dried goodies from the golden state

i gotta say, there is one big thing i miss about living in southern california: produce come winter time. now, the csa has really brought up my produce standards and made me generally a much happier veggie and fruit munching person but here we are again: january.

when i was in santa monica the other week, i made it to the wednesday farmer's market (really, it's not to be missed). i say wednesday because there are multiple farmer's markets in santa monica all week long but this one is really la crème de la crème. lucky for me, i was there during peak persimmon season. although i didn't bring fresh ones back with me to ny, thanks to a gift from a lovely friend and my mom's willingness to give up said lovely gift, i found myself with some amazing freshly dried persimmons to bring home, as well as some other dried goodies. we're talking seriously high-quality (aka seriously expensive) items here. in addition to the remarkably sweet and flavorful dried persimmons, i had dried heirloom tomatoes and dried strawberries. dried whole, without any added sugar, the strawberries were like a sweet summer explosion in your mouth. the truth is that all of these things were so delicious, it was hard to imagine not snacking on them plain. however, it was the tomatoes that were really hounding me. i'm not usually one for dried tomatoes but i really wanted to incorporate these into something. it was hard to believe that their sweet concentrated flavor wouldn't benefit whatever they were cooked/mixed into.


while at the market, in between her fights with people that "no, they could not taste a dried perssimon, they cost $3 a piece!" i talked to the "fruit lady" about what one actually does with these amazingly precious tomatoes. after all, i didn't want to ruin the things by cooking them if i shouldn't. she explained a simple recipe: slice zucchini very thin and let it sit with some salt and lemon juice. the squash will sort of "cook" itself while marinating. then top the squash with the tomatoes, basil, olive oil and some garlic.

i went with yellow squash (the store was out of zucchini), parsley (i had some from the csa at home in the freezer) and couldn't help topping the mix with some parmesan cheese. i also let the garlic slowly saute in some olive oil on the stove, then briefly added the squash to the pan to warm it through, before mixing everything together. i placed the mixture on top of a bed of quinoa. yum yum yum. it doesn't get better (not to mention healthier) than this!

a few of my favorite LA things: gilbert's carrots

you can blame my absence over the past week to a jam-packed trip to LA. that and my computer was playing sick and is now feeling much better. in any case, i have some catching up to do. and i'm going to start with one of my favorite little things in LA.

gilbert's el indio is a family owned santa monica institution. it features totally respectable down-to-earth mexican food that is decently priced. truth be told, i ate there just about every friday night during high school and now that i'm of legal age, it's even better because i can enjoy their deeelicious margaritas (available in pitcher size). my former fav: the super special burrito (thanks, wheat). current fav: chicken enchiladas (peace out, wheat). but what really keeps me coming back for more is the CARROTS. that's right, the delicious morsels of yummy pickled goodness that appear on the table from the hand of a friendly waiter, in a little white plastic bowl. keeeeeep 'em coming. i have yet to find comparable carrots anywhere, east or west. hence my need to be able to make them at home, in new york, where i am just slightly out of gilbert's commuting distance.

after much internet research, the closest tasting recipe i could find was here (thanks, blogger rachel!). i made a couple of minor adjustments and now have...drumroll, please:

gilbert's el indio carrot recipe (mexican pickled carrots)

• 4 large carrots, peeled and sliced on an angle
• 1-2 large jalapenos (i just use a few pieces of jarred pickled ones)
• 1 clove garlic, sliced thin
• 1 teaspoon oregano (fresh or dried works)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 small white onion, minced
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1 cup water
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt

• toss together the carrots and jalapenos in a large glass container (with a lid).
• in a large sauce pan, combine the garlic, oregano, bay leaves, onion, vinegar, water, sugar and salt. bring to a simmer for two minutes.
• pour the vinegar mixture over the carrot mixture until it covers all the vegetables, and allow to cool on the counter top. when cool, cap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. can be kept for up to two months.
  

yields 1-½ cups

a trip to the other coast (cont'd)

NUMBER 3 - La Playita


Another Santa Monica staple I have been visiting since the youngen days. My dad used to take me here for lunch when I would go with him to work and I have been a loyal follower since. The tacos are good but the seafood is better. Burritos, tacos, tostadas, and my favorite--seafood cocktails! (Specifically shrimp). If you fear eating seafood from a hole in the wall type place, La Playita, my friends, is not for you. But seriously, grow a pair and go check it out. It's delicious and how can so many people be wrong?!

On this visit, I got a medium shrimp cocktail ($6) which has large succulent shrimp, avocado, tomatoes, onion, and cilantro, all in a tomato juice sauce. Throw on some lime and hot sauce-MMMMM...it also comes with a side of tostadas. Notice the classy clear plastic cup. Perhaps a green effort in steering away from the styrofoam?

a trip to the other coast (part 1)

Since I am from LA, I went to go visit my family for the winter holidays (aka, a 4-day extended weekend whirlwind getaway.) Below are some food highlights from my trip, countdown style. I'm going to take a few days here to post these; build some anticipation for my 2 readers out there. Who's excited to see what number one is?!

NUMBER 4- Sparky's




Hands down THE BEST frozen yogurt that ever existed. Granted, I am completely biased since I have been going there since I was toddling. Sparky himself remembers me from those days and reminds me of this when I go with either of my parents. Sparky's always has two flavors of carbolite yogurt, or as my dad calls it, "no-no-no-yogurt" for no fat, no sugar, no carbs, (almost) no calories. My favorite carbolite flavor is angel food cake but flavors change several times a week. As angel food cake was nowhere to be found on my recent visit I went carbolite-free with tart yogurt with white and dark chocolate chips on one visit and fudge and vanilla swirl with peek-a-boos the other.

SIDENOTE: Sparky is the man who got me calling these little treats peek-a-boos. I (happily) blame him for all of the weird looks I have received at other frozen yogurt shops across the country. Come on people, I know they're called nonpareils but how much more fun is peek-a-boo?!! Embrace the sense of humor here! END SIDENOTE.

Sparky's is housed in Santa Monica, on Main street in Arnold Schwarzenager's old building. We're talking pre-governor days here. In any case, Arnold has since sold the building and due to rising rent costs Sparky has decided to only renew his lease for another 3 years (and this was around last summer). The man is resilient but get it while you can! When a Pinkberry opened down the street a year or two ago and then a Red Mango across the street, I was heartbroken. I was sure it was the end but Sparky's held strong! I may or may not have wooed a couple of groups of people not to cross the street to the dark side but I'm not here to take credit. The only reason this is number 5 is because I always visit when I am home. Several times. Take this visit, 2 out 4 full days, I made a Sparky's run. And it wasn't nearly enough.