Get intimate with your produce!
Recipes
Collaboration Kitchen w/ Brandon Parry – White Cheddar Grits, Shrimp and popcorn dust
Mar 9th
Become a fan and check out recipes & photos from the event!
Simple Salad with a Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette & Satsuma Tangerines
Feb 18th
Recipe by: Chef Julie Darling of Just Call Us Catering
Chopped Romaine Lettuce
Chopped mixed greens
Candied almonds
Satsuma Tangerines peeled and membranes removed
Gorgonzola, Bleu or Feta cheese
Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
For almonds:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 cups slivered almonds, toasted
Place foil on work surface. Stir sugar and 1/4 cup water in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush. Increase heat and boil without stirring until mixture turns deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 9 minutes. Mix in almonds. Immediately pour out onto foil, separating almonds with fork. Cool completely (mixture will harden).
Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
For lemon oil
- 2 cups canola oil
- 2 large (2- by 1/2-inch) strips Meyer lemon peel (from 1/2 medium lemon)
- 10 sprigs lemon thyme, left whole
- 1 stalk lemongrass, tough outer layers removed and bottom 4 inches roughly chopped
For vinaigrette
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed meyer lemon juice (from 1 1/2 medium meyer lemons)
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup lemon Oil
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Make lemon oil
In medium heavy saucepan over very low heat, combine oil, lemon peel, lemon thyme, and lemongrass. Cook, uncovered, until aromatic, about 1 hour. Do not let oil boil. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Strain through fine-mesh sieve into medium heatproof container and refrigerate until cool, about 1 hour. (Oil can be refrigerated, in airtight container, up to 5 days).
Make vinaigrette
In medium bowl, whisk together lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk in 1/4 cup lemon oil, then olive oil. (Vinaigrette can be made up to 3 hours ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature and stir before serving.)
Add all your greens, almonds, cheese & satsumas together in a bowl, add dressing & enjoy!
Read Featured Chef Julie Darling’s interview here.
Banana Season
Jan 21st
Strawberries in the spring, summer’s stone fruits and the first apple of the fall, with each new season comes an array of different fruits and veggies at the peak of their tastiness just begging to be enjoyed. There is one fruit in particular however that no matter what the season may be manages to find a way into regular rotation in my diet.
Sliced and served atop a bowl of cold cereal, slow cooked into a pot of oatmeal, mashed up and baked into bread, or straight from the peel. Any way you serve them I am more than happy to give it a try.
In the winter months when the weather is chilly bananas are particularly satisfying when cooked up and served warm. One of my favorite methods is browning them to serve atop any number of delicious dishes.
Browned Bananas
Ingredients
1 banana, cut into 1 inch thick slices
1 pat of butter
Optional: honey and cinnamon
Preparation
In a small sauté pan heat the butter until it starts to sizzle a smidge. Add to this the banana slices and cook until they start to brown on each side.
Serve atop oatmeal, toast, waffle, or even ice cream. Finish with a drizzle of honey or sprinkle of cinnamon.
Hard Winter Squash
Dec 23rd
A cherished part of our longstanding traditions, hard squash make their appearance on our tables as early as October and linger in our ovens well into January or early February. We celebrate their quirky shapes, unusual sizes and striped markings in front door displays and Thanksgiving centerpieces. They are versatile and readily available, and at Specialty Produce we offer over twenty varieties of winter squash—many from local farms and growers.
All members of the cucurbita family, hard squash grow on ground creeping vines. Winter squash differ from summer in that they have a hard, inedible rind and a hollow inner cavity filled with large, tough seeds (some are inedible, some can be roasted and eaten). They are excellent keepers, especially when stored in cool, dry locations between 50 and 60 degrees F. Larger squash, such as hubbard, banana or fairytale pumpkins, are often marketed in cut sections and sold by weight. Hard varieties store well and some, such as Tahitian, can even ‘heal’ themselves after being cut by creating a skin and sealing in moisture– ideal for such a large variety, enabling extended shelf life.
Winter squash are best harvested after the end of October. Too often growers pick large gourds early to meet the holiday demands, yet a good squash will be left on the vine until it is ripe and the sugars are allowed to fully develop. Most squash, such as spaghetti and delicata are ripe when their color changes from green to yellow, and when they snap easily off their vines. A ripe squash will also have an almost dull look to its skin; if the rind is shiny it is still too young. When selecting winter squash, the rind should be firm with no soft spots, signs of decay or visible cracks or cuts. If the squash you’re purchasing has a stem, it was almost certainly locally grown. Here in San Diego, farmers experience a fairly long growing season– already into mid-December they’re still harvesting spaghetti squash. Squash grown around the county are sold locally and therefore picked exactly when they are ripe and do not need to be cured.
Squash, especially hard winter squash can be cooked in a wide variety of ways– pureed, steamed, roasted, or baked. They are a wonderful accompanied by creams, cheeses, ground meats and other hearty vegetables and are well complimented by fresh herbs and spices. Many varieties are even interchangeable in recipes:
Hubbard Squash
Hubbard, pumpkin and turban are all mild, sweet squash with moist, thick, flesh. These big beauties are perfect for baking and scooping out the insides for soups and pie fillings.
Kabocha Squash
Kabocha and butternut are great peeled, cubed and roasted. This brings out their natural sweetness and firm, creamy consistency. Pureed and baked into cakes and breads is also a tasty alternative.
Delicata Squash
Delicata, dumpling and acorn squash are smaller but no less flavorful; their shape and size make them excellent for halving and baking, stuffed with grains, pastas or ground meats.
Richard Brown of Giuseppe Restaurants and Fine Catering loves to prepare hard winter squash. He cuts them in half, removes the seeds and pulp and brushes the cut side with a little butter. Then he roasts them, skin side up, until soft and adds the flesh to sauteed vidalia onions and a yukon on sweet potato. Seasoned with fresh thyme, salt and pepper, he serves it pureed as a shooter with creme fraiche and a cheese straw! The best part about his dish? You can use any hard winter squash and each one will create a different flavor combination.
Whether you eat them or carve them or just enjoy their beautiful colors, hard winter squash are a fitting way to embrace the season and celebrate local produce.
From the Specialty Produce Archives:
| Variety | Pounds Sold in Season, 2009 (Aug-Dec) |
| Butternut Squash | 28970.2 |
| Kabocha Squash | 3874 |
| Spaghetti Squash | 2366 |
| Green Acorn Squash | 3004.75 |
| Variety |
Pounds Sold in Season, 2008 (Aug-Dec) |
| Butternut Squash | 29390.2 |
| Kabocha Squash | 3542.8 |
| Green Acorn Squash | 3039.05 |
| Spaghetti Squash | 3170.3 |
Lovely Lemons
May 25th
Nothing says, “hello summer!” quite like a glass of fresh squeezed lemonade. Now I know summer does not officially start for few more weeks but Memorial Day weekend always feels to me like the unofficial kick off to summertime. Particularly when it’s a warm sunshiny one like we are having here in San Diego. Luckily here at Specialty Produce we have an array of delicious lemons to choose from for all of your summertime lemonade making needs. Three of my personal favorites lemons are:
Organic Italian Sorrento Lemons
Sweet Meyer Lemons from Garcia Farms
And a beautiful Farmers Market find, Pink Lemons from J.J. Lone Daughter Ranch.
All three of these lemons made for an amazing glass of lemonade, are perfectly tart, and so lemony that their scent will linger deliciously on your fingers long after you have squeezed them of their juice.
There are so many different delicious ways to enjoy lemonade…
- Infused with herbs such as lavender or basil
- Served bubbly by substituting a little club soda for the water
- Sweetened with a simple syrup infused with vanilla bean
- With any number of colorful fruits chopped up and mixed in such as kiwi, blood orange, pineapple or blueberries
Here is one of my personal favorite lemonade recipes…
Muddled Strawberry Mint Lemonade
When at the peak of their season berries are a sweet addition to the tart lemon juice and on particularly warm days mint makes for an extra refreshing beverage.
Ingredients
2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
5 or 6 cups of water
1 cup sugar (or alternative sweetener of choice)
1 cup sliced strawberries
1/3 cup mint leaves
Preparation
After juicing the lemons pour 2 cups of the juice into a pitcher and set aside.
Place about half of the strawberries, mint and sugar in a bowl and muddle together using the back of a spoon or fork. Add this mixture to the lemon juice and stir to combine. Add 5 cups of water and the remaining strawberries, sugar, and mint and stir until combined.
At this point you should taste your summery concoction and feel free to add more water or sugar to your hearts content.
Pop the pitcher in the fridge to chill for a few hours or serve immediately over ice. If you have time you can make ice cubes with bits of mint leaves frozen inside of them or make ice cubes out of the lemonade to later serve it over.
Scrumptious Simplicity
May 15th
There is nothing more scrumptious on a warm sunshiny day than fresh fruits and veggies. One of my favorite sides for just such a day is a mix between a caprese salad and bruschetta. The combination of juicy tomatoes, robust garlic, and fresh flavorful basil is delicious when placed atop pizza, mixed into pasta with a sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan cheese or simply enjoyed on its own.
The are only a few ingredients in this dish, the trick to getting this salad to really shine is to make sure you are using the freshest ingredients you can find. This past week I have found the Japanese tomatoes from Beylik Farms to be perfectly sweet, the classic Red On the Vine tomatoes work splendidly too, or for a splash of color try mixing in some Heirloom tomatoes.
Caprese Chop Salad
Serves 4
Ingredients
8 tomatoes, cut into small squares
6-10 leaves of fresh basil, chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced or crushed
sprinkle of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
Combine the tomatoes, basil, and garlic in a small bowl, add salt and pepper to desired taste and wha-la it’s complete! Set aside to use as a tasty addition to a meal later or grab a fork and enjoy as is.
With the right ingredients even the simplest of recipes can be a scrumptious success!
Sweets of Spring
May 8th
Flowers are blooming, birds are chirping, and produce sections at markets all over town seem to be getting more and more colorful with each passing day. Spring has most definitely arrived here in San Diego and nothing says spring to me quite like strawberries. Here at Specialty Produce we offer an array of different strawberry varieties throughout the season to meet all of your berry needs.
Right now we are loving all of the strawberries from our local California farms which are a perfectly sweet snack on their own, make a simple yet elegant dessert when topped with a bit of fresh cream, and are scrumptious when enjoyed with Humboldt fog goat cheese. From simple preparation to complex recipes there are so many different ways to enjoy this delicious springtime fruit, here are a couple sweet strawberry recipes I have been enjoying the past few weeks.
Chocolate Strawberry Oatmeal
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 cup oats
1¾ cup milk (soy or moo cow, you can also substitute water for some or all of the milk if you are watching your calories)
1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 cup strawberries, cut into bite sized pieces
15 or so chocolate chips
Preparation
Bring the milk, water (if using), and oats to a light boil then reduce heat to a low simmer and add your vanilla flavoring and cocoa powder. After 5 minutes of cooking or when most of the liquid has absorbed from the oatmeal, reduce heat to low and add the strawberries. Stir gently to combine, let sit for a minute just to heat the strawberries through a smidge and then portion oats into two bowls and top with chocolate chips.
Berry Sweet Cupcakes
This recipe makes 12 cupcakes but you can always double the batter if you want 24, and if you have any hungry family or friends around trust me you will want more than 12! It is also a gluten free recipe that I promise tastes just as delicious if not dare I say better than any gluteny cake you have ever tried.
Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
¾ cup brown rice flour
¾ cup potato starch or tapioca flour
½ teaspoon xanath gum
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 3oz package strawberry jello
½ cup canola oil
½ cup milk (soy or moo cow)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup strawberries
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350 then combine the sugar and eggs in a large bowl and beat until well combined. In another bowl sift together the flours, xanath gum, baking powder, salt, and jello. In a third bowl combine the oil, milk, vanilla and strawberries and using a stand or hand mixer blend on medium high until the berries have broken down. Slowly add the liquid berry mixture and the flour mixture to the bowl of egg and sugar and beat at medium speed until fully combined and slightly fluffy, about 1 minute.
Pour the rosy batter into a paper cup lined muffin tin and bake for 17 to 20 minutes or until cakes have browned along the edges slightly. Let the cupcakes cool for a few minutes before removing them from the tin to sit on a wire rack until completely cool. Top the cakes with your favorite frosting, I used a cream cheese one.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
½ cup cream cheese
½ cup butter
3 cups powdered sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk
Preparation
Cream together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add to this the sugar, vanilla, and milk and mix until completely smooth. Spread the frosting onto the cupcakes. Any extra frosting can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Soft fluffy cake, sweet strawberries, and rich cream cheese frosting all wrapped up in a pretty pink package. The perfect springtime treat for all of the strawberry lovers in your life.
French Heirloom Potatoes in Vinaigrette
May 2nd
Our very first recipe! Much thanks to food writer Caron Golden for sharing her discoveries & hard work with all of us. She records her adventures with food at San Diego Foodstuff and San Diego News Network.
“To Market, To Market… With San Diego Foodstuff is your guide to the culinary treats found beyond our region’s homogeneous supermarkets–in ethnic markets, artisan bakeries, specialty gourmet shops, produce markets and more.” – San Diego Foodstuff
French Heirloom Potatoes in Vinaigrette Recipe
By Caron Golden
Serves 4
If you can have a favorite potato, mine is the little French heirloom potato. It’s a petite red oblong tuber, about three or four inches long, with flesh that’s a very dainty yellow hue. Instead of roasting potatoes, which I love to do, I slice these and boiled them briefly, then toss them with the Dijon Green Garlic vinaigrette, sliced kalamata olives and, yes, the greens from the green garlic. The dressing soaks into the potatoes, giving them both a terrific consistency and pronounced flavor from the garlic and mustard.
- 6 French heirloom potatoes, scrubbed and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
- ½ cup Kalamata olives, sliced
- 1 stalk of green garlic
- ½ cup Dijon Green Garlic Vinaigrette (see below)
Boil potato slices in salted water until just tender. Remove from heat and drain.
Remove greens from the green garlic and chop coarsely.
Make vinaigrette. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and gently mix them together to avoid breaking up the potato slices. Let sit for about 20 minutes to let the potatoes fully absorb the dressing. Add more vinaigrette if necessary.
Dijon Green Garlic Vinaigrette
Makes 1 cup
- 1 head/stalk of green garlic, minus the greens
- 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 tsp. sugar
- 2/3 cup olive oil
Mince head and white part of green garlic stalk.
Whisk together all the ingredients but the olive oil to blend. Then slowly whisk in the olive oil. Let sit for at least an hour to let the flavors come together. Taste and adjust seasonings.
**Photos & recipes courtesy of Caron Golden**
