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano/Parmesan cheese, lemon juice and salt.
**If you want to cook the tomatoes in a much shorter time, roast the tomatoes on medium heat in a cast iron pan for 10-15 minutes. The results will not be the same as slow roasting them in the oven, but works fine if you are pressed for time.
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Last Monday, Satish and I choose to have dinner at Mario Batali’s Pizzeria Mozza in West Hollywood because of his signature “MM” dishes. He is among the few chefs who has embraced the campaign and encourages Americans to make vegetables more of a “star” on their plates. I’ve read many (negative) comments and opinions on Chef Batali’s MM promotion as vain. I think he is genuine and understands the point of MM. Quoting Batali, “Most people in the U.S eat way more meat than is good for them or the planet. Asking everyone to go vegetarian or vegan isn’t a realistic or attainable goal, but we can focus on a more plant- based diet…that’s why I’m such a big believer in the Meatless Monday movement.”
Pizzeria Mozza is understated in the world of glamorous and over the top restaurants in Los Angeles. It’s a place you would go to have a relaxing meal with your friends or family, or just by yourself. Our servers were very kind, knowledgeable, and accepting of MM. My expectations were at best neutral I didn’t think the staff would care that we practice MM. I was expecting one vegetarian option and a nonchalant response. Not that we were looking for accolades or a badge, but it’s rare to find people who actually understands the whats and whys about our request. We unfolded the large paper menu and were overwhelmed by all the options. We just let our server tell us what the vegetarian options for the day were (usually at any resto there are only 3-4 things). He started out by apologizing that the signature MM dish was all sold out and then rattled off at least 10 vegetarian options! We ordered the Cauliflower Friti and Squash Blossom (obsession) Pizza, wanting to save room for dessert. To be honest, if it weren’t so late at night and if we didn’t have an appetizer at Rick Bayless‘ Red O Restaurant beforehand, I would have ordered at least 3 other things. How can I say this without using childish words like delicious or yummy?! The pizza crust was perfect, the squash blossoms laid out beautifully, the mozzarella impeccable. The friti was delicious and hearty. The best part was the Mozza Caprese that the chef brought out for us: slow roasted tomatoes on the vine with mozzarella and pesto. It was the best tomato dish of its kind I have ever had. I would put it in the top 1o list of the best things I’ve ever ate. I was so inspired that the next day I bought all of the ingredients and tried to replicate it for the family. I would like to thank Nancy Silverton for introducing me to a new way of pairing mozzarella and tomatoes.
Mozza Caprese- high quality mozzarella, tomatoes on the vine, basil peso
My mouth is watering just looking at these pictures!
Cauliflower Friti- a bit oily, but still delicious
Squash Blossom Pizza- embracing local flavors and seasonality
Squash blossoms, tomato & burrata- scrumptious and sensual
Many of Batali's restaurants will designate dishes as Meatless Monday options using his new MM logo
I highly recommend Pizzeria Mozza and they offer plenty of healthy options (vegetarian and non-vegetarian) to keep you on the track of wellness and support local farms. Club Dine In! approved.
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Image via Wikipedia
In honor of us being in Los Angeles on a Meatless Monday, I would like to highlight a few celebrities who have embraced the movement to give up meat one day a week for better health, and ecology. Celebrities have always been important in using their fame and power positively to raise awareness about social and environmental issues. Since MM is a national campaign that encourages Americans to incorporate more vegetables and less meat into their diet, many celebrities have taken it upon themselves to better our eating habits. (Celebrities are infamous for their crazy diets and personal chefs, so don’t mimic their dietstyle completely!)
1. Mario Batali, famous for his meat-centric restaurants and Iron Chef title on the Food Network, has pledged to offer more vegetarian options at all of his 14 restaurants. Batali has taken it upon himself to send a powerful message to other chefs and restauranteurs to adopt to more sustainable practices, by supporting farmers who raise their animals humanely and focusing on a more plant-based diet.
2. Gwyneth Paltrow, beautiful and talented Hollywood actress, has joined the movement after learning about the environmental impact of raising livestock for consumption. The Livestock industry produces gases that are extremely dangerous for the future of our environment, since the gases produced are more harmful than CO2 and livestock production is land and water intensive. Also, a third of all cereal crops, and well over 90% of soya, goes into animal feed, not food for humans.
3. Simon Cowell, the controversial former America’s Idol judge, has signed up for the cause after long-time vegetarian Leona Lewis asked for his participation.
4. Michael Pollan, professor and food activist, is an obvious promoter of a more plant-based diet. Besides helping the environment, Michael says “meatless Mondays” have a bonus benefit. “To the extent we push meat a little bit to the side and move vegetables to the center of our diet, we’re also going to be a lot healthier,” he says.
5. Kate Moss might still don fur coats and decorate her house with animal-hair rugs, but has embraced MM with bff Stella McCartney.
Check out Homemade Dosas below!
Indian food is super easy to eat delicious, filling, vegetarian meals. Today, I have the absolute pleasure of eating homemade dosas made by my sister-in-law. Dosas are not super hard to make, but require planning and is time-intensive. Traditionally, dosas are rice and lentil crepes stuffed with spiced potatoes and coconut chutney that are eaten in South Indian households for breakfast. However, in America, most people eat dosas for dinner. If eaten without being cooked in tremendous amounts of butter/oil and filled with a variaty of vegetables, dosas can be very healthy and nutritious. Since, dosas are made with only rice and urad daal (high protein lentils), they are gluten/wheat free. Unfortunately, most of the dosas from restaurants are drenched in butter/oil. I normally buy freshly made dosa batter from a local Indian store and make non-traditional filling myself. (By non-traditional I mean -avocados, tomatoes, spinach, eggs, pulled chicken, etc.) However, today my sister-in-law has made everything from scratch in the traditional manner.
The dosa batter is made by soaking rice and urad daal for six plus hours in a warm place then grinding them to make a smooth paste. After adding salt, let the batter sit for an additional 12 hours until it has fermented. Once fermented, stir the batter and add just enough water to make it a thick batter of pouring consistency.
Video coming soon!
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