May 2010

The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook: How to Shop at the Farmers' Market

Dear Friends,

With seasonal markets beginning to open up for the year, you may have decided this finally is the year you'll buy from local growers. Feeling a bit timid? You're not alone.

Last month I was on Cape Cod, where I helped my son and his fiancée plan their June wedding, which they want to source locally and sustainably. Although my son now lives in Boston, none of us was familiar with the Upper Cape (the part closest to the mainland). I may know many markets, but here I was, a newbie once again, with little time to suss things out.

Here's what I did: I asked friends, strangers, and Google for advice, grabbed copies of Edible South Shore and Cape Cod (the mother lode!), and asked questions of the growers and purveyors we met along the way. Anxiety soon gave way to delight as we made discoveries and gradually widened the breadth of our knowledge, puzzling together a tiny sense of community.

What I'm saying is, we're all beginners from time to time. Now, once you're at a farmers' market, use all your senses as you continue to explore?smell the scent of fresh berries, taste them, and listen to the farmers' advice about how to store and prepare them. You can find more on how to shop at farmers' markets on page 21 of my book.

But, back to SE Mass. Here's what we found, but I'd love to know any other great resources you might have for me: Bay End Farm near Buzzard's Bay and the Plymouth Thursday market for produce; Turks Seafood in Mattapoisett for their daily catch; and local meat, milk, and other provisions from the nice folks at How on Earth across the road. In June, there should be strawberries, pea tendrils, Swiss chard, lettuces, arugula, chive flowers, garlic scapes, scallions, and radishes, which for me will be a nice spring rerun, since New England's season runs about two months behind southern California's.

In other news, I just returned from Portland, Oregon, home to this year's International Association of Culinary Professionals conference. I did duck out with my New York friend Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan to troll the big Saturday market toasty hazelnuts! glistening rhubarb! creamy sheep's milk cheese!). You can see her right-coaster's take on our adventure here.

There was an Urban Farm Mini-Symposium at the conference, where I was inspired by the tireless Deborah Kane (Edible Portland), who created Food Hub, an online match-up service for food producers and buyers; and Kamal Mouzawak, founder/director of Souk el Tayeb, an extraordinary farmers' market program in Beirut, Lebanon. I often talk about the deeper communion markets offer, but Kamal gave new perspective to their power. In Beirut, the market and its food provide a common meeting ground among religious/ethnic sects.

I'll close by sharing my new carrot recipes (Bon Appétit, May 2010)—You'll love the Pickled Carrots, Moroccan-Style— and fun summer recipes (Cooking Light, June 2010). And, by offering you a good laugh: tune in to Food Network's The Private Chefs of Beverly Hills on May 7, where I was invited to be a dinner guest on the episode "It Ain't Easy Being Green," shot at the intriguing Path to Freedom Urban Homestead in Pasadena. The segment I was on chronicles the misadventures of young chefs struggling to produce a "green" meal (think: bicycle-driven blenders and solar oven-baking on a very cold, very grey day).

Warm regards,
Amelia

March 2010

The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook in 4th Printing!

Dear Friends,

Yes—The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook has gone into a fourth printing! Thank you all for your support. It pleases me no end that the book continues to be a helpful resource for simple, seasonal cooking and shopping, wherever you live.

This has been a thought-provoking month of writing and meetings. With much of the L.A. area quarantined due to Medfly (it took just two flies!), I posted a two-part story on Eat:LA about methods of treatment and what to do at home and the market.

At the California Small Farm Conference in San Diego, I attended an SRO panel on small-scale farm start-ups, particularly as work therapy for American Vets. It was a stunning example of farming's regenerative powers and proof that the passion to work the land endures. And, for the first time in its 23 years, the conference saw tremendous support from Slow Food USA, including a spirited keynote address by its president, Josh Viertel.

Proud parent alert: March also marked Ate.Cafe's first anniversary! That's the Austin-area café owned by my daughter and son-in-law, Jessica and Rodolfo Buonocore. Breakfast, lunch, catering, and weekly family dinner delivery service are flourishing, and the café is now open evenings for small plates, tapas, and interesting beers and wines, particularly those from Rodolfo's native Argentina. Rodolfo is a master at tapas; he used them to wow my husband and me when he courted our daughter. Click here to receive the café's monthly newsletter.

Looking ahead to spring flavors, check out my latest recipe on KCRW's "Good Food": Pork Stew with Fire-Roasted Green Tomatoes. Non-meat eaters please keep reading! On a recent walk through the market, I was inspired the instant I saw the season's first unripe tomatoes: I'd blacken them over an open flame for extra flavor and use them in a transitional, tangy braise, as one would tomatillos, which aren't in season here until summer. The base is also fabulous with shellfish or sustainable firm-fleshed white fish. Simply add the seafood to the simmering sauce 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

April 22 is the 40th Annual Earth Day. (My, how time flies. I was a UCLA freshman for the first, and remember gathering at the base of Janss Steps to celebrate instead of protest. It was 1970, after all.) Start this year's observance by watching the April 20th PBS showing of Dirt, the Movie, an uplifting documentary on our ultimate natural resource, and learn what we can do to save the soil.

Next, honor the earth every week by supporting your local, sustainable-practices farmers. Not sure how to shop? Angelenos, take advantage of my Earth Day Special market tour, Wednesday, May 5. Join me as we seek out the best of late spring. Looking forward to seeing you soon.

Warm regards,
Amelia

January 2010

The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook: Winter Events and Baking Great Pies

Dear Friends,

Call me crazy, but I love January. It's so full of potential: I don't mean earnest diet-and-exercise resolutions, but the possibility of finally dusting off a personal promise, like learning French or mastering a great pie crust.

Actually, pastry dough has been much on my mind since last November when I had the pleasure of judging KCRW's First Annual Pie Contest. With 150 entries, it was clear home arts are alive and well, even in urbania, no matter what naysayers claim about no one cooking anymore. It was also evident this old skill needs a little polishing; problems were consistent—pale, tough, flavorless, or under-baked bottom crusts.

The remedy is less about recipe and more about technique, that is, practice makes better pies. Wintry days offer plenty of opportunity; it's no wonder January 23 was declared National Pie Day. Here are four helpful hints to tender, golden crusts (you'll find more on page 193 of my book):

	Use as little water as possible. So little, that you must take a leap of faith the dough will come together. Liquid develops wheat flour's gluten, which gives dough structure—good for bread, not for pie.
	Be sure your crust recipe includes a little salt and sugar. If not, add half a teaspoon of the first and a tablespoon of the second to a two-crust batch for flavor. Sugar also enhances browning.
	Use a light hand to work in the fat. Use your fingertips, or a simple pastry cutter like the one below that belonged to Illinois farm wife Della Barr, who lived to 103. (I keep this well-worn tool on my counter as a reminder of past generations of cooks.)
	Don't under-bake! It takes a good while to get that bottom crust done. If the outer edges are getting too brown, tent with foil. Par-bake single-crust pie crusts before filling and baking. Glass or perforated metal pie pans help the crust's bottom brown.

I'm delighted to announce the first of my seasonal Santa Monica Farmers' Market walking tours: Saturday, March 6, 9am to 10:30am. We'll spend the morning visiting with dedicated farmers and discovering the best late-winter ingredients. You'll come away with loads of tasty ideas and a deeper understanding of farmers' markets. Cost is $65 per person (up to 8 people) or $80 with a signed copy of The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook. Click here to sign up and here for more details.

And, that most indispensible of local food guides, Eat: Los Angeles 2010, launches on February 20th with a party at Book Soup. Join me and fellow co-editors Linda Burum, Colleen Dunn Bates, Jenn Garbee, and Pat Saperstein for treats from the Grilled Cheese Food Truck! Hope to see you there and at these other great events.

Warm regards,
Amelia

December 2009

My Top 10 Gift Solutions

Dear Friends,

'Tis the season to be generously practical, yet body— and soul—satisfying. Here are my strategies for meaningful gift giving. I hope you'll find them helpful. May your holidays be merry, bright, and delicious.

Warm regards,
Amelia

	Give books. Hot off the press, EAT: Los Angeles 2010! Our second edition is even better than the first, with over 1,100 listings of the resources every food lover in L.A. County needs. Other new and old faves: The New American Olive Oil by Fran Gage, Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Everyday, and Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich. And, of course, The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook.
	Give cooking tools no kitchen should be without. For instance: a digital kitchen scale, canning supplies for next summer's harvest, or an inexpensive Japanese mandolin that instantly makes beautiful shaved salads and paper-thin roasted vegetables.
	Give cooking classes. Thank heavens we've come to our senses and are heading back into the kitchen. Give a certificate for a basics, baking, or even butchery class. Two new schools opened recently in SoCal: Venice Cooking School, founded by veteran cookbook authors Martha Rose Shulman and Clifford Wright, and Simple Gourmet, Melanie Barsuk and Taji Marie, proprietors.
	Give a farmers' market tour. Starting in March, I will be offering seasonal walking tours of the Santa Monica Farmers' Market. Please e-mail me if you are interested. Dates will be posted on my website in January.
	Give perfect seasonal produce. A box of carefully chosen mandarins, new harvest nuts, wild rice...whatever your regional specialties are. Give a taste of the best.
	Give a membership to a local CSA. Support your local farmers and give a season's or year's subscription to healthy eating. Plus, it's a very effective way to get more folks on the seasonal bandwagon). Two California farms with strong Community Supported Agriculture programs: McGrath Family Farms and Rutiz Family Farms.
	Give back to your farmers' market. Sign up to volunteer at your market for the coming year. Sure, you spend your food dollars there, but farmers' markets need reliable help to run smoothly. L.A. Westsiders: the Santa Monica Farmers' Market needs dependable volunteers. Contact: darra.adler@smgov.net.
	Give food literacy. Make a donation to edible education programs in your community so that the next generation will know how food is grown. And make a new year's resolution to get your hands dirty helping out in the garden.
	Feed families in need. Purchase "food baskets" in your friends' names to organizations that aid families in need. Your financial support funds purchase of foods that will feed a family for a week. Then, donate your time to pack and hand out the baskets. Since the days when my children were quite young, our family has been helping One Voice do just that.
	Give a gift that grows. Trees, that is, to heal the planet. Dedicate them to your friends, and make a date to help a local urban renewal group, such as Tree People, re-green your community.

November 2009

SMFM Cookbook talks turkey

Dear Friends,

If a turkey will grace your Thanksgiving table, where will you get it? Does your local farmers' market offer poultry? Do you wonder about the birds' back story?

This year, I've pre-ordered two medium turkeys from Healthy Family Farms, a nearby producer specializing in "meat birds" and one of two from whom I regularly buy chickens (Angelenos: Lily's Eggs is my other source). These turkeys aren't one of the heritage breeds we've been hearing about, but simply a plump, standard variety raised in a non-standard way—clean, free-range environment and a diet of grass, insects, organic grains (but no soy or corn), and vegetable and fruit scraps. The turkeys will be humanely slaughtered (there is such a thing) in a USDA-inspected facility a day or two before I pick them up at my neighborhood farmers' market, and the meat will never have been frozen. Therein lie the differences between small-farmed and industrially processed meat. Fresh, thoughtfully raised poultry is supple, juicy, and flavorful.

I bet the high quality will remedy that old turkey-roasting worry—you know, when the white meat gets dried out before the dark is cooked through. It's certainly made a difference with my weekly roasted chickens (a quick rub with kosher salt and an hour in a 400-degree oven). My other strategy is to cook two medium turkeys (about 15 pounds) instead of one large one. They'll be easier to handle and will yield a better light-and-dark balance for our drumstick-loving crowd.

This holiday, I encourage you to source healthy, fresh, local poultry and give thanks to the farmers whose passion is producing wholesome meat and who must overcome a lot of obstacles to do it, including the challenge of finding certified processors. If you're pleased with your find, send me the information and I'll post the resources on my website.

Now turkey alone does not a feast make. Just a reminder that you'll find lots of great accompaniments in The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook and this month's Bon Appétit—breads by Peter Reinhart, potatoes by Josie Le Balch, and new sides by yours truly. In the spirit of giving thanks, here's my favorite pumpkin pie recipe (under Seasonal Recipes-Autumn).

Speaking of pie, I'll be judging KCRW's first annual pie contest this Saturday at the Westfield Mall in Canoga Park. Come on down. At almost 150 entries we're going to need help eating all that pie. Also, I hope to see you at my Costco book signing December 4 in Marina del Rey, perfect timing for practical holiday shopping.

Warm regards,
Amelia

September 2009

The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook halfway through third printing!

Dear Friends,

Thanks to all of you, The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook is well into its third printing and will be available at Los Angeles-area Costco stores at the end of this month. And, The SMFM Cookbook is featured in the current issue of Edible L.A. in a story about a cooking club, the Spoons, founded by Ellen Rose, founder of the much lamented Cook's Library.

The weather may still be warm (oh, it's downright hot as I write), but the markets reflect the shift in seasons. Here in SoCal, crisp heirloom apples and early hard squashes stand shoulder to shoulder with a swan song of high desert peaches and late-season tomatoes. The local date harvest has begun: ripe Barhi dates with nearly liquid caramel centers can be found, along with strands of unripe dates that are all golden crunch and astringency. What a gorgeous autumn appetizer they make together, with a bit of arugula, tart apple, a drizzle of walnut oil and a squeeze of lemon.

At my local market, big fat Chardonnay carrots are super sweet. Seasoned with the fresh ginger now in season, they're delicious in a bright soup perfect for this transitional time. You'll find the recipe at KCRW Good Food, along with a video of another recent market inspiration— Tuscan kale with onions and raisins.

Hard to believe, but I'm beginning to look ahead to Thanksgiving. I've got a passel of new holiday side dish recipes in the November issue of Bon Appétit. You'll find new riffs on all the favorite autumn colors and flavorsâ€â€Â�onions, corn, carrots, Brussels sprouts, squash, snap beans, and Swiss Chard. Enjoy!

Warm regards,
Amelia

July 2009

Simple summer ideas from The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook

Dear Friends,

As I write, I'm in Blenheim apricot bliss (that's a bowl of them on the cover of my book). This is an especially good year for my favorite apricot variety, when all the elements converge to give the fruit an especially luminous rosy blush and honeyed flavor.

At the start of every tomato season, I'm reminded how worth a wait it is for sun-ripened tomatoes that have never seen the inside of a refrigerator. In one of those slap-my-forehead moments, I figured out how to make the simplest and best no-cook tomato soup ever! Here's the trick: you have to start with really great tomatoes. Here's the kitchen trick: pull out your old-fashioned box grater. Nothing to plug in, assemble, or heat; how green can you be. Just cut a bunch of tomatoes in half and poke out the seeds with your finger. Rub the cut sides of the tomatoes against the orange cheese-grating side of the grater. The tomato skin acts as a guard; as soon as you get to the skin, just toss it in the compost bowl. No peeling, no chopping. What you get is beautifully textured tomato essence, which is an entirely different animal than blender froth. Add a little salt, a dash of balsamic or red wine vinegar if you like, and call it soup. Divine. That handy little box grater is also essential for No-Cream Creamy Corn Soup (The SMFM Cookbook, page 64) and Fresh Black-Eyed Peas with Tomatoes and Onions (page 119).

Then come plums and pluots, which just get richer as summer progresses. Their vibrant reds, golds, and purples make gorgeous pluot and prosecco cocktails and open-face pinwheel tarts. Use pluots in a savory jam for goat cheese or salume, or sliced in a salad with smoked duck (don't forget the rosé). You'll find my new pluot recipes in the July issue of Bon Appétit.

I'm looking forward to some farm time this summer. I'll be heading to the Fresno area to harvest boxes and boxes of buttery Elberta peaches from my adopted tree at the Masumoto Family Farm. Farmer Mas will be in Santa Monica right after the peach harvest to speak about his new book, and I will make Elberta peach refreshments for the occasion! Later in August I'll be in southern San Luis Obispo County at Jerry Rutiz and Maureen Reilly's farm to do a little cooking fresh from the field.

I hope to see you at these great events. Have a wonderful summer!

Warm regards,
Amelia

June 2009

The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook to be translated into Braille

Dear Friends,

Here's a lovely bit of news: The Library of Congress has selected The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook to be translated into Braille (Spring 2010)! I am deeply honored that my work has been chosen to represent the local, seasonal food movement in Braille libraries across the country.

And here's another: Friend and mentor Deborah Madison and her artist-husband Patrick McFarlin have collaborated on a delicious little book, What We Eat When We Eat Alone (Gibbs Smith, May 2009). Part memoir, part food anthropological dig, the book is a tell-all about our solitary eating habits that will make you whoop in recognition, cringe in horror, and marvel about what our choices reveal. The tastiest food confessions inspire Deborah's 100 recipes, thankfully, none for fried Spam or Coffee-mate-dredged Life Cereal. Oh, and full disclosure—yours truly reveals her breakfast-for-dinner cravings.

I recently returned from The Symposium for Professional Food Writers at the Greenbrier in West Virginia, a sort of summer camp/thoughtful retreat for writers, editors, agents, and publishers. I participated in several panels, including one on self-publishing that generated lots of discussion with such folk as Bill LeBlond of Chronicle Books, Sydny Miner of Simon & Schuster, and rock-star food writer Michael Ruhlman (from whom I learned much about a writer's discipline).

It was an inspiring week of food experiences that included a late-night salt tasting led by Mark Bitterman, founder and "selmelier" of The Meadow in Portland, Oregon. Mark is so passionate about his subject he travels with slabs of ancient Himalayan salt in his suitcase! And, I learned about Cape Cod's local food movement from lissome Elspeth Pierson (diaryofalocavore).

Eating locally is in the details. While in West Virginia, I met farmer Pam West and sampled her early-season Chandler strawberries. Supple, with a rounded, mellow sweetness, they were different from the more contrast-y Southern California Chandlers I've had over the years. I shared the berries with my Symposium pals, a small gesture that told a bigger story. For me, who had been enjoying peak strawberry season back home, the treat was a fun comparison between terroirs. But, for my tablemates from the Northeast where the season hasn't started, the fruit elicited sighs of ecstasy as they bit into their first juicy berries of the year.

Meanwhile, my own local market was undergoing a radical seasonal shift during my two-week trip. (I continued on to western Massachusetts where I saw voluptuous wild ramps and luminous rhubarb at the Lenox Farmers' Market.) Before I left home, the Santa Monica Farmers' Market was full of late-season citrus and all manner of green things. Now, stalls abound with early peaches, nectarines, apricots, and cherries, which means it's time to enjoy one of my favorite almost-summer meals: cherry-and-almond salad, a nice piece of blue cheese, and a glass of rosé.

As summer approaches, please consider your local edible school gardens. They especially need your help when school's not in session. Three untended months of hot weather are the most perilous time for these outdoor classrooms' survival. For those of you in the Los Angeles area, the Garden School Foundation has volunteer opportunities.

Warm regards,
Amelia

April 2009

The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook Salutes White House Garden

Dear Friends,

I'm doing handsprings over the First Family's decision to plant an edible garden at the White House! Mrs. Obama puts the spotlight on local, seasonal, and healthy in a huge way. Yes! She believes nutritious and delicious are not mutually exclusive—something we farmers' market fans have long known—and that sustainably grown basics should be for everyone. Just one little thing: let's hope beets don't become the new presidential broccoli. Perhaps when our leader tastes a freshly dug young spring beet roasted to caramelized sweetness, he might change his mind about this often-misunderstood root vegetable?

Call it the pitchfork plan. Our renewed interest in home and community gardens is part of a multi-pronged food sourcing strategy. Farmers, too, are constantly working on more ways to get their crops directly to us. My friend Phil McGrath just opened his Farm Center in Camarillo, 50 miles north of Los Angeles. The family's farm stand enables them to sell daily-picked, certified organic produce straight from the field, in addition to what they truck to markets; expands their Community Supported Agriculture program; and doubles as a teaching center. For more about opening day festivities at McGrath Farm please visit the KCRW Good Food blog.

Speaking of gardens and teaching, I'll be offering ideas about what to do with your backyard harvest at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on April 25, and the L.A. County Arboretum's all-about-edibles Festival of Flavors on May 1.

With spring's new beginnings, comes an ending of note. Nationally-recognized Cook's Library closes this month after 20 years in the heart of Los Angeles. Owner Ellen Rose, longtime manager Tim Fischer, and their passionate staff built a culinary literary scene that was nothing short of glorious. Generous to authors and readers alike, they expertly hand-sold countless volumes to suit all cooking interests. The store's departure leaves a great emptiness in the dwindling full-service, independent bookstore landscape.

I'm very pleased to share the news: On May 2, I will receive the YWCA's 2009 Focus Award at the Skirball Museum. I would be honored to see you there and hope you'll join me in support of this organization that empowers at-risk women and girls through opportunities for growth and leadership.

And remember, April is National Grilled Cheese Month. Check out my Camembert, Mustard Greens and Delicious Mushroom Sandwich at Clementine, West L.A.'s seasonal comfort food café, and tune in to Good Food's "celebration of melt" on KCRW.

Warm regards,
Amelia

February 2009

A Local Stimulus Suggestion from The Santa Monica Farmer's Market Cookbook

Dear Friends,

Because of your wonderful support, The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook made some spectacular lists in 2008, including Boston Weddings' cookbook picks for brides and Cook's Library's best sellers (alongside A Day at El Bulli, Country Cooking of France, and Sunday Suppers at Lucques!). Thank you!

Here's a (not so) radical concept: shopping at, and cooking from, local farmers' markets is a grassroots stimulus plan. Think about it. Family farmers raise the tastiest, healthiest vegetables, fruits, and meats. We buy directly from the growers, in effect creating jobs and boosting local economies. In return, we get incredible value-for-dollar and the gift of simple pleasures to comfort us through tough times. Economic stimulus? Farmers call it sustainability. I call it delicious.

And to think, President Obama's historic inauguration was only a few short weeks ago. How did you mark the moment? I was inspired to make a Red-White-and-Blue-Potato Frittata and invite friends over to watch the ceremony. You'll find the recipe on the KCRW "Good Food" blog.

In other news, I'm happy to report that EAT: Los Angeles (Prospect Park Books, 2008) is selling like hotcakes, with new food finds posted regularly at www.eat-la.com. And, I've joined Facebook! Please visit my profile and send me a friend request.

For all y'all down in Austin, TX, check out ate.cafe opening in March. Chef-owners Jessica and Rodolfo Buonocore (full disclosure: my daughter and son-in-law) offer up such seasonal, stylish comfort food as morning pastries, savory tarts and empanadas, and innovative sandwiches and salads. They'll also continue their popular weekly dinner delivery service. I'll be there during opening week to help out, so come say hi.

Warm regards,
Amelia

October 2008

Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook receives awards!

Dear Friends,

The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook has been awarded the Santa Monica Library 2008 Green Prize for Sustainable Literature (Local Impact) and the Writers' Digest 2008 Grand Prize for Self-Published Books! I'm pleased to have my work recognized for its core message and the journey to bring it forth.

September's trip to New England was delicious. The taste memory of my plum-ginger crisp recipe (SMFM Cookbook page 178) made by Al Forno's Johanne Killeen using the last Rhode Island summer plums still lingers. In Boston, I gathered local Siena Farm fixings for a family Rosh Hashanah dinner: sweet carrots, parsnips, and walnut-sized golden beets for roasting (and their tops for sautéing with garlic and onions); King Edward potatoes for smashing with long-cooked leeks; fennel and treviso (a radicchio) for a shaved salad; and from our jaunt to southern Maine, Cortland apples for a hot-from-the-oven crisp. For more autumn suggestions, please see my Seasonal Produce Guide in November's Bon Appétit.

And, I was in San Francisco recently visiting Marcella and Victor Hazan who are on book tour for her new memoir, Amarcord (you can see my blog about the visit and the book here).

I'm happy to announce the publication of Eat: Los Angeles (Prospect Park Books, December 1, 2008), a savvy Angeleno's guide to great restaurants and food resources—even taco trucks. It's by local writers and bloggers, including yours truly.

On the eve of this important national election, we take heart in the growing awareness of local sustainability issues. Seems we feel the need to plunge our hands—literally and figuratively—into healthy, living soil.

Warm regards,
Amelia

September 2008

Early Autumn News and Events

Dear Friends,

I've just returned from San Francisco, site of the first Slow Food Nation, a 3-day national celebration of American farming and artisanal food production. Of all the food-for-thought opportunities there, my favorite SFN experience was helping farmer Alex Weiser of Tehachapi, CA sell his heirloom potatoes at the Marketplace opposite City Hall. Attracting thousands of new shoppers, the market was a perfect one-on-one introduction to small-farmed ingredients. I spent the day weighing, making change, and answering questions about potatoes and how to prepare them—a gratifying opportunity to stand on the other side of the table. For pictures look in "Photo & Menu Gallery" on my website.

As summer winds down, my pantry and freezer offer a record of delicious micro-seasons: a dozen jars of Blenheim Apricot Preserves (page 170) to commemorate July's obsession with a favorite fruit; jars of Elberta peach jam and chutney and vacuum-packed peach slices to remind me of August's visit to the Masumoto Family Farm near Fresno (read my Elberta blog and recipe about these old-fashioned, buttery peaches on KCRW's "Good Food" website ). Hope you've got tasty summer food memories stored away too.

Now comes one of my favorite times of the year: the cusp of seasons when sun-drenched summer produce sits side by side autumn's early picks, and two-season dishes are possible—tomatoes with early hard squashes, late summer peaches with concord grapes, sweet corn with earthy shelling beans. I've got a passel of new fall recipes for you in October's Bon Appétit. And, if you're new to farmers' markets, I hope you'll find my Chow.com shopping hints helpful.

I'm heading to Boston and Providence for some terrific events honoring local growers' harvests featuring dishes from The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook:

• Cooking class and dinner at the Butcher Shop. Menu highlights: No-Cream Creamy Corn Soup; Roast Leg of Lamb with Black Olives and Herbs; Fresh Black-Eyed Peas with Tomatoes and Onions
• Dinner at Al Forno. Menu highlights: Bruschette with Tomato-Mint and Fire-Roasted Eggplant Toppings; Farfalle with Five Herbs and Rhode Island Cherry Tomatoes; Roasted Leg of Lamb with Black Olives and Herbs; Plum Crisp with Cornmeal-Ginger Topping
• A day at Siena Farms stand at Copley Square Farmers' Market with treats from Sofra, Ana Sartun's new café

Summer Events & Tales from the Midwest

Dear Friends,

How I loved my visit to the Midwest! Summer arrived late there, so in a delicious replay of California's late spring, I enjoyed the last local ramps and morels, the height of green garlic and English peas, and the season's first fresh herbs. In a morning rain at Chicago's Green City Market, Chef Michael Tsonton and I found spring onions, asparagus, peas, and fragrant dill for our "green" Farmers' Market Risotto cooking demonstration (recipe: The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook, page 136). And, I sampled the season's first Queen Anne and Bing cherries. These were not jammy California flavor bombs, but cherries with the sweet-acid complexity of cold-climate fruit. (See pictures in "Photo & Menu Gallery")

While in Michigan, I was introduced to exceptional local wines (notably Brys Estate and Wyncroft) by Matthew Millar, the visionary chef-owner of Journeyman Café in Fennville. Fenn Valley is fertile farmland, and much of the delicious meal I enjoyed at Journeyman was grown within a mile of the café. Alex Young, executive chef at Zingerman's Roadhouse in Ann Arbor, has taken his food sourcing to another level—he's become a farmer whose goal is to supply half the restaurant's produce needs. I had a great time at the 3-year-old Westside Farmers' Market out front of the restaurant (sorghum! more cherries!), followed by a lively local/seasonal discussion and lovely buffet of recipes from my book. Can't wait until my next visit!

Warm regards,
Amelia

June 2008

Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook goes to Chicago and Ann Arbor!

Dear Friends,

As cherry season begins, I'm heading to two of my favorite cities—Chicago and Ann Arbor—and about to discover the pleasures of the farming community of Fennville, near southern Michigan's art coast. I can't wait to sample those famous Michigan cherries and discover the region's homegrown specialties at the local farmers' markets. What a great way to get a sense of place.

Here's the lineup: I'm speaking to the Culinary Historians of Chicago about Los Angeles' 19th-century food scene and ChicaGourmets! is hosting dinner at one sixtyblue with a menu from The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook prepared by Chef Martial Noguier. Next, I'll be cooking at the Green City Market and then on to Michigan to support local growers with a farm-to-table dinner with Chef Matthew Millar at the Journeyman Café in Fennville. Ari Weinzweig has invited me to help kick off this summer's Ann Arbor Westside Farmers' Market with a rollicking patio party at Zingerman's Roadhouse with James Beard nominee Chef Alex Young.

And, I'm very pleased to tell you that The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook received the 2008 PubWest Book Design Awards Bronze Medal for Best Cookbook and was a finalist in the National Indie Excellence 2008 Book Awards' cookbook category!

Warm regards,
Amelia

June 2008

Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook at Sunday Main Street Market

Dear Friends,

With summer about to begin I thought it would be fun to do some market show-and-tell to start the season off right.

I'll be at the Santa Monica Farmers' Market on Main Street, Sunday, June 8, from 10:00 am to 1:00pm, talking summer and signing books (Father's Day or graduation gifts, anyone?). Come by and see me!

By the way, cucumbers are starting to come in. If you think these relatives of pumpkins and watermelons are boring or bitter, then you haven't had the freshly harvested, sweet varieties our small farm growers bring to market. I've got several new cucumber recipes for you in this June's Bon Appétit, and of course, you'll find lots to do with Persian, Japanese, pickling, and lemon cucumbers in The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook.

Warm regards,
Amelia

April 2008

Spring News and Events

Dear Friends,

Exciting news here at Blenheim Press—starting in May, Anthropologie, the national chain of clothing and lifestyle stores, will carry The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook! I'm delighted to have this new opportunity to get out the eating-in-season message.

You know it's spring when the markets overflow with plump fava beans, extra-sweet asparagus, and mellow green garlic. In the May issue of Bon Appétit, you'll find the second installment of my year-long pullout Seasonal Produce Guide with tips on why to try and how to choose and store the season's top ten favorites. Closer to home, I was delighted to have Danielle Berrin of The Jewish Journal accompany me on my weekly visit to the market; her lovely article ran in the Passover issue (April 11, 2008).

Warm regards,
Amelia

February 2008

February News

Dear Friends,

I'm delighted to report that The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook is now in its second printing! And, thanks to your support, it made many Top Ten lists in 2007, including Dutton's Books (alongside Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and Eat, Pray, Love!), Amazon Seasonal Cookbooks, Starchefs Cookbook Wishlist, and Orange County Register's Cookbooks for Holiday Gift-giving by Cathy Thomas.

Did you see my pull-out Winter Seasonal Produce Guide in the February issue of Bon Appétit? Keep it handy, because the spring guide comes out in May! Also, you'll find lots of newly added photos and information on my websites, www.ameliasaltsman.com and www.blenheimpress.com. Please visit our new photo and menu gallery!

Warm Regards,
Amelia

November 2007

Holiday Events

Dear friends,

Wondering what to give your friends this year and what to serve them for dinner? The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook is filled with simple, seasonal recipes for your holiday table—colorful, refreshing winter salads; easy yet elegant soups; innovative side dishes; and of course, my favorite pumpkin pie and spicy persimmon pudding recipes.

And, with the winter citrus season about to start, look for my new blood orange recipes in the December issue of Bon Appétit Magazine. They'll add joyful sparkle to your table.

I've just returned from Austin and Boston where The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook got a terrific reception—people everywhere are hungry for information about shopping and cooking local. In Cambridge, Mass., Chef Ana Sortun prepared a bountiful luncheon from the book at her remarkable restaurant, Oleana. She created the menu from what was available at husband Chris Kurth's nearby Siena Farms, and miraculously, most of Chris's staff were able to attend the midday feast. In Austin, I spent the day cooking at the downtown farmers' market, and Emmett and Lisa Fox of Fino Restaurant hosted a book-inspired dinner with seasonal ingredients from urban Boggy creek Farm (I learned a lot that evening from farmer Carol Ann Sayle) and incredibly fresh eggs and chickens from Alexander Farms.

As this celebratory season begins, I offer my thanks to you all for your tremendous welcome and support of The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook: Seasonal Foods, Simple Recipes, and Stories from the Market and Farm.

Best wishes,
Amelia