The Farmer's Market: A Festival of Color

I love shopping at our local farmer's market. Everything is organic and fresh. It's a feast for the eyes and soul as well as the body; a festival of color. Buckets abundantly filled with cut flowers; bins, boxes and baskets overflowing with luscious fruits and vegetables; and tables of fresh baked goods, fish, honey, sorbet and coffee. Tantalizing smells of fresh produce waft through the air, alive with the energy of those shopping and sampling. There's  a bit of an "old world" feel, similar to the feeling I had when I shopped the open air markets while visiting Paris and other European cities. It feels good to shop at the farmer's market. It feels good to buy fresh, local, organic food and support the farmer's who grow it and make it available. I know I'm getting quality, healthy, fresh, organic food and I love the eye candy; there's never a shortage for great photo taking. It's a highlight of my week. 

Salade Nicoise

 

While I'm working on some art--painting and gluing--I'm taking some time out to enjoy some Salade Nicoise by Julia Child. This has got to be my favorite salad. I found the recipe online (although I've now forgotten where!) I've made it several times this summer and I never get tired of it. As a matter of fact, I find myself craving it! Being a whole meal, with the protein of the tuna (treat yourself and buy a couple of cans of really good albacore tuna--it really makes a difference!) and eggs and the other vegetables, it's so satisfying!

Using the freshest ingredients really makes this salad and in my opinion there's no other way to make it. SaladeNicoise is so colorful with the bright red of the tomatoes, deep green of the green beans, the sunny yellow egg yolks. And the flavors are so mouth-wateringly tangy and delicious, especially with the olives, capers and the freshly mixed vinaigrette. It's best to make this salad ahead a bit and chill as it will absorb all of the flavors, in fact, my family likes it even better the next day. The recipe is below along with the recipe for the vinaigrette. Feel free to tweak it to suit your taste!

Salade Niçoise
From Julia's Kitchen Wisdom, by Julia Child.

Ingredients:

1 large head Boston-lettuce leaves, washed and dried
1 pound green beans, cooked and refreshed
1-1/2 tablespoons minced shallots
1/2 to 2/3 cup basic vinaigrette (below)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 or 4 ripe red tomatoes, cut into wedges (or 10 to 12 cherry tomatoes, halved)
3 or 4 "boiling" potatoes, peeled, sliced, and cooked
Two 3-ounce cans chunk tuna, preferably oil-packed
6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and halved
1 freshly opened can of flat anchovy fillets
1/3 cup small black Niçoise-type olives
2 to 3 tablespoons capers
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Instructions:
Arrange the lettuce leaves on a large platter or in a shallow bowl. Shortly before serving, toss the beans with the shallots, spoonfuls of vinaigrette, and salt and pepper. Baste the tomatoes with a spoonful of vinaigrette. Place the potatoes in the center of the platter and arrange a mound of beans at either end, with tomatoes and small mounds of tuna at strategic intervals. Ring the platter with halves of hard-boiled eggs, sunny side up, and curl an anchovy on top of each. Spoon more vinaigrette over all; scatter on olives, capers, and parsley, and serve.
Yield: Serves 6

Basic Vinaigrette Dressing
From Julia's Kitchen Wisdom, by Julia Child
This is a bare-bones recipe for the simple all-purpose vinaigrette, which you will vary as you wish. Its beauty lies solely in the quality of your ingredients. Note that you will so often see proportions of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil, but that can make a very acid, very vinegary vinaigrette. I use the proportions of a very dry martini, since you can always add more vinegar or lemon but you can't take it out.
Ingredients:
1/2 Tbsp finely minced shallot or scallion
1/2 Tbsp Dijon-type mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 Tbsp wine vinegar
1/3 to 1/2 cup excellent olive oil, or other fine, fresh oil
Freshly ground pepper
Instructions:
Either shake all the ingredients together in a screw-topped jar, or mix them individually as follows. Stir the shallots or scallions together with the mustard and salt. Whisk in the lemon juice and vinegar, and when well blended start whisking in the oil by droplets to form a smooth emulsion. Beat in freshly ground pepper. Taste (dip a piece of the salad greens into the sauce) and correct seasoning with salt, pepper, and/or drops of lemon juice.
Yield: For about 2/3 cup, serving 6 to 8

Carousel

"And the seasons, they go round and round
and the painted ponies go up and down.
We're all captive on the carousel of time."
 ~Joni Mitchell

Farmer's Market Goodness

Is there anything better than a farmer's market to pick up produce, baked goods and flowers? I enjoy the local farmer's market in my area. It reminds me of the open air markets in France that I love so much. Being outdoors, the vibrant colored produce, the fresh scent of herbs and flowers, the people, the energy, make it an experience for all of the senses. It feels good to support the local farmers too. My favorite thing is to pick out a few vegetables, whatever looks good and strikes my fancy, bring them home, chop them up and saute them in a bit of olive oil. Then add them to cooked pasta with a bit of white wine and herbs. Sprinkle a bit of Parmesan cheese on top and voila! Easy. Healthy. Fresh. Is there a farmer's market in your area? Do you have a favorite place to shop that feeds your soul?

 

Just look at these vibrant tomatoes...bruschetta anyone?

 

Shopping at a farmer's market is an organic experience--not only is most of the produce certified organic, but the experience itself is an organic one--you buy what's in season, what's available. And you can feel a little closer to the food source.

 mmmm. White nectarines...

 

...and strawberries

 

I love the fresh herb section--you can smell their lovely scents as you walk by. Someday I will have my own herb garden.

 

I try to buy fresh flowers for my table too. Nothing lifts the spirits and brightens up a room like fresh flowers.

Hope your week is off to a great start!

Refreshed

"There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of the people you love. When you learn to tap into this source, you will truly have defeated age."

~Sophia Loren

  Water. Refreshing. Flowing. Abundant. Clear. Streaming. Lovely. Sparkling. Delightful.

Cloudy Day in Santa Cruz

"A cloudy day, or a little sunshine,
have as great an influence on many constitutions
as the most real blessings or misfortunes."
~Joseph Addison

 

Some Beauty From Montalvo Arts Center

I was recently at Montalvo Arts Center in Saratoga, CA and had to share some beauty. The Montalvo Villa was built by Senator James Phelan in 1912. He bequeathed it to the San Francisco Art Association who assumed trusteeship in 1930 and within a year announced the intention to launch an artist residency program. Today, Montalvo has three performing arts venues, a 10 studio artist residency program, hosts gallery exhibitions, offers educational opportunities, performance events and more. In addition, they have 2.5 miles of hiking trails, beautiful grounds and a formal Italianate garden open to the public.