SANTA MONICA FARMERS MARKET 01.04.12I start the day early on wednesdays at the farmer’s market while the farm stands are setting up and at this time of year as the sun has just risen. It’s a beautiful time to be there and see first picks of the day. Winter is always odd, you never know what new things might appear due to a sudden warm day or cold wet day. But today in addition to the regular fantastic fruits and vegetables (see alphabetized list below) Nicholas Farms also had an amazing selection of fresh dried beans. I came up with this term, Fresh Dried, to help chefs/cooks understand that these are beans that were harvested in the fall and barely dried so no soaking or long cooking is necessary, in fact they usually cook within 30 minutes and are incredibly complex flavored and rich with nutrients. Chef friends in the mid Atlantic and south understand and prize these beans but there is still some catching up to do in the rest of the country regarding their specialness. These beans are sold by the pound. I’m planning on trying all of them and using the Painted Pony next Wednesday for dinner with clams and chorizo, a classic Portuguese dish that my husband wants to try and one I order out whenever I see it. If you have the chance to try them make sure to do it quickly, as soon as they sell out they are done for the year and Nicholas Farms has limited quantities to begin with. Cook them as you would any other dried bean but know that they will cook faster and don’t forget to add lots of fresh chopped herbs and other seasonal winter produce. Don't miss this special product!
~Chef Gwen
THIS WEEK’S FRESH DRIED BEANS:
MAUVE RUNNER BEANS similar to Christmas Limas, great in Cassoulet!
COCOA BLACK a little bigger than the black bean that you are used to
PAINTED PONY these remind me of the delicious rice beans we made at Jean Louis with fresh shrimp and garlic confit – as good as it sounds!
MONEY maybe they got this name because they look like coins…
WHITE CAP a little smaller than a kidney bean
CANNELINI the most silky, creamy of the bunch and Italian classic
MEXICAN BLACK these are big black lima beans, really dramatic
THIS WEEEK’S FRUIT:
APPLES - Late harvest fuji, granny smith and red delicious
BERRIES – blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries
Berries all year round here in sunny southern California!
CITRUS – Satsuma mandarins, lemons, limes
OTHER – Asian pears, dates, kiwi
THIS WEEK’S VEGETABLES:
BEETS, BOK CHOY, BROCCOLI, CARROTS, CAULIFLOWER, KALE, NETTELS, PARSNIPS, PEAS, HEIRLOOM POTATOES, RADISH, RUTABEGA, SPIGARELLO, BLOOMSDALE SPINACH, SUNCHOKES, TURNIPS, WINTER SQUASH Australian Blue
~Chef Gwen
THIS WEEK’S FRESH DRIED BEANS:
MAUVE RUNNER BEANS similar to Christmas Limas, great in Cassoulet!
COCOA BLACK a little bigger than the black bean that you are used to
PAINTED PONY these remind me of the delicious rice beans we made at Jean Louis with fresh shrimp and garlic confit – as good as it sounds!
MONEY maybe they got this name because they look like coins…
WHITE CAP a little smaller than a kidney bean
CANNELINI the most silky, creamy of the bunch and Italian classic
MEXICAN BLACK these are big black lima beans, really dramatic
THIS WEEEK’S FRUIT:
APPLES - Late harvest fuji, granny smith and red delicious
BERRIES – blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries
Berries all year round here in sunny southern California!
CITRUS – Satsuma mandarins, lemons, limes
OTHER – Asian pears, dates, kiwi
THIS WEEK’S VEGETABLES:
BEETS, BOK CHOY, BROCCOLI, CARROTS, CAULIFLOWER, KALE, NETTELS, PARSNIPS, PEAS, HEIRLOOM POTATOES, RADISH, RUTABEGA, SPIGARELLO, BLOOMSDALE SPINACH, SUNCHOKES, TURNIPS, WINTER SQUASH Australian Blue
