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Los Angeles Farmers’ Markets

Blog, culinary holiday, culinary tourism, Los Angeles, lynn ogryzlo, POW WOW, travelLeave a comment

It’s a different experience visiting a farmers’ markets in Los Angeles. When you live in Ontario, it’s more like walking through a grocery store, yet with 2 very distinct differences. First, the vegetables are not old and jet lagged and second there’s no 18-year old kid who could care less about the produce he’s stocking on the shelves. So why is it like walking through a grocery store – because they have everything you could want!

They have all the traditional vegetables like tomatoes and strawberries that look absolutely amazing, but then there are the exotic foods like beautiful artichokes twice the size of baseballs. Strips of cardoons lay next to cardoons with full leaves. There are lemons the size of grapefruit and grapefruit the size of melons. Their blueberries are in season along with multi-coloured, baby petti pans, zucchini blossoms, and baby fennel each with a full head of fragrant fronds.

The Los Angeles Farmers’ Market has morphed into a culinary destination with a full 2-story, outdoor shopping mall called The Grove and an older section filled with dozens of artisan food purveyors offering up roasted chicken, racks of spicy ribs in between the butchers counters full of succulent  cuts of beef supersmoker electronic cigarettes reviews and chicken. Sandwiches from fresh bakery bread and soup from market vegetables. Here you can get fresh seafood or order shrimp to go. They simply boil it up on the spot and put it in a paper cone for you to eat and go.

In the third section of the complex is where the farmers are selling their produce and wow, do they know how to display it. Large mounds of beets and giant radishes, stacks and stacks of strawberries and giant bins of olives.

It’s strawberry season in California and I guess you all know that because you can see them filling the shelves of our Ontario grocery stores. The only thing is the California strawberries I’m seeing at the California market are different than the California strawberries we see in Ontario. These medium sized berries are dark, soft, juicy and ultra sweet. They pick them differently here, they leave long stems on the berries and package them in little boxes and they just look so sexy. The prices are the same as we pay here in Ontario, $4.99 a quart which is a healthy price for both farmers and customer.

Let you eyes feast on these great market pictures.

A Celebrity Farmers’ Market

Beverly Hills, culinary holiday, culinary tourism, farmer, Farmers' Market, local food, Los Angeles, lynn ogryzlo, POW WOWLeave a comment

Like a galley kitchen, the Beverly Hills Farmers’ Market is as long as 2 city blocks and is as narrow as a country road. Artisan farmers line the laneway with fresh produce, pots of herbs and citrus stands squeezing fresh juice.

The market is open every Sunday from 9 to 1 and is filled with market shoppers and I’m told, celebrities – today I don’t see any. All farmers here need to be certified local and they can only bring in to sell, what they grow. To compliment the local food, the far end of the market is full of prepared, non agriculture foods so you can shop and then have a market lunch.

My tour guide was the executive chef of the Beverly Hills Hilton, Chris O’Connel.  He introduced us to some of his favourite farmers. The Beverly Hills Farmers Market is where you’ll find everything from blood oranges to rainbow carrots and many other surprises. A market lettuce gardener offered her greens from stylish whicker baskets and DeyDey’s Best Beef was grass fed, hormone free, pastured, short legged, exotic Australian cattle.

Bernard Ranches had truckload of fresh oranges and grapefruit and one giant citrus squeezer. I had a freshly squeezed orange and blood orange juice mixed – delicious! As I stood there praising the juice, owner AJ Bernard explained there are 2 sets of fruit on an orange tree and you can continually pick fruit Pokies from them for a 6 month period, depending on the variety. Each variety has their own harvest date for example Navels are in season from January to May and Valencia’s almost all year long.

The asparagus man offered his asparagus in three different sizes, 2-fingers thick, medium size and pencil sized asparagus. Harry’s Berries from Oxnard had giant strawberries. They were the first growth and so juicy, solid red throughout and candy sweet. They say it’s a special variety, Gaviota that doesn’t travel well meaning that Californians are keeping the very best for themselves. There were more farmers from honey to apple, preserves and the most interesting purple artichokes, ugly heirloom tomatoes and things I didn’t recognize.

In the food section there was everything from popcorn to panini’s and ribs. The barbecued ribs smelt wonderful and as I walked over the vendor offered me a sample. They were glorious so I ordered a rack for Jon and I to share. In a form of rib showmanship he violently but masterfully chopped the ribs with a large machete that made me jump back from the splatter of the juices. Ok the next shock was the price, I’d just paid $25 for a paper cup of ribs (I think there were 8 ribs, aughhh). Oh well, this was Beverly Hills after all.

Click here for the Los Angeles Farmers’ Market and Santa Monica Farmers Market.

Santa Monica Farmers’ Market

Blog, culinary holiday, culinary tourism, farm fresh food, farmer, Farmers' Market, local food, Los Angeles, lynn ogryzlo, POW WOW, Santa MonicaLeave a comment

The Santa Monica Farmers’ Market was the most vibrant of them all. It filled 4 streets that all converged making for a central community meeting place. The produce was seductively stacked high, baskets of brilliant greens were overflowing and bins of olives glistened in the sun.

There was bins of fresh peas and layers of cardoons. Jake of Family Farms suggests to boil them and bake then in a gratin style. One farmer offers a taste of arugula blossoms. The tiny, delicate blossoms are the result of letting the arugula bolt. They’re peppery and bold, the perfect ingredient to spice up a salad. There are knarly bunches of what looks like pea vines, but not sure and this is where the fennel is the smallest, tenderest with the largest bouquet of fragrant fronds. Just walking down the street and you know where the fennel is piled high.

They have an event called the Farmers’ Market Guided Tour and Cocktail Class. Chef Josie Le Balch and a Master Mixologist Colleen Ford-Morales walk you through the market then you keep walking to Next Door by Josie (Restaurant) for a fabulous class on how to make market-fresh cocktails and snacks. It sounds wonderful! Pity I’m here on the wrong day.

There are green artichokes and what looks like black ones, but Levitra I’m immediately corrected. “they’re purple”, said one farmer rather annoyed. There are small ones and the largest, purple artichokes had green insides and looked absolutely beautiful.

Just around the corner from the market is a great restaurant called The Misfit Bar. The décor is ultra French posh with overly large dark woodwork, Parisian street light lamps, colourful mosaic floor tiles and an oversized, silver bar, imported from Paris. Its weight is not out of proportion to the towering 24-foot library bar that hosts an antique book library on the top layers and wine and liquors on the bottom. It’s probably the last place you’d expect to find classic California cuisine but chef Jordan Lynn is walking back from the market, arms laden with bags of fresh ingredients.

Seduced by the large, beautiful artichokes I order the Organic Grilled Artichoke with gremolata aioli ($12). It came sliced lengthwise in half and grilled. If you’ve ever eaten artichoke you know how much of a conversation finger food it is. Each leaf must be dunked in the aioli and then run across your bottom teeth to extract the soft flesh. It takes time. The flesh is meaty and smoky, the aioli is refreshing and spicy – oh, yum!

Check out the Los Angeles Farmers’ Market and Beverly Hills Farmers’ Market.

Eating My Way Through Los Angeles; Misfits

Blog, culinary holiday, culinary tourism, Dining, local food, Los Angeles, lynn ogryzlo, POW WOW, Restaurant Review, Santa MonicaLeave a comment

The Misfit, Santa Monica

Everything seems larger in California and that’s the feeling one gets from walking into The Misfit Bar. The décor is ultra French posh with overly large dark woodwork, Parisian street light lamps, colourful mosaic floor tiles and an oversized, silver bar, imported from Paris. Its weight is not out of proportion to the towering 24-foot library bar that hosts an antique book library on the top layers and wine and liquors on the bottom. It’s probably the last place you’d expect to find classic California cuisine but manager Jackie McGuire explains that’s why it’s called Misfits.

Executive Chef Jordan Lynn walks from the farmers market in the block behind the restaurant with his arms laden with bags and boxes of fresh produce. He changes his menu every 2 to 3 days, depending on how long his supplies last and they usually don’t last long.

I had the organic grilled artichoke with gremolata aioli ($12). It came sliced lengthwise in half and char grilled. If you’ve ever eaten artichoke you know how much of a where can i buy electronic cigarettes in appleton wisconsin conversation finger food it is. Each leaf must be dunked in the aioli and then run across your bottom teeth to extract the soft flesh. It takes time. The flesh is meaty and smoky, the aioli is refreshing and spicy – oh, yum!

Next was the Shredded Kale and Quinoa Salad with suflower seeds, grapes, preserved lemon, manchego and parmesan cheese ($10). In this dish chef Lynn brines the kale to remove the bitterness and the result is a delicious dance of flavours with the other ingredients.

I seem to be having a love affair with Los Angeles ribs so I order the lean Danish Pork, Korean barbecue style ($16). The rack is cut in half so I begin to pull apart the ribs. The juicy meat offers no resistance when I pull and it literally melts in my mouth with soft spicy tones. With the cheque comes a little platter of mini chocolate chip cookies dressed with coarse sea salt. They’re soft and chewy, chocolaty and salty.

Take a look at the restaurant and my lunch there.

 

Eating My Way Through Los Angeles; Bouchon

Beverly Hills, Dining, Los Angeles, lynn ogryzlo, POW WOWLeave a comment

Bouchon, a Thomas Keller restaurant

In downtown Beverly Hills, sharing a beautiful park with the Montage (hotel), the newest luxury property in Beverly Hills, Bouchon is both a bakery and bistro. In romantic French style with tall ceilings, the décor includes Parisian street lights, white tablecloths, romantic ivory lace curtains, dark wood around ivory walls with an olive hue, distressed mirrors and an elaborate mosaic tiled floor. Bouchon is a Thomas Keller restaurant.

The menu changes every 2 weeks and almost weekly during the summer as the concept is the celebration of neighbouring farmers or produce. On my visit it’s the season for wild ramps, most are pickled and added to dishes like the sweet shrimp salad with baby heirloom tomatoes and rocket. More ramps are pureed into sauces, made into marmalade or minced and worked into delicious cavatelli served with English peas and pecorino cheese.

They are offering a special 4-course Wild Ramp menu ($75) and there is a recommended glass of wine for each course (additional $35). I ordered the shrimp and ramp salad with heirloom baby tomatoes and tart pickled ramps. The flavours are light and bright with crisp spring textures.

There is not a lot of complexity to the dishes at Bouchon, but perfection here is seen as the simplest of culinary pleasures. My entrée is herb roasted rack of Salmon Creek Farm Pork Chop with ramp marmalade and walnut sable. I look across at the next table and they’re nibbling on a selection of cheeses garnished with delicious pickled ramps. They’re everywhere tonight.

Jon ordered the Gigot d’Agneau, roasted leg Pokies of lamb with eggplant, tomato fondue, crispy panisse and lamb jus ($33). It’s a warm, rich dinner with dark flavours that layer to please a hearty palate.

Bouchon the restaurant is on the second floor. Patrons walk through the bakery on the first floor, past the loaves of crusty French baguettes, billowy meringues and sexy lemon curd tarts.  It gets you thinking of dessert even before the meal begins.

My pick for dessert is the Tarte au Citron ($9.50), a lemon tart that is more like a citrus cloud, so light on the palate and full of sweet and tart flavour. Perfect for the end of a meal drenched in gastronomy.

The chef sent over 2 more desserts. One called Bouchon (after the Swiss Bouchon, chocolate in the shape of corks). These look more like mini cupcakes than corks, but on the palate they’re dense, velvety chocolate that turn to thick ganache on the tongue. It’s accompanied with rich vanilla mint ice cream that refreshes against the dense chocolate. I am no match for this decadence and I find myself moderating my intention of moderation. The second dessert was a pot au pistachio crème.  If I were not more than satisfied with my chocolate Bouchon, I would have swooned over the luscious, creamy pistachio heaven in a tiny little pot – perhaps another day.

My dinner ran late into the evening and the pictures didn’t turn out well in the dark. You’re just going to have to use your imagination and salivate over this one. Here are a few more of my fantastic dining finds.

Eating My Way Through Los Angeles; The Market Restaurant

Blog, culinary holiday, culinary tourism, Dining, local food, Los Angeles, lynn ogryzlo, POW WOWLeave a comment

The Market Restaurant at JW Marriott

I was staying at the new and beautiful JW Marriott at LA Live in Los Angeles. It’s part of a larger complex that includes the Staples center (where the Grammy’s are held), the Grammy Museum, a restaurant row and the giant convention center. In all the commercial support, it’s the last place you’d expect to find an amazing restaurant.

Celebrity Chef Kerry Simon of Iron Chef fame runs this restaurant and brings his culinary style showcasing simple, exquisite California cuisine and featuring organic, seasonal ingredients.

I asked chef Kerry about his Iron Chef experience and it turns out he won with his famous burger. So I ordered La Market Burger ($17). It’s an agus chuck burger with crisp bacon, grilled balsamic onions and aged white cheddar.

So what makes a perfect burger? “First it’s the quality of beef, get the best (and that means hormone free) after that it’s about the balance of fat and meat. You need just enough fat to make the burger juicy but any more than that and the flavours are compromised. The 2-finger thick burger is wrapped in melted aged cheddar cheese and topped with soft smoky bacon. Yes, it was an amazing burger!

Chef Kerry’s kitchen underling is chef Nona Sivley. Born in Louisiana and raised in Texas and Northern Virginia, Nona Sivley’s win on the eighth season of Chef Gordon Ramsay’s popular show, “Hell’s Kitchen” earned her the Buy Levitra position of Chef de Cuisine under Chef Kerry Simon.

Executive Chef Kerry Simon’s cuisine is fresh and clean, the kind of food that make you feel good just eating it and Chef Nona Silverys cuisine is more Cajun, southern cuisine with knock your socks off  big bold flavours and balanced dishes that grab your attention. The menu is farm and country refreshing and reads like a farmers directory of some of LA’s best foods.

The restaurant is bustling with noisy conversation and the sound of silverware busily shuffling food from plates to mouths. The restaurant colours are muted shades of taupe, tan and beige’s on a polished concrete floor with distressed leatherette barrel chairs. The window into the kitchen is long and narrow and the bright lights draw your attention away form the warm softness of the relaxed ambience. The 20 foot ceilings give a sense of space.

I discovered at the end of the meal that chef Nona has a soft spot for comfort food. She has a signature dessert that is the most popular on the menu. She’s created what is called a Junk Food Platter To Share ($15). It’s a platter of rice crispy squares, fruit loops, brownies, caramel popcorn, snowballs, hostess cupcakes, vanilla milkshake and cotton candy. – and no, I didn’t order it. It was enough fun for me just to talk about it.

Click here for pictures of the dinner, chef Simon, Sivley and The Market.

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