Note: On Mondays, one of our various Market Scene correspondents checks in with what's fresh at farmstands, what's coming up, and what you better get while the gettin's good. This week, we hear from Los Angeles correspondent Leah Greenstein of SpicySaltySweet. Take us to the market, Leah! Persimmons from Peacock Family Farm. If fall had an official color—like poppies are the official flower of California, Humuhumunukunukuapua`a is the official fish of Hawaii and Crocs are the official shoe of Mario Batali—it would have to be orange. Vibrant, warm and evocative of piles of crisp leaves perfect for jumping in, or the jack-o-lantern shrapnel you wade through the morning after Halloween, orange permeates the season. Here are some of my favorite...
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[Photographs: Lucy Baker] Two weeks ago, I reviewed Maggie & Mary's Creamy Pumpkin Soup. It was so spicy and warming, I still thought about it long after slurping up the last spoonful. Squash-based soups make wonderful winter weeknight meals. Not only are they quick, satisfying, and healthy, they also chase the chill out of your bones faster than my mother chases my brother out of the kitchen on Thanksgiving morning. Last week I found myself unable to resist another batch of pumpkin soup. This time, I opted for Crate & Barrel's Pumpkin Chowder ($6.95). Unlike Maggie & Mary's soup (smooth and evenly textured) this one incorporates rice and chunks of vegetables....
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[Flickr: WhitA] As the leaves turn to beautiful shades of gold, orange, and berry, a whole new selection of squash replace the summer squash we loved so much. The many varieties of winter squash come in all kinds of shapes—round, elongated, oblong—and colors from honey to bright orange. Some of the most popular varieties are the acorn, amber cup, and butternut. No matter the variety, squash is a great fall vegetable and an excellent ingredient for all your delicious fall recipes. Vegetable Enchilada Roasted Delicata Squash Grafton Squash Casserole Hairy Gourd Bread Roasted Butternut Squash Soup Warm Winter Salad Braised Winter Squash with Garlic Lidia Bastianich's Squash Tiramisu Spaghetti Squash with RIcotta, Sage, and Pine Nuts Butternut Squash Soup...
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Note: On Mondays, one of our various Market Scene correspondents checks in with what's fresh at farmstands, what's coming up, and what you better get while the gettin's good. Today, Leah Greenstein (SpicySaltySweet) drops by from Los Angeles. Heirloom tomatoes. It's baseball season—almost the All-Star break—which in my house means Red Sox games are playing on my TV every night. It also means screening phone calls, not checking text messages, and avoiding sites like Twitter and Facebook, where the multitudes seem to forget we live in the era of the DVR and inadvertently publish game spoilers. The nonstop baseball marathon also means that summer is in full swing, the grill is hot, and the produce at the Hollywood Farmers' Market...
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What's better than a hearty squash soup in January? One with the added kicks of roasted garlic and a spicy tomato salsa! Chris and Lisa, of We [Heart] Food, used up the remains of their CSA veggies with this soup from the Ultimate Soup Bible. As Chris says, "That sweet-and-spicy combination is a winner." Plus, roasted garlic? I'm there....
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Habeñeros and Jalepeños Southern California is suffering from a case of the "in-betweens." It's practically October—normally time to trade in the grilling gear for a cast iron Dutch oven—but yesterday it felt like the middle of August. Now I realize complaining about hot weather won't inspire much sympathy when most of the country is unpacking their sweaters, but it can be a little disheartening when you're eager for those cooler weather fruits and veggies. Instead, most of the Hollywood Farmers' Market (map) still looked like late summer. The heirloom tomatoes were beautiful (and bountiful) and there were a surprising number of tables full of peaches, plums, berries, corn, and melons. There were also still lots of hot and sweet...
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